The Missouri Southern women’s basketball team beat Oklahoma Panhandle State 80-52 inside the Leggett & Platt Athletic center on Robert Corn Court behind a career-high 18 points for Kaitlin Hunnicutt.
The Lions (2-2) were led by Hunnicutt’s 18 points, while she shot 4-of-7 from three, 6-of-10 from the field and was 2-of-2 from free throws and hauled in five rebounds. Freshman guard Lacy Stokes and junior forward Amaya Johns each finished with 12 points with Lacy picking up her first double-double of the season grabbing 10 rebounds and a game-high eight assists. Sophomore center Madi Stokes made her season debut and came off the bench to lead all bench scorers with 10 points and had four rebounds to go with three blocks. Stokes moved her career block total to 86, passing Jenson Maydew for sole possession of third in school history.
OPSU (2-2, 0-2 SAC) were led by Jamiya Eaddy’s 16 points and eight rebounds. Vanessa Gonzalez led the Aggies in scoring with nine points while pulling down three rebounds. Cassia McCaskill had a team-high 10 rebounds to go with six points as well.
Lacy Stokes got the scoring started for both teams with 8:39 left in the first quarter on a driving layup before a Layne Skiles three with 8:09 left put the Lions ahead 5-0. The Lions went on a 6-0 run that concluded with a pair of Johns’ free throws with 5:36 remaining that stretched the lead to eight (11-3) the largest of the quarter.
Following an Aggie three to put them ahead by one, Hunnicutt responded with a three herself to put the Lions ahead 22-21 with 9:07 remaining in the second quarter. Southern went on a 16-2 run to follow another Aggie three and end the half ahead 38-26.
Southern opened the scoring in the second half with a driving layup from Lacy Stokes to start a 7-0 run that was capped by a Johns’ three from a Stauffer assist to push the lead to 45-26 with 8:00 left in the third quarter. A 5-0 run in the middle of the quarter saw the Lions’ lead get to 24 (56-32) with 3:11 left from a Mia Topping turnaround jumper.
Topping started a 7-0 run in the fourth quarter connecting on a three from a Lacy Stokes assist before a Stokes-to-Stokes connection (Lacy to Madi) made it 71-45 with 4:23 left in regulation. The Lions would stretch the lead to 31 (80-49) before winning by the final score of 80-52.
The Lions finished the game shooting better (41.8-31.3), made more threes (8-7), converted on more free throws (16-5), out rebounded the Aggies (45-39), had more assists (15-5), forced 21 Aggie turnovers, and scored 27 points from them and had more bench points (28-25).
Up next for the Lions will be Central Oklahoma at home on Thursday December 2nd to begin MIAA play for both teams. Tip-off from Robert Corn Court inside the Leggett & Platt Athletic Center is set for 5:30 PM.