Box score | Season stats

BOLIVAR, Mo. -- The SBU Bearcat women snapped a seven-game losing streak with a 55-50 come from behind victory over Missouri Southern. Rachel Graves led the Bearcats with 13 points, while Chasity Prince and Whitney Malone had 10 points each. Jasmine Sanford led with nine rebounds. Graves and Courtney Heady each had five assists.

After scoring just 17 points in the first half and trailing by nine at halftime, SBU outscored Missouri Southern 38-24 in the second half for the victory. Coach J.C. Carter was proud of his team's break through, after a string of narrow loses. "They've been working so hard individually and as a team. There's no reason for us to not play with confidence. The crowd gave us energy and we got a lot of big stops in the second half," Carter said. 

The Bearcats held the Lions to 0 for 8 shooting from three-point range in the second half and just 16% for the game. SBU also forced 16 MSSU turnovers while committing 11 miscues. After a slow first half, SBU picked it up in the second, shooting 43% from the field. 

After trailing 15-12 with 11 minutes left in the first half, SBU was held scoreless for over seven minutes. But the Lions could only extend their lead to 12 points as both teams struggled from the field. The Lions led 26-17 after a low scoring first frame.

Treys in the early second half from Graves and Prince got the Bearcats going, and SBU would take the lead 31-29 with seven minutes gone in the second. Neither team held a lead larger than three points until the Bearcats went up 51-46 on a layup by Freddie Sims with just under two minutes remaining.

SBU got solid contributions off the bench from Malone and Sims. "Whitney is so athletic and can guard any position," added Carter. "She works hard on keeping rebounds alive. Freddie made a huge contribution for us."

Missouri Southern (11-9, 5-8 MIAA) was led in scoring by Erin Rice with 13 points. Jasmine Lovejoy had 12 points and nine boards for the Lions.

SBU had been snake-bitten recently, falling in their last four games prior to tonight by seven, five, one and three points. In the first meeting between SBU and MSSU in late December, the Bearcats fell by one point in a contest filled with late game controversy.

SBU (4-15, 2-10 MIAA) travels to Pittsburg State on Wednesday night, February 3. Tipoff against the Gorillas is set for 5:30 p.m.