ST. LOUIS – Following an impressive performance on the road at Stephens College on Tuesday, the Missouri Baptist University women's basketball team looked to string together its first win streak of the season when it visited Harris-Stowe State. Despite leading by three at halftime, the Spartans were edged 62-54 and came up short of winning in back-to-back contests.
Playing at Emerson Performance Center on the campus of Harris-Stowe is never an easy place to play as the Hornets have now won five out of the last six matches on their home court.
MBU got off to a quick start scoring the first five points of the game and holding a 7-2 advantage in the earlygoing. The five-point lead was the largest of the game as it was closely contested throughout. In total, there were 17 lead changes and 14 times in which the game was tied up. Harris-Stowe State seized the Spartans' momentum in the first quarter by holding them scoreless for the last three minutes. The Hornets led 14-10 after one.
The two teams traded buckets and the lead again in the second quarter with Missouri Baptist providing a last-minute surge before halftime. Down 24-23, the Spartans scored a pair of baskets in the paint by
Jordan Wyatt and
Nicole Griesenauer with under 30 seconds left to go up 27-24 heading into the locker room.
At halftime,
Kadesha Cooper led the Spartans with eight points (3-for-6, 2-for-2 3PT) with three rebounds. For the second game in a row, freshman
Allison Meyer got the start and made the most of her time with five points (2-for-4) and five rebounds in the first half.
The Spartans' post players –
Allison Meyer (6),
Megan Fassino (5) and
Kadesha Cooper (2) kept the game close in the third quarter combining for 13 of MBU's 17 points. Despite Harris-Stowe shooting 53 percent and outscoring the Spartans 22-17, it was still a one-possession ballgame heading into the final period. MoBap trailed 46-44.
While neither team shot particularly well in the fourth quarter, HSSU had the most gas left in the tank. The shots just weren't falling for the Spartans as they managed just two field goals in the last 10 minutes of the game and shot an inefficient 15.3 percent from the field.
The final stats were quite similar for the Hornets and Spartans, but the advantage for HSSU came in points off turnovers with a 15-3 advantage and 18-9 upper hand in offensive rebounds.
Kadesha Cooper led the Spartan women with 13 points and has now averaged 14 points per game in her last six games. For the third time in four games, freshman
Allison Meyer has reached double figures in scoring and has been an offensive presence for MBU. Meyer finished the game with 11 points on 5-of-7 shooting with 5 rebounds, 1 block and 1 assist.
Other notable performances included
Alissa Rowden with 9 points, 6 rebounds, 3 assists and 0 turnovers,
Rose Wassef with 7 points, 7 rebounds and 3 assists, and
Megan Fassino with 7 points and 5 rebounds.
The Spartans return home on Saturday to take on fourth-place William Woods University (14-7, 10-5) for their Coaches vs. Cancer Suits & Sneakers Game at 1 p.m.
