Jens Close Out Regular Season With Win at Pittsburg State

PITTSBURG, Kan. (Feb. 29, 2020) - On the final day of February, Central Missouri Jennies Basketball played their final regular season game of 2020. The Jens got on top of Pittsburg State early and held on for a 72-60 win to close out the regular season at 24-4 and 18-8 in the MIAA.

How it Happened
• The Jennies shot 48% from the floor and hit 39% from three. The Gorillas struggled hitting just 38% from the field and 33% of their three-point attempts.
• Central Missouri had the rebounding edge 35-31. They grabbed 10 offensive rebounds and turned that into nine second-chance points.
• UCM was able to overcome 23 fouls which put the Gorillas at the line 21 times where they went 14-21. UCM was 11-14 at the charity stripe.
• The Jens defense forced 15 turnovers and grabbed 12 steals while also blocking seven shots.
• UCM started out hot and led 5-0 after two Morgan Fleming layups. The game slowed down from there and turned into a defensive battle in the first quarter. Pittsburg State cut the Jennies lead down to 10-8, but a Megan Skaggs three put UCM up 13-8. They led 13-10 after one period.
• Pittsburg State tied things at 13 to start the second and took a 17-15 lead. Skaggs was there to answer again though with back-to-back three pointers to put the Jennies up 21-17 and they never trailed again. 
• The Gorillas got back to within one after a three-point play. Ellisha Davis knocked in a three and put the Jennies up 33-26 at halftime.
• UCM was on fire to start the second. Morgan Fleming buried a three and Morgan VanHyfte came up with a steal and score. She made it 39-26 after hitting the and-one free throw less than a minute into the second half.
• The lead hovered around 10 for the entire third quarter and after two Fleming free throws in the closing seconds, UCM led 61-50 with one quarter left to play.
• Both teams were trading baskets in the third. The Jennies scored 28 and the Gorillas 24. That scoring didn't carry over into the fourth though. The Gorillas were able to get the lead under 10 on a handful of occasions, but the Jennies had the answer each time and went on to win by 12, 72-60.

It Was Over When...
• Nija Collier answered a big PSU three with a layup and kept the Jennies lead at 12 with less than five left to play.

Jennies Stat Leaders
• Megan Skaggs was 8-13 from the floor and 4-5 from three scoring a game-high 22 points. She also grabbed five boards and came up with four steals.
• Morgan Fleming added 15 points and eight assists with five rebounds.
• Nija Collier had a double-double with 14 points and 12 rebounds. She also blocked six shots.
• Morgan VanHyfte was 3-5 from the floor for seven points with five assists and two steals.
• Ellisha Davis was 2-2 from three for six points.

For the Gorillas
• Maya Williams, playing on one good leg, scored 19 with 11 rebounds.
• Kaylee DaMitz scored 13 points with four assists and four boards.
• Tristan Gegg scored 12 points off the bench.

News and Notes
• Nija Collier's six blocks match a career-high and put her over 50 for the season. She also recorded her 10th double-double of the season.
• Megan Skaggs went over 600 career rebounds.
• This is the first time the Jennies have won two games against PSU in the same season since 2006.
• Just like in 2018, the Jennies closed the regular season with a win at Pittsburg State to finish 18-1 in the MIAA. In that game, like today, Megan Skaggs hit four three-pointers.
• The Jennies 18 conference wins match a program high with the 2018 team. 
• Three teams in MIAA history have won 18 games in a 19-game season. The Jennies have done it twice in 2018 and 2020.

Up Next
• Central Missouri will await the winner of No. 8 Washburn and No. 9 Missouri Southern for their first round opponent in the MIAA tournament. The Jennies are the No. 1 seed and will play their first round game Thursday, March 5 at 12 p.m. from Municipal Auditorium in Kansas City, Mo.