Box Score

Bolivar, Mo. – The Southwest Baptist University women's basketball team picked up a huge 82-71 victory over the #1 ranked team in the NCAA, Fort Hays State, on Saturday afternoon. The win brings the SBU record up 6-4 (2-3 MIAA) on the season.
 
The first quarter was scoreless for the first couple minutes until Morgan Lucy scored the first points of the game with 2 free-throws with 8:22 left on the clock. FHSU answered back with a 3-pointer, but Dilonna Johnson gave the Bearcats back the lead with a 3-pointer of her own. FHSU tied it up again but Lucy was able to get in the paint and nail a jumper bringing the score to 7-5. After a layup by FHSU to retie the game, Alex Botkin passed it off to Megan Rosenbohm who hit a 3-pointer to put the Bearcats up again 10-7 with 5:47 left in the quarter. The score went quickly back-and-forth with the Bearcats maintaining a slim lead over the Tigers. FHSU went on a small 6-0 run which Mackenzie Skupa stopped with a layup (19-17). FHSU tied the game again with a couple free-throws but SBU went on a 6-0 run to regain the lead with 1:12 left in the quarter. FHSU then hit a 3-pointer, but Rosenbohm would respond with her own 3 to end the first quarter with the Bearcats leading 27-22.
 
FHSU opened up the second quarter with a 3-pointer, but the Bearcats turned around and scored on a layup by Caylee Richardson and then another layup by Lucy soon after that with 7:25 left in the half. After a free-throw by the Tigers, the game was scoreless for the next few minutes until Rosenbohm hit a jumper bringing the score up to 33-27, SBU. FHSU hit yet another 3-pointer but Botkin answered back with a solo 4-0 run with 3:00 left in the half. The scoring went back-and-forth for the rest of the half, but a layup from Richardson sent the game to the break with the Bearcats still leading 43-39.
 
The third quarter started with a 4-0 run by FHSU to tie the game but a layup, but Dilonna Johnson kept the Bearcats alive and gave them back the lead with 8:00 left in the quarter. Shots from Johnson and Rosenbohm put SBU up 49-43 before another layup by FHSU was sandwiched in between SBU mini-runs. Rosenbohm and Lucy were able to get in the paint and score the next 4 points putting the Bearcats up by 8 (53-45) with 2:44 left. FHSU went on a 5-0 run which Johnson ended with a 3-pointer putting the score at 56-50. The Tigers put up 2 free-throws before a layup by Rosenbohm ended the quarter with the Bearcats on top 58-52.
 
The fourth quarter was scoreless for the first minute until FHSU scored on a layup, but SBU promptly responded with a layup by Botkin. The scoring went back-and-forth for both teams with shots from Skupa and Johnson to help SBU keep a small lead over FHSU. A foul by FHSU sent Botkin to the line who hit both free-throws to bring the score up to 75-67 with 2:44 left on the clock. The Tigers scored the next 4 points before SBU went on a 7-0 run, hitting seven of eight free throws down the stretch, to win the game 82-71.
 
The Bearcats had an all-around strong offensive game to upset #1 Fort Hays State. Dilonna Johnson had a team high 19 points with Mackenzie Skupa and Megan Rosenbohm close behind with 17 and 15 respectively. Caylee Richardson picked up another double-double with 10 points and a team high 12 rebounds. As a team, SBU shot 54.0% from the field, 54.5% from behind the arc, and 84.6% from the free-throw line.
 
The SBU's Women's basketball team will face off against Missouri S&T on Friday, January 1st, 2016. Tip-off is scheduled for 1:00 p.m. in the Meyer Sports Center in Bolivar, Missouri.