(WARRENSBURG, Mo.) — With 32 seconds left in regulation Wednesday and the game deadlocked at 78-78, Jennies senior Breonna Embray hit the go-ahead and eventual game-winning three-pointer to lift the Jennies over Missouri Western 82-78 at the Multipurpose Building.
The victory was the Jennies’ (18-8, 12-6 MIAA) sixth in a row, a new season high. Junior Shelby Winkelmann had 25 points and senior Jasmine Thompson had 23, while juniors Tayler Weiks had 11 and Danielle Barry had 10 points off the bench. Thompson also added a team-high 11 rebounds to collect her third double-double of the season.
UCM came out firing on all cylinders, spotting themselves with a 13-2 lead in the first 4:38 of the game.
A 10-2 run by Missouri Western cut the lead to three at 15-12 with 11:02 on the first half clock and took their first lead of the game at 25-24 with just under six minutes to play.
After falling behind, 33-28 with 3:55 left to go in the opening half, the Jennies re-claimed the lead going into half with a 12-4 run, five points coming from Thompson.
Thompson and Winkelmann paced the Jennies’ offense in the first half, netting 15 and 14 points, respectively. The Jennies were a perfect 12-of-12 from the free throw line.
After the Jennies allowed the first two buckets of the second half to fall behind by a point, the two teams exchanged baskets for the next four possessions. LaQuinta Jefferson then hit back-to-back jumpshots, putting the Griffons ahead, 49-45 with 15:51 left to play in the game.
Thompson tied the game at 49-49 with consecutive layups and again the two foes traded buckets for four possessions before Chelsea Dewey’s trey gave Missouri Western a 56-53 lead at the 11:41 mark.
A 7-0 run by the Jennies ensued highlighted by a three-pointer by Weiks. The Jennies built their lead to double-digits at 72-62 with 5:40 to go, but the Griffons worked to cut the lead to 74-72 with nearly 3 1/2 minutes to play.
Holding a 78-76 lead with 1:21 on the clock, Missouri Western’s Ariana Novak tied the game at 78-78 with a layup at the 52 second mark of the game.
Following a 30 second timeout, the Jennies set up their final play, with Thompson finding Embray at the center right wing, who buried the shot to put UCM ahead for good, 81-78.
A free throw from Prairie Chief with 18 seconds left put the game away at 82-78 with 18 seconds remaining.
The win was the Jennies’ 14th in the past 15 meetings overall with Missouri Western. The victory also was the Jennies’ 10th at home, marking the fourth consecutive season of double-digit wins at the Multipurpose Building.
UCM will close out its regular season schedule at Northwest Missouri on Saturday for a 1:30 p.m. tipoff.