With the desire to make a turnaround in a 11-8 season, the Lady Lions continued in a three-game winning streak by conquering the Lady Bulldogs of Truman State University.

The Jan. 25 game was held at Truman in Kirksville and ended in a close 84-73 game.

During the game, the women tied the Missouri Southern record by scoring 14 three-pointers and made 34 attempts from long range, breaking the College mark.

Southern finished up the first half leading 40-32, but fell behind in the second half.

Scoring 27 points in the last half of the game still kept the Lady Lions ahead.

“We have stepped up our intensity,” said freshman center Paige Christiansen. “We dug ourselves a hole, so we had to step up because we were losing.”

Senior Jaquie Rzeszut led the team scoring 45 points, 12 of which were free throws. This was Rzeszut’s 11th game this season to lead in point scoring.

“They fouled Jacquie a lot,” said freshman guard Nicole Greninger.

The fouls against Rzeszut gave her the opportunity to score 12 quick free-throw points.

“The post players had foul trouble,” Christiansen said. “But Jacquie is a good free-throw shooter.”

Not only did she rack up team points with free throws, she was also named Wilson/Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association Player of the Week. Rzeszut’s 45 points scored in the game also beat Southern’s single-game scoring record that had been 42 points. The previous record was set in 1988 by Anita Rank.

“Playing as a team” continues to be the women’ strength in winning. With 10 games remaining in the season, the women have the chance to make up for the losses suffered early in the season.

“We know we have talent and ability,” Christiansen said. “We just all need to keep doing our part and working together for the rest of the games.”

On Jan. 29, the women took a trip to Rolla to challenge the Lady Miners of the University of Missouri-Rolla.

Leading in the first half, 26-22, wasn’t enough for the ladies to finish out the game. In the second half, Southern scored 27 points and allowed the Lady Miners to gain an 11-point lead, losing 60-53.

Lucimara Silva, junior center, held the scoring high of 19 points, while Rzeszut had two free throws and two 3-pointers.

The women are ready to face the Lady Bearcats of Southwest Baptist University on Saturday. 

The game will be played at Leggett & Platt Athletic Center before the men’s game. Tip off is set at 5:30 p.m.

“I think it will be a good game because it was such a close game when we played at SBU,” Christiansen said. “We have the mind frame that we can’t lose at home.”