(WARRENSBURG, Mo.) – Junior BreAnna Lewis scored 22 points in the second half, as the No. 7 Jennies recorded their 20th victory of the season, 58-44, over the Lindenwood Lions.
Lewis knocked down six three-pointers for the second time in as many games, helping the Jens extend their current winning streak to seven games.
After the Jennies (20-2, 12-2 MIAA) jumped out to a 4-0 lead in the first two minutes, Lindenwood used a 9-0 run to claim a five-point lead, 9-4, at the 12:04 mark. The Lions (4-18, 5-8 MIAA) led through the rest of the first half, taking their largest lead of the night on a layup from Cassie Bluemner to make it a 15-7 advantage with seven minutes until the intermission.
Shooting only 25% (6-of-24) from the field in the first half, the Jens put up just 20 points in the first half, their second-lowest total in a half this season. UCM was outscored in the paint 14-2 by the Lions in the first period, and were outrebounded by a slight margin, 20-18.
The second half, however, was a different story. Nicole Caddell scored the first field goal just 18 seconds into the second session, followed by the first trey from Lewis, which gave the Jens a quick 25-22 lead. A quick 4-0 run from Lindenwood put the Lions back in front, 26-25 with 16:03 to play. After Caddell changed the lead again in the Jennies favor, LWU’s Marissa Lehnig hit a jumper to edge Lindenwood out in front again, 28-27 at the 14:52 mark. That would be the last time the Lions would hold the lead, as Keuna Flax scored on the next possession, kick-starting a 7-2 run.
The Lions chipped away at UCM’s narrow lead, tying the score at 34-34 with a Jenny Rocha jumper. Central Missouri’s outside shooting heated up, as Lewis knocked down a trey to put the Jens back in front with 9:54 to play. After a Caddell layup, Brielle Wattley connected from deep, making it a 42-34 UCM lead with 8:37 to play.
Lewis took over during the next five minutes, scoring a total of 14 points and hitting three treys as the Jennies took a double-digit lead and a 14-4 run, putting the game out of reach. In all, Lewis scored the Central Missouri’s final 16 points, and 19 of their final 24 points in the win.
The Jennies clinched their second consecutive 20-win season, doing so for the first time since the 2004-05 and 2005-06 seasons. The team also extends its streak of 12 or more MIAA victories to five seasons, and remain undefeated in the Multipurpose Building this season, a feat that has been accomplished just three times in program history.
Along with Lewis, two other Jennies finished in double figures, Flax totaled 14 points, going 5-of-10 from the field, and Caddell tallied 11 points with a 4-for-8 performance.
Central Missouri returns to the Multi this Saturday, Feb. 16 to take on the Lincoln Blue Tigers at 1:30 p.m. The game can be heard on 98.5 The Bar, 1450 KOKO, and online at www.warrensburgradio.com.