Exciting Season Comes to Close in Regional Semifinals

SEARCY, Ark. (March 11, 2017) - In many ways, the season shouldn't have lasted as long as it did. Central Missouri Jennies Basketball, picked to finish eighth in the MIAA preseason poll, defied the odds, advancing to the Round of 32 in the NCAA Tournament. That's where the magical season came to an end at the hands of regional host Harding, 66-58.

The Jens went 24-7 for the year, 22-5 in the regular season and 15-4 in the MIAA. The 24 wins match the second most for Coach Dave Slifer at Central Missouri. 

It looked as though the magic might live on for another game as the Jennies broke a 53-all tie on Megan Skaggs' fourth three-pointer of the game with just 4:12 left to play. But the fourth-quarter mojo that won so many games over the course of the season, ran out. Harding closed the game on a 13-2 to run and Central Missouri went just 1-for-10 from the field after Skaggs' three. Harding went 11-for-14 at the free throw line down the stretch to put the game away. 

For the second time this NCAA Postseason, Skaggs led the Jennies. She scored 20 points, matching a career-high for the freshman. Skaggs went 4-of-7 from behind the arc while the rest of the team was just 1-for-20. 

The back-and-forth action started right away. Central Missouri went up four, 11-7 at the 7:44 mark of the opening frame as both teams started out shooting well. It didn't take long though for the defenses to settle in and start to control the game. Harding outscored the Jennies 13-7 in the second quarter and held a three-point lead, 32-29, at the break.

Like the quarterfinal round, the Jennies defense kicked it into high gear in the second half. Central Missouri forced seven third-quarter turnovers, and Megan Skaggs beat the third-quarter buzzer with her third three-pointer of the game, giving UCM their first lead since the 3:19 mark of the second quarter. UCM ended the quarter on a 14-4 run after trailing by eight, 39-31 with 6:38 to go in the period. 

Harding took the lead back to start the fourth quarter, but Redmond knocked in a layup to take it right back. Lee added to the one-point lead with a nifty move under the hoop to put UCM ahead three, 53-50. It looked like the Jens were on the verge of a six-point edge with less than six minutes to play, but Kelsey Williams' three antagonistically rattled out and kept it at a one possession game. 

That started the Jennies cold stretch and the midnight hour finally struck on the fairy-tale of a season as Harding seized momentum and put the game away. 

In addition to Skaggs, Redmond, 13 points, and Lee, 10 points, were in double-figures. Williams added eight points and tied a career-high with eight assists. Ashley Duffy scored five points and grabbed a team-high seven rebounds. Redmond finished the season scoring 503 points, just the third Jennie to reach 500 points in a season in the last 18 years. 

The Jennies forced 20 Harding turnovers and four Jennies had at least three steals, led by Duffy's four. UCM used those to score 23 points off of turnovers. Harding did their most damage in the paint, outscoring UCM 34-20 in the trenches. The Bisons also won the rebounding battle 45-28. Outside of the Jennies starters, only Kendra Gladbach was able to find the bottom of the basket, knocking down a pair of free throws. Harding's bench outscored UCM 18-2.

Two Bisons recorded double-doubles led by Caroline Hogue's 18 points and 10 rebounds. Sydnie Jones scored 13 and had 10 boards.