(WARRENSBURG, Mo.) — The No. 8 Jennies saw their 21-game win streak at home come to an end on Saturday, falling to Lindenwood, 65-64 on the game’s final possession.
UCM (15-3, 9-2 MIAA) grabbed an early 7-6 lead over Lindenwood (10-7, 5-5 MIAA) through the first 4:05. The Jennies’ lead grew to 16-8, their largest advantage of the game with 12:04 left in the first half.
The Lady Lions got themsleves back into the game, scoring the next eight points to tie UCM at 16 apiece. They went ahead, 18-16 with 8:06 on the clock when Marissa Lehnig made a layup. Dru Haertling drilled a three-pointer and Lehnig made a pair of free throws after drawing a foul from Keuna Flax, putting Lindenwood in front by seven, 23-16.
Breonna Embray cut the deficit to four with a three-pointer on the following possession, but the Lady Lions came back with three layups to take a 29-21 lead with 4:27 remaining in the first half.
The Jennies and Lady Lions closed the first half scoring four points each to keep the UCM deficit at eight, 33-25. The Jennies’ leading scorers at half were Shelby Winkelmannand Breonna Embray each with five points. Flax made just 1-of-3 shots for two points.
UCM started the second half scoring the first three points courtesy of Revonnia Howard who made a layup and split a pair of free throws. However, an 8-3 spurt by Lindenwood over the next 2:24 put the Jennies in a 10-point hole.
The gap closed to four points at 41-37 as the BreAnna Lewis and Winklemann eached scored three with 15:51 left in the game.
Lehnig, Caroline Bourlioux and Kassidy Gengenbacher combined to help Lindenwood increase their lead to 47-40 with 12:11 remaining. They maintained a two-possession lead for the next 6:15 before Flax scored on a layup and Winkelmann splashed a ttriple with just over four minutes left to climb within a basket.
On the Lady Lions’ next possession, Morgan Johnson tripled to bump Lindenwood’s lead to five at 61-56 with 3:34 to go.
Flax drew a foul on the next Jennies’ possession and hit both free throws to make it a three-point game.  UCM forced a Lindenwood turnover on the next possession and Flax hit a jumper to make the score, 61-60 with 2:34 left in the game.
UCM took its first lead since early in the first half when Brielle Wattley drove to the basket and scored to put the Jennies ahead, 62-61 with 1:51 left.
The lead did not last long as Bourlioux answered with a jumper to give Lindenwood the lead back at 63-62 with 1:38 on the clock.
The Jennies took their last lead of the game when Lewis was fouled and hit two free-throws on the ensuing possession.
Lindenwood scored the eventual game-winning basket with 1:03 left following a layup by Lehnig, putting Lindenwood back in front, 65-64.
A defensive stop gave the Jennies the last possession of the game with 10 seconds left. Wattley made a drive to the basket, but Gengenbacher was there to make the steal and give UCM their first home loss of the season.
The Jennies bench was outscored, 12-3 in the second half. Flax finished with 21 points, 19 coming in the game’s second half. Winkelmann chipped in 11 on 4-of-7 shooting from the floor.
UCM loses for the first time in seven tries against Lindenwood. The last time the Jennies lost at home was Feb. 25, 2012 against Truman (80-75). It was also the 100th loss for head coach Dave Slifer at UCM.
The Jennies will look to get back on the winning track on Saturday, Feb. 1, when they host Missouri Southern at 1:30 p.m.