Feb. 21 — Hays, Kan. – Senior Danielle DeVader made five threes to become Missouri Southern’s all-time leading three-point shooter, but it wasn’t enough as the Lions blew a big second-half lead and lost 69-66 to the Fort Hays State Lady Tigers Saturday afternoon (Feb. 21) in Hays, Kan. The loss drops the Lions into a fourth-place tie with Central Missouri in the MIAA with an 11-7 conference mark.

The Lions held a commanding 49-34 lead at the 13:24 mark of the second half when the Lady Tigers began their march back.

Kayla Klug, Morgan Clark and Audra Binford combined to score 13 points to lead a 15-0 Hays charge that tied the score at 49-49 with 9:41 remaining.

Myosha Barnes helped stem the tide with a pair of free throws that put the Lions back on top at 51-49, but two free throws from Naomi Bancroft and a layup by Binford gave the Lady Tigers their first lead of the game at the 7:44 point.

With the Lions trailing 56-53, Barnes again tied the score by converting a three-point play with 6:11 left.

A three-point play by Erica Biel and a trey from Bancroft helped the Lady Tigers go on a 7-0 run for their biggest lead of the contest with just 4:11 remaining.

DeVader helped keep the Lions close by nailing a pair of threes that put her into the record book with her 180th and 181st career threes that brought Southern to within 65-62 at the 1:51 mark.

India Wood then hit four free throws that trimmed the deficit to just one at 67-66 with 40 seconds left.

The Lions then got a defensive stop that gave them a chance to take the lead with 12 seconds remaining, but turned the ball over.

After Bancroft made two at the charity stripe to put the Lady Tigers up by three, the Lions still had a chance to tie but misfired on a three-point attempt.

The Lions (17-8, 11-7 MIAA) had no problem getting on top in the early going as threes from DeVader, Lindsey Davis, Wood and Barnes helped the Lions jump out to a 16-4 lead just 5:42 into the first half.

Southern led by 11 when a pair of treys from DeVader sparked an 8-2 spurt that gave the Lions their largest advantage of the game at 39-22 with 1:41 left in the opening half.

A three from Bancroft brought the Lady Tigers to within 14 at the half.

Barnes tallied 19 for the second straight contest to lead the Lions, including hitting all eight of her free-throw attempts. DeVader scored 17 and pulled down a game-high 10 rebounds. Wood added 13 and dished out a game-high six assists.

The Lady Tigers (11-14, 7-11 MIAA) were led by Bancroft’s 20 points and seven boards. Binford made 7-of-10 from the floor to finish with 16.

The Lions will return home for the final two games of the 2008-08 campaign, beginning with a matchup against Nebraska-Omaha on Wednesday evening (Feb. 25) at 5:30 p.m. at the Leggett & Platt Athletic Center. The Lions routed UNO 72-40 in the first matchup this season (Jan. 17) in Omaha, Neb.