Jennies Cruise Past Bearcats, 71-53

WARRENSBURG, Mo. (Feb. 21, 2019) - No. 24 Central Missouri Jennies Basketball picked up their third straight win with a 71-53 victory over Northwest Missouri. The win gives the Jennies 12 MIAA wins and moves them to 19-5 for the season.

How it Happened
• Central Missouri led for more than 38 minutes in a game that featured zero ties and just one lead change.
• The Jens shot better than 50% from the floor, 30-58 and were 7-18 from three. While the Bearcats shot 50% from behind the arc, they were just 39% overall.
• The Jennies dominated on the boards, 35-22 and put back 10 second-chance points thanks to nine offensive rebounds.
• UCM also kept control of the ball, turning it over just nine times while forcing 14 with six 
• The Bearcats hit a three on the game's opening possession, and that was the only time UCM trailed. The Jennies took the lead at the 8:19 mark following a layup from Megan Skaggs and a Morgan Fleming three-pointer.
• After UCM pushed the lead out to six, 11-5 3:49 into the first quarter, the teams went cold. Over the final 6:11, the Bearcats hit a three and the Jennies knocked in a pair of free throws as UCM led 13-8 after 10 minutes.
• It was another sound defensive quarter for the Jennies, holding the Bearcats to just nine in the second, but this time they picked up the offense a bit. The Jens scored 18 in the second and were 8-14 from the floor. 
• Leading by just three, 15-12, the Jens raced ahead thanks to a 12-0 run that lasted for nearly five minutes of game action. Skaggs had six points during the stretch and Paige Redmond added four.
• Northwest stopped the bleeding with a free throw, but still went into the half down 14, 31-17.
• The third quarter is when Morgan Fleming took over. She scored 11 of her 21 points and was 5-7 from the floor. But the Bearcats, hung with the Jennies who were only able to extend their lead by one and wth 10 minutes left it was a 15-point UCM lead, 53-38.
• Northwest carried some momentum into the final frame and sank three straight three-pointers on their first three possessions and cut the lead down to 10, 57-47 with 8:08 left to play. The Jennies responded though with an 8-0 run to being the lead out to 18, 65-47. Morgan VanHyfte hit a layup with the shot clock winding down and with 3:33, UCM led by 19, 69-50. They ran out the clock the rest of the way.

It Was Over When...
• Right when the Bearcats were getting hot and closed the lead to 10, seniors Sydney Crockett and Paige Redmond stepped up with a layup and a three to spoil any ideas of a comeback. They put the lead back at 15, 62-47 with 6:34 left to play.

Jennies Stat Leaders
• Morgan Fleming had another dominant game. She had her third double-double of the year scoring 21-points and grabbing 10 rebounds. 
• Megan Skaggs wasn't too far behind with 19 points and a team-high of five assists and four rebounds.
• Paige Redmond was the final Jennie in double-figures with 13 points, four assists, and four rebounds. 
• Morgan VanHyfte played solid minutes for the Jens scoring eight points, with three rebounds and going 3-6 from the field. 
• Sydney Crockett and Peyton Taylor both added five points each. Crockett grabbed two rebounds, while Taylor finished with five. 

For the Bearcats
• Mallory McConkey led the Bearcats with 13 points, a team-high of five rebounds, and shot 5-9 from the floor. 
• Jaelyn Haggard was another leader for NWMSU dishing out a team-high three assists, with 13 points, and two rebounds. 
• Kendey Eaton contributed 11 points for the Bearcats.

News and Notes
• The win is the Jennies eighth straight against Northwest Missouri.
• This is career win number 300 for Coach Dave Slifer at Central Missouri.
• Central Missouri held the Bearcats to fewer than 10 points in both the first and second quarters. The Jens are 8-2 this season and 41-4 since 2016-17 when a team scores less than 10 in one quarter of play.
• With her 13 points tonight, Paige Redmond has eclipsed 1,600 career points. Just the sixth Jennie to ever reach that. Her four assists also bring her into a tie for sixth place all-time at UCM.
• Morgan Fleming surpassed 900 career points tonight and Morgan VanHyfte went over 100.

Up Next
• It's Senior Day Saturday at the Multi! The Jens will play their final regular season home game of 2019 against Missouri Western. Sydney Crockett and Paige Redmond will be honored before the start of the game. Tip off is scheduled for 1:30 p.m.