The Missouri Southern women’s basketball team dropped their first meeting with Nebraska-Kearney on Jan. 2, 65-50 in Kearney, Neb. Previously to losing their opening game of the new year, Southern had lost three of six games in the month of December, losing 64-42 to Washburn in their final game of 2015. 

After the loss to Neb.-Kearney, head coach Ronda Hubbard was very disappointed in her team noting that she was very disappointed in the way her team approached the game, adding, “It was probably the worst game we’ve played all year.”

More poor performances followed as Southern dropped four of nine games in the month of January. For many reasons, this second match-up against the Lopers was circled on the Lions calendar. 

Southern (17-9, 11-9 MIAA) wanted to come out and return the 20-point loss to Neb.-Kearney on Robert Corn Court inside the Leggett & Platt Athletic Center. That’s exactly what they did as the Lions defeated the Lopers, 76-53.

The first quarter ended tied at 10 as the Lions ended the quarter on a 5-0 run. After that run, the Lions would put a stranglehold on the game and squeeze the air out of the Lopers. Southern continued on that run and scored the first 18 points of the second quarter, pushing their lead to 23-10. The Lions held the Lopers to only four points in the second quarter as the Lions put up 28 points, taking a 38-14 lead into the break.

Southern’s largest lead grew to 27 points in the second half as the Lions won convincingly, 76-53. 

The Lions scored 18 points off 14 Loper turnovers, tallied a season-high eight blocks, and outscored the Lopers’ bench 35-19, while shooting 52 percent for the game. 

On Jan. 4, then No. 1 ranked Fort Hays State defeated the Lions 68-60 in Hays, Kan. in Gross Memorial Coliseum. That was the third loss of a three game losing streak by the Lions as the New Year wasn’t quite treating the Lions all that well. 

Now ranked No. 5 in the land, FHSU visited Robert Corn Court last Saturday. 

Southern only trailed by six heading into the fourth quarter. The only difference in the game was a FHSU 9-0 run to end the first quarter. 

Southern trailed by as many as eight in the fourth quarter. Both teams traded baskets in the fourth with Southern eventually cutting the lead to two points (60-58) with 4:51 remaining in the game. From there, Southern would go 1-6 from the field as FHSU would seal the game at the free throw line for a 68-62 victory. 

Southern shot under 38 percent from three and from the field. They forced nine FHSU turnovers but only scored two points off of them.

Southern will be back in action tomorrow as they travel to Warrensburg, Mo. to take on Central Missouri. Tip-off is scheduled for 1:30 p.m.