Balanced Attack Leads Cougars Past Saint Mary

Columbia, Mo. – DeLaney Horstman had a double-double with 19 points and 17 rebounds to lead three players in double figures as the Columbia College women’s basketball team posted an 81-58 non-conference win over University of Saint Mary (Kan.) Saturday at the Arena of Southwell Complex.
 
Columbia improved to 10-3 with the win, while Saint Mary had its seven-game win streak snapped and fell to 9-3. The Cougars have won 21-straight home games and are 25-1 at home the last two seasons.
 
Mallory Shelley had 17 points, four rebounds, three blocks and three steals in the win, while Mya Miller had career-best 15 points off the bench on 11-of-14 free-throws. Abby Backes added eight points, six rebounds and four assists on 6-of-6 free-throws.
 
Columbia connected on a season-best 27-of-34 free-throws (79.4 percent) and outrebounded Saint Mary 51-38. The Cougars also recorded nine blocks in the win.
 
Columbia hit its four shots from the field and let 9-0 in the opening two minutes. Overall, the Cougars were 5-for-5 from the field to start the game and led 11-3.
 
Keely Barnard hit three-consecutive three-pointers to trim the Cougar lead to 15-12 with 3:38 left in the first quarter and force a timeout. Saint Mary’s first four buckets were threes.
 
Columbia led 20-15 after 10 minutes of play as the Cougars shot 69.2 percent (9-13) from the field.
 
Horstman capped a 12-2 run with a traditional three-point play to extend the lead to 35-17 with 2:20 before half. The Cougars outscored Saint Mary 15-5 in the second quarter, limiting the Spires to 1-of-16 shooting from the field.
 
Columbia led 35-20 at half behind 12 points and 10 rebounds from Horstman.
 
Horstman’s jumper with 4:22 left in the third gave the Cougars a 46-29 lead, but the fifth three of the game by Barnard and a jumper by Kaylani Hoskin trimmed the lead to 46-32. Columbia took a 54-39 lead to the fourth behind seven points in the quarter from Mya Miller. 
 
The Cougars could not gain any distance from the Spires and a three by Alanis Delgado trimmed the advantage to 62-50 with 7:27 to play. Allison Stiers first three of the game with 5:41 to play made it 67-52.
 
Barnard led Saint Mary with 19 points on 5-of-12 three-point shooting, while Delgado added 10 points and four assists. The Spires shot a season-low 27.9 percent (19-68) from the field and had 15 turnovers in the loss.
 
The Cougars host Ozark Christian College on Thursday, Jan 4. at 5 p.m.
 
NOTES: Columbia leads the all-time series 4-0 … Saint Mary received three votes in the NAIA Top-25 Poll … The double-double for Horstman was her seventh of the year.