(ROMEOVILLE, Ill.) — Four Jennies finished in double figures, as Central Missouri held on to defeat the Lewis Flyers in the first road trip of the season, 84-77.
Senior All-American Nicole Caddell led the way, scoring 24 points and pulling down a career-high 16 rebounds in the win.
The Flyers (3-1) hit four three-pointers during the last 3:50 of the game, but the Jens were able to withstand the shootout, scoring nine points during the same stretch to claim the fifth victory of the year.
The Jennies (5-0) took a commanding lead through most of the first half, going up 30-19 on Caddell’s layup midway through the first half. That would be the largest lead of the game, as the Flyers closed out the half on a 16-4 run to take a one point lead going into the break.
Caddell nearly earned her double-double through just one half of play, picking up 10 points and eight rebounds before intermission. The Tuscaloosa, Ala., native scored the first bucket of the second half to regain the lead for UCM at 38-37.
Both sides traded the lead for the first three minutes of the second half, until Erin Redmond‘s three-pointer at the 17:13 mark put the Jens up for good.
The lead stretched to 11 points again at the 4:02 mark, when Caddell’s layup following a Shelby Winkelmann steal made it 75-64. Lewis then made its final run, hitting back-to-back threes, cutting the lead down to just five points in less than a minute.
A free throw from Lewis’ Sam Rinehart made it a four-point game, before Caddell answered with a bucket, followed by Brielle Wattley drawing a foul and hitting two big free throws down the stretch, making it a 79-71 Jennies lead.
Wattley finished with a career-high 13 points, recording the first double-digit performance of her career. Winkelmann reached double figures for the fifth straight game, with 16 points, while BreAnna Lewis picked up 15 points in the win.
The Jennies will take an 11-day break before their next game. UCM will hit the road again Dec. 5, when it takes on the Fort Hays State Tigers in the MIAA season opener.