Southern bounces back with win

Senior+Kenya-Wilson+Brown+driving+the+lane+as+Sophomore+Jenson+Maydew+is+rolling+to+the+basket+after+setting+a+screen+on+Pink+Day+against+Missouri+Western+State+University+on+Robert+Corn+Court+inside+the+Leggett+%26amp%3B+Platt+Athletic+Center+on+Jan.+30%2C+2015.+Southern+lost+to+MWSU+twice+by+an+average+margin+of+1.5+points.

Pablo Ortiz, Photo Editor

Senior Kenya-Wilson Brown driving the lane as Sophomore Jenson Maydew is rolling to the basket after setting a screen on Pink Day against Missouri Western State University on Robert Corn Court inside the Leggett & Platt Athletic Center on Jan. 30, 2015. Southern lost to MWSU twice by an average margin of 1.5 points.

After a heart wrenching loss on Robert Corn Court to No. nine Missouri Western on Jan. 30, the Lions sat in sixth place in conference with a tough two game road trip to follow. 

Missouri Southern (15-8, 9-8 MIAA) would have to put that loss behind them fast and focus on No. 17 ranked Emporia State and Washburn University. 

Emporia State welcomed the Lions inside William L. White Auditorium for their second meeting of the season. Southern beat then No. 3 ranked Emporia State, 71-58 on Robert Corn Court inside the Leggett & Platt Athletic Center on Dec. 16, 2015. This was a matchup of huge implications for both teams. 

In the first half, the Lady Hornets closed both quarters out on small but pivotal runs. 

In the first quarter, ESU went on an 11-2 run to take a seven point lead. To close the half, ESU went on a 5-0 run to take a four point. Key stat of the first half, Southern has attempted and made the third most free throws in the conference. They attempted zero in the first half. ESU hit 8-11 in the first half. 

To begin the second half, ESU extended their 5-0 run to a 12-0 run to increase their lead to 11 before Sharese ‘Winkie’ Jones would convert the old fashion three point play and give the Lions their first free throw attempts of the game. 

The Lions trailed by double digits to end the third quarter, 52-40. 

The fourth quarter belong to the Lady Hornets as they would hold a lead as big as 17 points. Southern fell, 71-61.

Game two of the road trip ended in Topeka, Kan. against Washburn. Washburn defeated the Lions by 22 points on Robert Corn Court on Dec. 19, 2015.

The key moment in the game came in the remaining seconds of the third quarter as a technical foul was called on the Southern bench. Erika Lane of WU hit one of two free throws giving the Ichabods a 55-51 lead heading into the fourth.

A furious head coach in Ronda Hubbard and a team that was trying to avoid a three game losing streak seemed to use that technical foul as motivation heading into the fourth.

Capped off by a Jones layup with 4:35 to play, the Lions went on a 16-2 run. The Lions led by nine and had all momentum on their side. Southern would hold off a late push by Washburn and win the ballgame, 73-67. 

Jones led the attack with 24 points and Deb Holcomb scored 23 as the duo was too much to handle for the Ichabods. 

Southern had nine steals to the Ichabods one and went perfect from the free throw line in the second half (MSSU 14-14, WU 2-4). 

Congratulations to the women as they’ve clinched a spot in the MIAA tournament. The Lions will be back in action tomorrow as they play host to the No. 7 ranked Tigers of Fort Hays. Tip-off on Robert Corn Court inside the Leggett & Platt Athletic Center is scheduled for 1 p.m.