(WARRENSBURG, Mo.) –Trailing by four with about five minutes to play, the 15th-ranked Central Missouri Jennies scored the final 15 points of the game to earn a come-from-behind victory over the Northeastern State Riverhawks, 63-52.
Junior guard BreAnna Lewis led all scorers with 25 points, hitting six three-pointers en route to the victory.
The Jennies (11-1, 3-1 MIAA) looked to be in control throughout the first half, jumping out to an early 8-2 lead, including five quick points from Lewis. Northeastern State (8-5, 3-2 MIAA) used a 7-0 run midway through the first half to briefly take a 13-12 advantage, but the Jens tied the game at 13 on the next possession, as Erin Redmond hit one of two free throws. UCM then reclaimed the lead with a trey by Lewis at the 8:13 mark, and led throughout the rest of the first half.
Lewis reached double-figures before halftime, collecting 10 points on 4-of-6 shooting in the first half. The Jennies shot a higher percentage than the Riverhawks, but committed 10 first-half turnovers resulting in eight points for NSU.
Coming out strong in the second half, the Riverhawks claimed the lead with a jumper from Tosha Tyler at the 18:50 mark to gain a 27-25 lead. Northeastern State immediately answered when Lewis hit a trey to retake the lead with 12:53 to play, scoring on back-to-back possessions for the two-point advantage.
Northeastern State took a six-point lead with 8:08 to play before the Jennies began their comeback run. After two of the three best three-point shooting teams in the MIAA traded shots, UCM climbed back to within three points with a pair of treys from Quinnecia Twine.
Once Keuna Flax pulled the Jennies to within one at the 6:05 mark, the Riverhawks responded with a trey from NSU’s Taylor Lewis. Following a timeout, Flax answered again with a jumper, before Lewis gave the Jennies the lead for good with her fifth and sixth three-pointers of the night.
The Jennies forced four turnovers over the final three minutes on the defensive end to close out the victory.
Flax finished with 21 points on the night, as the pair of former Trinity Valley CC teammates combined for more than two-thirds of the Jens’ total scoring. Nicole Caddell pulled down 10 rebounds in the win, around her per-game average, but struggled from the field, scoring only one point on the night.
Twine also reached double figures for the third time since moving into the starting lineup, with 10 points.
The Jennies two point guards, Brielle Wattley and Erin Redmond, combined for five assists without a single turnover. Wattley has now recorded three straight games as a starter without committing a turnover.
The Jennies are back in action Saturday when they host No. 20 Pittsburg State in a top-25 showdown. Tipoff is scheduled for 1:30 p.m., and can be heard on 98.5 The Bar, 1450 KOKO and www.warrensburgradio.com.