Jennies Open Season with 69-57 Win at West Texas A&M

CANYON, Texas – Nija Collier posted a double-double with 21 points and 12 rebounds, and Olivia Nelson dished out a career-high seven assists leading the University of Central Missouri Jennies basketball team to a 69-57 victory at West Texas A&M in the D2CCA Tipoff Classic presented by Suddenlink Friday, Oct. 29, at the First United Bank Center.

The Jennies (1-0) are scheduled to continue play in the D2CCA Tipoff Classic with an 11 a.m. contest against SWOSU (0-1) Saturday, Oct. 30.

Collier, a redshirt senior from Roseville, Mich., scored her game-best 21 points on 6-for-16 shooting from the floor and went a perfect 8-for-8 at the free-throw line in the win while also pulling down her game-high 12 boards for her first double-double of the season.

A redshirt freshman from Kansas City, Mo., Nelson scored 18 points and went 8-of-16 from the field while grabbing a career-best eight rebounds to go along with her career-high seven assists.

Brooke Littrell also compiled a double-double with 12 points and 10 boards, rounding out the Jennies in double-figures for the contest.

Central Missouri trailed for just 1:55 in the game before going on a 6-0 run from 7:54 to 5:35 in the first quarter to gain a 9-4 advantage after falling behind to start the contest, 4-0.

Charley Bovaird drilled a three-pointer to open the run before Collier and Littrell hit back-to-back jumpers to give Central Missouri the lead for good, 7-4. Collier converted a pair of free throws to increase the lead to 9-4 before the Lady Buffs (0-1) were able to make a three to trim the advantage to 9-7 with just over five minutes to go in the opening frame. That was as close as West Texas would get the remainder of the game, however.

UCM went 26-for-62 from the field (42 percent), 6-for-14 from three-point range (43 percent) and was 11-of-15 at the free-throw line (73 percent) for the game.

The Jennies commanded the glass, outrebounding the Lady Buffs, 44-35, and outscored West Texas A&M in the paint, 28-12.

Central Missouri limited West Texas A&M to just 35 percent shooting from the floor, including only 19 percent from beyond-the-arc, in the contest.

Zamorye Roberts scored 21 points on 8-of-17 shooting, pacing the Lady Buffs, respectively.