[box vs. PSU]
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| Cortney Shewmaker led SBU with 16 points. |
PITTSBURG, KS. … Livia Brito’s last second shot fell short as the Southwest Baptist University women’s basketball team (10-16/2-12) took a tough loss to Pittsburg State (11-15/4-11), 69-68. With the loss, SBU stays tied with Truman State for the final spot in the MIAA Tournament as the Bulldogs fell to Central Missouri State.
With 10 seconds left in the game, Amy Dodd tied the game at 68 with a shot off the back board as she was fouled. She then missed the free throw and was called for a foul after her shot to send PSU’s Nikki Pierce to the line with only 00:09 left in the game. She made her first shot but missed her second to put PSU up 69-68 as Dodd grabbed the rebound. SBU pushed the ball up the floor and took a timeout with just 4.7 seconds left. In the final seconds, Brito’s shot did not convert as PSU won their fourth MIAA game of the year.
Cortney Shewmaker led SBU with 16 points as both Brito and Dodd fell short of a double-double. Dodd finished with 14 point and nine rebounds while Brito added 11 points and nine rebounds. Maggie Apt had 22 for PSU to pace all scorers.
Claiming three blocks, Casey Beavers now holds the SBU single season record for blocks at 40. She passes Karrie Penner record of 39 from the 1991-92 season.
In a half of runs, Pittsburg State took 31-28 lead into the half on a 15-4 run. With 8:47 to go in the half, SBU held an eight-point advantage, 24-16. Over the next eight minutes the Lady Bearcats would only hit one shot from the floor as the Gorillas took advantage of the SBU drought. SBU took the eight-point lead on a lay up by Shewmaker at the 8:47 mark. It was not until the 4:13 mark that SBU made a shot from the floor on an Amy Dodd shot to give SBU a 26-24 lead. PSU then finished the final four minutes not allowing SBU any shots from the floor as Courtney Creed made two free throws at the 2:15 mark.
It was a battle from the beginning of the game as there were six lead changes in the first five minutes. SBU hit their first two three-pointers from the floor for a 6-4 lead (18:37) only to see two ties happen at six and eight points. PSU then took a three-point lead, 11-8, when SBU went on an 8-0 run over three minutes for a five-point lead, 16-11. The Gorillas answered right back on a 5-0 run to tie the game at 16 with 10:53 left in the half. That’s when SBU went on their third run of the game over two minutes for their eight-point lead, 24-16, with 8:47 to go.
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| Amy Dodd had 14 points and nine rebounds vs. PSU. |
Opening the 2nd half on a 16-7 run in the first six minutes, SBU took a six-point lead, 44-38, at the 13:59 mark. In the run, Brito had five of the 16 points with a block. She tied the game at 35 on a three-point play and then tied the game at 37 (15:57) on two free throws. A Bybee three-pointer put SBU up 40-37 and then Shewmaker made it a five-point lead, 42-37, with 15:03 left in the game.
The Lady Bearcats took as large as a six-point lead, 53-47, on a Beavers jump shot with 11:07 left in the game. PSU slowly ate away at SBU’s lead and tied the game at 56 on an 11-3 run over four minutes. The final seven minutes of the game there were 11 lead changes with six ties.
SBU finished the game shooting 40% from the floor and 36% from beyond the arc while PSU shot 41% and 28% from the arc. SBU out rebounded PSU, 44-34, but had 18 turnovers.
The Lady Bearcats hopes of the MIAA Tournament will come down to the final game of the year in Kirksville as they battle with Truman State on Saturday, February 25, at 1:30 p.m.
