Box Score

Bolivar, Mo. - The SBU Women's basketball team faced off against the UNK Lopers in their third MIAA contest  falling 89-75. The loss drops the Bearcats to 5-3 (1-2 MIAA) on the season.
 
The Lopers jumped to an early 8-0 lead before Morgan Henderson put the Bearcats on the board with two free-throws. The scoring went both ways before UNK went on another 8-0 run to put the Bearcats down 22-10 with 1:37 left in the first quarter. Natalie O'Keefe hit a jumper before the Lopers went on a 6-0 run to end the first quarter with the Bearcats trailing 28-12.
 
Henderson started the scoring in the second quarter with a pair of free-throws, with a layup by Mackenzie Skupa quickly following. A steal and layup by Sarah Magana with 7:36 left in the half put the score at 31-19 Nebraska-Kearney. After a short run by UNK, Ashlee Pitts went on a solo 6-0 run to put the Bearcats within 11 (36-25). The scoring went back-and-forth for the teams with UNK holding a double-digit lead over the Bearcats. A 3-pointer by Dilonna Johnson diminished that lead to single digits bringing the score to 42-33 with 2:38 left in the half. Kayla Richardson was able to get in the paint to score before the Lopers scored 4 more points to end the half with the Bearcats trailing 49-35.
 
The Lopers opened up the third quarter with a layup, but Skupa answered back with a layup of her own to bring the score to 51-37. After a free-throw by UNK, the game was scoreless until Aliyah Jackson scored on a layup with 7:14 left in the quarter. UNK scored on a layup but jumpers from Jackson and Rosenbohm cut their lead to 11 (54-43). The scoring went both ways with SBU slowly chipping away at UNK's lead. A 9-0 run by SBU put the Bearcats only down by 3 (62-59) with 58 seconds left in the third. Rosenbohm put up another layup, but UNK scored twice more in the final minutes of the third quarter to put the score as SBU trailed 66-61 heading into the final quarter.
 
The 4th quarter started slow with neither team scoring for the first minute before Richardson scored on a layup, pulling SBU back within three at 66-63. UNK scored in quick succession to regain a double-digit lead (73-63) with 7:19 left in the game. Shots by Jackson and Rosenbohm lessened the lead to bring the score up to 73-66. Another minute of action passed without scoring before UNK scored twice, which was followed up by a layup from Rosenbohm, but the Lopers would extend their lead down the stretch as SBU would drop the game 89-75.
 
Megan Rosenbohm led the Bearcats offensively with 20 points and 6 steals while Caylee Richardson contributed 14 points and 10 rebounds for another double-double. As a team, the Bearcats were 36.6% from the field, 21.4% from behind the arch, and 80.0% from the free-throw line.
 
The Bearcats will head to Topeka to play Washburn University on Saturday, December 12th. Tip-off is scheduled for 5:00 p.m. at the Lee Arena in Topeka, Kansas.