Seniors Come Up Big in Win on Senior Day

WARRENSBURG, Mo. (Feb. 15, 2020) - On a day meant to celebrate the University of Central Missouri class of 2020 seniors, it those same seniors who led them to a victory of No. 25 Nebraska-Kearney, 75-65. In a battle between the top two teams in the MIAA, the Jennies prevailed leaning on seniors Megan Skaggs and Morgan Fleming, and getting key contributions from Kim Crown and Ellisha Davis. The win gives the Jennies a two-game lead in the MIAA standings with four left to play at 14-1 in the league and 20-4 overall.

How it Happened
• The biggest story in the game was free-throw shooting. The Jennies were 27-28 for the game, 96.4%. Nebraska-Kearney struggled shooting just 7-14.
• Central Missouri was also able to knock down some shots from behind the arc, going 8-20 from three. 
• UCM outrebounded the Lopers by two, 38-36. Both teams came down with 10 offensive rebounds, but UNK who led in second-chance scoring, 10-6.
• The Jennies, normally terrific in the paint, were outscored 34-20 in the lane.
• Central Missouri did a good job maintaining possession with just 12 turnovers. Defensively they came up with eight steals and blocked four shots.
• Similar to Thursday night, this one started out slowly as well. The Jens were just 3-13 in the first while the Lopers were 5-12. It looked like the Jennies were gaining some momentum with two Skaggs free throws and a basket from Ryann Stearns for a 10-6 lead with 1:20 left, but the Lopers went 3-3 in the final 58 seconds and led by one, 12-11, 10 minutes in.
• The score remained within four for the entirety of the second quarter. The Lopers held the lead until midway through the second. Morgan Fleming then scored six straight with two baskets and two free throws putting the Jens up four, 24-20, with 2:11 to play in the half. Each team traded threes in the final two minutes and the Jennies held a four-point lead, 27-23, at the break.
• After the Lopers made their first basket of the second half, Fleming and Gigi McAtee with back-to-back threes gave UCM their largest lead to that point, 33-25, two minutes into the third. 
• UCM pushed their lead to nine midway through the period when the Lopers made their comeback. They scored seven straight in 1:26 to bring the lead to two, 38-36. UNK went on another scoring spurt at the end of the period, closing the third with six straight points and the Jennies led by just one, 43-42, going to the fourth.
• The scoring really turned up in the fourth quarter. UCM was up two, 49-47, with 6:45 to play when Megan Skaggs answered the bell with six straight points. Her three was followed up by one from Nija Collier and another from Fleming and just like that, the Jennies were up 12, 61-49. 
• UCM made a living at the foul line in the fourth, going 19-19. They needed to because the Lopers tried to keep pace, hitting five three-pointers and never letting the Jennies get comfortable. In the end, the Jens were money at the line and won by 10 on senior day, 75-65. 

It Was Over When...
• The Jennies hit three-pointers on three straight possessions. One each from Skaggs, Collier and Fleming as they turned a five-point lead into a 12-point lead in the blink of an eye. Kearney kept it close with some threes of their own late, but got no closer than eight in the Jennies win. 

Jennies Stat Leaders
• Morgan Fleming scored 24 with eight rebounds. She was 11-12 at the line and 3-6 from three.
• Megan Skaggs added 21 going 11-11 at the free throw line with six rebounds and three steals.
• Nija Collier added 12 points and six rebounds.
• Gigi McAtee chipped in nine points with five assists and three steals.
• Kim Crown scored five and pulled down five rebounds.

For the Lopers
• Brooke Carlson scored a team-high 15 points with nine rebounds.
• Klaire Kirsch finished with a double-double, 10 points and 12 rebounds.
• Haley Simental and Kelsey Sanger each scored nine points.

News and Notes
• The Jennies scored 32 fourth-quarter points and were 6-10 from three in the second half.
• Megan Skaggs moved into seventh all-time in scoring at UCM and Morgan Fleming climbed to 12th.
• UCM is 8-1 all-time against Nebraska-Kearney with four straight wins.
• The Jennies 96.4% free throw percentage was their best since going 17-17 last year against Lindenwood.
• UCM also set a season-high from three shooting 40%.
• UCM has reached 70 points in 10 of their last 11 games and are 13-0 this season when hitting 70.
• Morgan Fleming has scored 53 points this weekend and Megan Skaggs 44.

Up Next
• It's the final home game of the regular season for the Jennies Tuesday, Feb. 18. They'll take on Lincoln looking to remain unbeaten at home for 2019-20.