SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (March 19, 2018) - Central Missouri Jennies Basketball's next stop will be the NCAA Final Four. The Jens defeated Lubbock Christian 72-62 in their Elite Eight game Monday afternoon.
How It Happened
• Four Jennies scored in double-figures as UCM shot 42% for the game. The Lady Chaps out-shot UCM hitting on nearly 44% of their attempts.
• Both teams hit four three-pointers, but the Jennies took only eight attempts from three and LCU attempted 17, shooting just 23.5% for the game.
• The Jennies took 28 free throw attempts, 18 in the fourth quarter and made 22 of them. It is their most made free throws in the NCAA Tournament.
• Despite being at a size disadvantage, that didn't scare UCM from going inside the paint. Both teams scored 36 points under the basket and UCM outrebounded the Lady Chaps 38-29.
• The Jennies used that rebounding edge to score seven second-chance points while LCU was mostly one-and-done on their possessions. They didn't score a single second chance point.
• Both teams kept it clean in the turnover department. Despite three first quarter turnovers, the Jennies finished with just nine while Lubbock Christian gave it away 10 times.
• For the first time in the NCAA Tournament, the Jennies did not start out too hot. A three pointer from Delaney Gaddis gave the Lady Chaps their largest lead, 12-4, less than four minutes into the game.
• The Jennies bounced back though, ending the quarter on a 16-6 run.
Sydney Crockett gave the team the lead with a big three-pointer, 18-16, and
Jolene Shipps scored the last bucket of the quarter as UCM was on top 20-18 after 10 minutes.
• Both teams struggled mightily at the start of quarter number two. The Jennies went up four on a basket from
Kayonna Lee to start the frame, but then went the next 5:07 without scoring. Good news for the Jennies was that the Lady Chaps were having just as hard of a time find the bottom of the net. They went on a 6-0 run to retake a 24-22 lead, but were 2-5 from the floor and couldn't extend it beyond one possession.
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Paige Redmond scored the next five points, tying up the game layup and followed that with her first and only three-pointer of the game and the Jens were back on top, 27-24.
• Trailing by one with less than two minutes to play before the half,
Peyton Taylor came down with a hard-fought offensive rebound, and Redmond knocked in a layup.
Kelsey Williams added a basket on UCM's final possession, and the Jens led by three, 34-31 at the break.
• The Jennies struggled starting the third quarter as well and the Lady Chaps knocked in a pair of layups, taking a 35-34 lead. That was answered by
Kayonna Lee at the 6:53 mark and the Jennies led the rest of the way.
• LCU kept the Jennies lead under five for much of the fourth quarter as the teams were trading baskets.
• Although UCM's last field goal was at the 5:12 mark of the quarter, the Jens were 14-18 at the free throw line and their defense did the rest, getting stops and defensive rebounds.
It Was Over When...
• It was all about the foul shooting in the final minutes. The Jennies went 14-18 in the final 3:32.
Kayonna Lee was 5-6 and
Morgan Fleming was a perfect 4-4 to help extend the lead and put the game away.
Jennies Stat Leaders
• Fleming led the team with 16 points. Half of her points came at the free throw line. She also had a team-best seven rebounds.
• Newly minted All-American
Paige Redmond filled out the box score with 14 points on 5-6 shooting. She also had six rebounds, four assists and two steals.
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Kayonna Lee hit four field goals and five free throws for 13 points. She also came down with six rebounds and had three assists.
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Megan Skaggs and
Kelsey Williams scored 10 and nine points, respectively each going 3-6 from the field with a three. Williams had four rebounds and three assists.
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Jolene Shipps provided a spark off the the bench going 3-4 from the field for seven points and pulled down five boards as well.
For the Lady Chaps
• Olivia Robertson led the team with 16 points and was 7-8 from the floor. She also had six rebounds.
• Caitlyn Cunyus was the only other to score more than 10, putting in 13.
• All-American Tess Bruffey was kept in check going 3-12 from the field for nine points and had five rebounds.
• Maddi Chitsey had a game-high nine rebounds to go along with six points.
• Delany Gaddis and Bobbi Chitsey each scored seven.
Quotables
Head Coach Dave Slifer:
• "Couple of things, number one I am very proud of my kids, they were very tremendous again today and to be quite honest I think that says a lot for our MIAA conference"
• "I thought our kids held their composure after getting drubbed early, we weren't even close guarding them man-to- man. Our zone was, I am going to say, 'screwy' at best. I don't know that any of us knew what we were doing, but it slowed them down. They were able to figure it out, so we bailed out on that and were able to score enough points to beat a very, very good 31-1 team."
Kelsey Williams (on the Jennies zone defense)
• "We strived in it, I think because, as a team we trust each other to be there and we ran around. We have a scramble drill that is four on five, so we know how to do that, because we have been taught that all year."
Morgan Fleming (on UCM offensive game plan)
"I think with our motion we kind of just take advantage of their weaknesses, and that's different things every game. Starting off early we got their best player (Tess Bruffey) in foul trouble, she got two fouls in the first quarter, so we just wanted to keep attacking her and keep her off the court as she is a really talented player."
News and Notes
• The Jennies are back in the Final Four for the first time since 1988-89.
• UCM is 5-2 all-time in Elite Eight games.
• Lubbock Christian is now 0-3 all-time against MIAA opponents.
• The win moves Coach Slifer to .500, 7-7 in NCAA games with the Jennies.
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Kelsey Williams has eclipsed 400 career points.
• The 72 points the Jennies scored were the second most the Lady Chaps have allowed all season. They are 0-2 when allowing 70 points in a game.
• The Jennies have now scored 70 or more points 21 times in their 31 games. They are 20-1 when reaching 70 points.
Up Next
• The Jennies will take on No. 7 seed Union University. The Lady Bulldogs defeated No. 2 seed Carson-Newman 73-70 in the Elite Eight. Tip-off will be at 6 p.m. Wednesday, March 21 from the Sanford Pentagon. There will be a UCM pregame fan reception prior to the game. Please continue to check www.UCMathletics.com and @UCMWBB on Twitter for more information.
