KANSAS CITY, Mo. (Nov. 11, 2017)-- No. 13 Central Missouri Jennies Basketball continued their winning ways for the 2017-18 season opening weekend as they took down the Northern State Wolves 82-65 Saturday afternoon in Kansas City, Mo. at Municipal Auditorium. Morgan Fleming had a career game scoring 25 points to lead UCM to its second win of the season.
How It Happened
• The Jennies shot the ball well yet again as they were 42.9% from the field, but Northern State (1-1) was just ahead them at 45.2% from the field. The difference maker came from the three-point line as the Jens outshot the Wolves 46.9%-to-27.3% and made nine more triples 15-6.
• The Wolves got out to an early 4-0 lead, but Fleming got the Jennies on the board with a triple off a Paige Redmond assist. From there both teams traded buckets, with the Wolves holding the lead over the Jens through the first six minutes of play.
• Down 13-10 with 4:04 to play, Jolene Shipps tied the game at 13-13 thanks a low post pass from Kayonna Lee that got her the layup and the contact foul. She converted the and-1 for the Jennies which sparked an 11-0 run to end the first quarter giving the Jennies a 24-13 lead.
• UCM extended the 11-0 run to 13 with another layup by Shipps. Gabby Laimer end the Jennies run with a three to make it 26-13. Both teams traded buckets in the second quarter, but the Jennies maintained a double digit lead through the entirety of the second quarter to lead the Wolves 47-32 at halftime.
• Fleming had the hot hand for the Jens in the first half, scoring 14 points on 5-of-7 shooting with three made triples. She had help from Redmond who scored eight in the second quarter after being held scoreless in the first. Shipps added 10 first half points.
• The Jennies maintained their double digit lead in the third quarter, but the Wolves got within seven late in the third. The Jennies did get the lead back to 11 with 59 second plays to play thanks to a Kelsey Williams three, but the Wolves score four quickly to trail 65-58 after three quarters.
• Sydney Crockett got UCM's lead back to 10 with a three to start the fourth quarter, but the Wolves responded with a 5-0 run to get within five of the Jennies. Like they did the day before, and so often last season, the Jennies owned the fourth quarter. Leading 68-63, UCM finished the game with a 14-2 run to secure the win. Fleming took over in the fourth scoring 11 of the Jens 17 points to lead them to a win.
• UCM once again showcased its depth outscoring Northern State's bench 24-9. The Jennies also created opportunities to get to the free throw as they shot took 17 free throws attempts and made 13, while the Wolves were just 3-of-5 from the charity strip.
It Was Over When…
• The Wolves used a 5-0 run early in the fourth to cut the Jennies lead to five, 68-63, but the Jennies used a 14-2 scoring run to put the Wolves away. Fleming took over at this point scoring 11 of the Jens 14 points as they walked away with the 17 point win.
Jennies Stat Leaders
• Fleming had her best game as a Jennie scoring a career-high and a game-high 25 points. She shot 9-of-15 from floor and hit five triples on nine attempts. She grabbed three boards as well, had four steals, and handed out three assists.
• Lee grabbed a game-high 10 rebounds for UCM in 28 minutes of action while putting up three points and getting one steal.
• Coming off the bench, Williams put up 14 points with four three pointers on five attempts.
• Redmond added 13 points along with three assists and three steals. She also pulled down three rebounds.
• Shipps was the only other double-figure scorer with 10 points, all coming in the first half.
• Megan Skaggs and Crockett each finished with seven points, while Skaggs grabbed seven boards for the Jennies.
For the Wolves
• Miranda Ristau was the leading scorer for Northern State with 20 points of 10-of-15 shooting. She also pulled down four rebounds for the Wolves, but had four turnovers on the day.
• Jill Conrad and Laimer were the only other players to score in double digits with 12 and 11 points, respectively.
• Alexis Tappe only scored four points for the Wolves, but pulled down a team-high nine rebounds and handed out a game-high four assists.
News and Notes
• The Jennies start the season 2-0 for the first time since the 2013-14 season, where they got out to a 5-0 start before dropping their first game.
• This is Fleming's first 20 point game of her career. Her previous career-high was 15 points which she accomplished last season against Johnson & Wales on Nov. 26, 2016.
• The Jennies forced 17 turnovers and continued the trend of outscoring opponents in the fourth quarter as they limited the Wolves to just seven fourth quarter points.
Up Next
The Jennies will remain in-state next week as they travel to Springfield on Wednesday, Nov. 15, to take on the Missouri State Bears in their lone exhibition match of the season. Tip-off against Missouri State is set for 8 p.m. and will be aired on ESPN3.
