JOPLIN, Mo. – Brooke Littrell scored 24 points and pulled down a season-high 16 rebounds as the No. 17-ranked Central Missouri Jennies basketball team held off the No. 3 Missouri Southern Lions, 73-71, Tuesday, Dec. 13, inside the Leggett & Platt Athletic Center.
With the win, the Jennies improved to 7-0 overall and 4-0 in the MIAA and handed the Lions (11-1, 4-1 MIAA) their first loss of the season.
Littrell, a redshirt sophomore from Green City, Mo., tallied her second double-double of the season after going 8-of-14 from the floor and 7-of-8 at the free throw line for her 24 points while snagging 14 defensive and two offensive boards for her 16 rebounds.
Ashley Tull added 13 points on 5-of-10 shooting from the floor and a 3-of-4 showing at the foul line.
Olivia Nelson dished out six assists and netted nine points, while
Lauren Frost added eight points, four assists and seven rebounds, and
Kade Hackerott tallied nine points.
The Jennies shot 44 percent from the field, going 28-of-63, and were 15-of-20 at the free throw line for 75 percent.
Central Missouri owned the glass in the game, outrebounding Missouri Southern, 46-32, and outscored the Lions in the paint, 44-26.
UCM used an 11-0 run in the final four minutes of the second quarter to turn a 25-25 tie into 36-15 advantage with five seconds to go in the stanza. The Jennies would never trail again in the game. Nelson got the run going with a layup at the 3:25 mark before Littrell converted back-to-back layups to up the Central Missouri lead to 31-25 with 2:21 remaining.
Graycen Holden kept the offensive spurt rolling with a layup at the 1:41 mark, followed by Hackerott making one of two free throws with just under 45 seconds to go. Holden capped the run with a jumper with six seconds on the clock for the 11-point lead.
Lacy Stokes paced the Lions for the contest, scoring 31 points.
The Jennies are scheduled to return to action Saturday, Dec. 17, at 5:30 p.m. at Pittsburg State in Pittsburg, Kan.
Â
