Livia Brito had her 2nd double-double of the year for SBU.

[box vs. MSSU] [pics vs. MSSU]

BOLIVAR, MO. ... Junior Livia Brito’s second double-double of the year and freshman Traci Bybee’s career-high seven assists powered Southwest Baptist University to a 69-62 win over Missouri Southern State in MIAA play.  The win snapped a five game losing streak to MSSU and improved SBU’s record to 10-9 overall and 2-6 in the MIAA.

SBU kept their distance most of the game as MSSU only had three leads in the whole game in which two were in the second half.  At the 17:41 mark in the second half, SBU had an eight-point lead, 40-32, when the Lady Lions went on a 14-4 run over four minutes to take their first lead, 46-44.  SBU tied it at 46 on a Brito layup before MSSU's Brianna Volmer gave them their last lead, 48-46.  SBU followed that with their own 14-4 run to retake an eight-point lead, 60-52, with 6:57 left to play in the game.  With 1:51 left to play, SBU's Casey Beavers gave the Lady Bearcats their largest lead of 11 on a three-pointer.  MSSU never recovered after SBU's run.

With her second 20+ career point game ever, freshman Cortney Shewmaker led SBU with 20 points on 8-of-14 shooting. Beavers added 18 points while Livia Brito had her second double-double with 12 points and 13 rebounds.  Freshman Traci Bybee had a career-high seven assists.

Traci Bybee recorded a career-high seven assists.

Leading all the way through the first half except for a 4-3 lead early on by MSSU, SBU took a nine-point lead, 16-7, just six minutes into the game.  MSSU did get it down to four (18-14), but SBU pushed it back to seven, 31-24, with 1:08 left in the half.  MSSU finished the half on a 5-0 run to cut the lead to two at the half.

SBU and MSSU both finished the game shooting 39% from the floor but SBU shot an amazing 77% from 3-point range in the second half to finish with at 50% on the game.  SBU also out rebounded MSSU, 41-36, and had the same amount of turnovers (12).

SBU will host #3 Emporia State on Saturday, January 28, at 5:30 p.m. in the Meyer Sports Center.