Valiant Effort Comes Up Short Against No. 19 Pitt State

WARRENSBURG, Mo. - Central Missouri put up a fight against No. 19 Pittsburg State, leading for 18:23 of the game. In the end the Jennies came up a bit short, 68-64, dropping them to 9-15 this season and 8-11 in the MIAA.
 
Three Jennies scored in double-figures, led by Shelby Winkelmann's 20 points. Ashley Duffy and Tayler Weiks each had 12. Ashley Jones chipped in with eight points and seven rebounds.
 
After the Gorillas took an early 5-2 lead, the Jennies came roaring back on the strength of a 12-2 run to go up 14-7. A Winkelmann jumper pushed the lead to a game-high 13, 26-13.
 
PSU knocked in a layup with under 30 seconds left and UCM held a 26-15 lead after one. 
 
The Jennies kept a lead the entirety of the second period, but the Gorillas were able to climb back into the game, knocking the game into single digits less than a minute in.
 
Duffy hit a layup with 5:20 to play, but the Jens went cold after that. PSU cut the lead all the way down to one with 1:10 to play when Mikaela Burgess splashed a triple.
 
With less than a second remaining in the half, Danielle Randle flipped the inbound to half court where Paige Redmond caught it on a hop and rattled in a half-court three just before the buzzer, as UCM took a 35-31 lead into the half.
 
The lead vanished at the 7:29 mark of the third when Haydn Herlocker knocked in her second three-pointer of the game, breaking a 35-all tie. 
 
The Jennies got close a number of times, but the Gorillas were able to hold a lead the remainder of the game. They quickly pushed their lead to a game-high 10, midway through the third. 
 
Just before the buzzer signaled the end of the period though, Jones banked in a layup to get UCM back to within two, 50-48.

UCM evened up the score at 50-all on their frist field goal of the final period, getting a layup from Winkelmann. The Gorillas though went on an 11-2 run after that, again going up by nine, 61-52 with just over five minutes to play.

With time winding down, UCM got back to within two thanks to layups from Winkelmann and Duffy. But the Gorillas went 6-for-6 at the charity stripe once the Jennies needed to foul to extend the game, keeping UCM at bay and holding on for a four point win, 68-64.
 
Central Missouri outshot the Gorillas, 46.4% to 46%. However PSU hit two more three pointers than the Jennies, seven to five. The Gorillas were also stronger on the glass with a 32 to 27 rebounding edge and nine second-chance points. 
 
Burgess was the Gorilla's leading scorer with a game-high 21 points and hitting four triples. Herlocker added 14, hitting 3-of-4 three point attempts. Kylie Gafford finished a rebound shy of a double-double with 17 points and nine rebounds. 
 
The Jennies are back in action for their final home game of the season, Saturday, Feb. 20 against Missouri Southern. The Jennies will honor their five seniors with a ceremony prior to the game. Tip off is set for 1:30 p.m.