Second Half Comeback Gives Jennies 69-58 Win

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (Nov. 10, 2017) - No. 13 Central Missouri Jennies Basketball picked up their first season-opening win since 2013 with a 69-58 come-from-behind victory over the University of Mary. The Jennies trailed by as many as seven with 3:47 left to play in the third quarter, but Sydney Crockett and company led the charge to put UCM at 1-0 for the season.

How it Happened
• The Jennies outshot the Marauders 42.6%-to-39.3% and made three more free throws - 10-7. Both teams connected for seven triples, all of Mary's came in the first half.
• The Marauders entered the game with the size advantage, but it was the Jennies who won the battle on the boards, 38-35 and 22-13 in the second half.
• UCM was one of the best last year at causing turnovers and they were right back at it again to start this season. The took advantage of 19 Mary turnovers and turned them in 21 points.
• Central Missouri's depth was on display, as the Jennies bench outscored the Marauder's bench 26-2. Nine different Jennies scored in the game. 
• The Jennies defense which seemed a bit leaky in the first half, came to life in the second, allowing just 23 points as Mary shot 32% from the floor. 
• Junior transfer Jolene Shipps got the season started with a bang. She connected for a three on the Jennies first shot of the game. The first quarter was a series of runs, however. Following the Shipps triple, Mary scored nine of 10 for a 9-4 lead. Layups by Megan and Sydney Skaggs and Paige Redmond put UCM back on top, 10-9, and in the final three minutes, the Jens outscored the Marauders 6-0 to take a 19-12 lead after the first period.
• Mary quickly took over in the second period, shooting 56.3% and hit 5-of-7 three pointers, two each from Dani Williams and Cassie Askvig. The Jennies went cold and seemed to have no answer for the Marauders who took a 35-29 lead into the half. 
• Both teams came out strong to start the second half. Megan Skaggs got the scoring started with a layup as the teams traded baskets. Mary actually extended their lead to a game-high seven after a pair of Christal Hearn free throws made it a 47-40 game with 3:47 left in the third. From that point though, it was all Central Missouri, who closed the game on a 29-11 run. The Jennies cut the lead to two, 50-48, after a Redmond free throw to end the third.
• As was the case so often last season, the fourth quarter belonged to the Jens. Crockett's second three of the game gave UCM a 57-55 lead and they never trailed again, outscoring the Marauders 21-8 in the fourth quarter. Macy Williams made it a one possession game with a three at the 4:35 mark, but that was the last time Mary found the bottom of the net as the Jens kept them scoreless the rest of the way and won going away, 69-58.

It Was Over When...
• After Macy Williams hit a three to get Mary to within three, 61-58, Crockett buried her third triple of the game on the very next possession to keep momentum with the Jens and Mary never scored again.

Jennies Stat Leaders
• Crockett led all scorers with 18 points, all of them in the second half. She scored 11 of the Jennies 21 fourth-quarter points. She finished 5-for-6 from the field and 3-for-3 from behind the arc and also hit five free throws.
• Paige Redmond and Megan Skaggs each scored 12 points. Skaggs had 10 in the second half. Redmond also had two assists and two steals.
• Kayonna Lee led the Jennies with 10 rebounds and also scored five points and dished out three assists.
• Skaggs had the Jennies only block. She also hit a pair of triples.
• Playing in her first game as a Jen, Jolene Shipps totaled eight points and grabbed four rebounds in 23 minutes.
• Kelsey Williams came off the bench to score two points, grab two rebounds and come away with four of the Jennies 11 steals.

For the Marauders
• Cassie Askvig finished with a double-double scoring 15 points and pulling down 13 rebounds.
• Dani Williams hit four three's and scored 14 points, but also turned the ball over seven times.
• Gabbie Bohl led Mary with 16 points, going 6-for-10 from the floor. 
• Mary blocked seven UCM shots. Bolh had a game-high three while Askvig and Isabel Schmelzer each had two.

News and Notes
• Jennies Basketball starts the season 1-0 for the first time since 2013.
• Kelsey Williams scored her 200th career point as a Jennie.
• The Jennies 11.6 turnovers per game in 2016-17 was the fourth-best in Division II. They're off to another good start with just 11 turnovers in game one.
• Central Missouri outscored opponents an average of 18-2-13.2 in fourth quarters last year. That trend continued in game one with the Jennies on the plus side, 21-8. 

Up Next
Not much time to savor the win for the Jennies. They stay in Kansas City to take on Northern State, who made the NCAA Tournament last season and is receiving votes in the WBCA Coaches Poll. They are currently playing against Harding in their season opener.