With a big roar in the first half and a strong finish during the second, the Missouri Southern women’s basketball team pounced on the Bearcats to win the Feb. 19 game.

The Lions led by as many as 14 points in the second half and came away with a win of 64 points to Northwest Missouri State University’s 62 points.

Vonny Wilson, senior guard, would start off the game scoring the first point against the Lady Bearcats with 44 seconds into the game. Missouri Southern would hold on to the lead until NWMSU made the score 10-9. However, Southern would go on an 18-8 run, ending the first half at 37-27.

During the second half, the Lions would keep the lead until 15:18 into the game when NWMSU would tie it at 54-54. They would keep the lead for 2:34 until Nicole Greninger, junior guard, shot a three-pointer to bring the Lions back up to speed. After trailing only one more time, the Lions would take a 7-2 run to win the game 64-62.

“For the first time in three months we started a game well,” said Maryann Mitts, head women’s basketball coach, “It was a complete team win. It was exciting to see.”

The lead scorer for the game was Wilson with 16 points.

Aubrie Hallman, senior guard, and Greninger would each have 11 points and four rebounds.

Hallman also had nine assists for the game.

On Feb. 23, the Lions competed against Pittsburg State University in a home game. However, they would suffer a 73-64 loss at the hands of the Gorillas.

Southern would lead by one point in the first half at 40-39. However, it would bounce back and forth between the two teams until Wilson scored a free-throw in the last seven seconds.

Although the Lions led in the first half, they would not be able to keep it for the second.

PSU would take the lead and keep for the remainder of the game.

“You’ve got to play 40 minutes of good basketball,” Mitts said. “And we just didn’t do it tonight. We have to forget this one. We’ve got to get geared up for this weekend.”

Wilson would once again be the lead scorer for the Lions as she completed the game with 22 total points. She also had six rebounds.

Hallman would score 20 points, including two three-pointers, and have four assists. Amy Adkison, senior forward and center, grabbed seven rebounds and had five assists.

The Southern women will compete next against Missouri Western State University on Saturday.

Tip-off will be at 5:30 p.m. in the Leggett and Platt Athletic Center.

Andy Tevis, Design Editor, contributed to this story.