Strong Third Quarter Lifts Cougars Past Stephens

Columbia, Mo. – The Columbia College women’s basketball team outscored Stephens College 29-14 in the third quarter after trailing by one at half in the Cougars’ 71-60 victory over the first-place Stars Tuesday at the Arena of Southwell Complex.
 
Columbia won its third-straight game to improve to 12-3 (4-1 AMC), while Stephens had its five-game win streak snapped and fell to 10-5 (5-1 AMC). The Stars hold a half-game lead over Columbia for first place in the American Midwest Conference (AMC) standings.
 
Mallory Shetley led the Cougars with 20 points, while DeLaney Horstman (14 points, nine rebounds), Mackenzie Hess (12 points) and Allison Stiers (12 points, six rebounds, five assists) also scored in double figures. 
 
Columbia limited Stephens to 35.9 percent shooting (23-64) and a season-low two assists in the win. The Cougars also hit 21-of-24 (87.5 percent) from the foul line.
 
Stephens hit just 1-of-7 shots from the field with four turnovers to open the contest as the Cougars led 7-3. Lauren Friedrich came off the bench for the Stars and canned a three with 3:44 left in the first to give Stephens their first lead (10-9), and then back-to-back threes to end the quarter gave Stephens a 16-10 lead.
 
Stephens hit 4-of-6 from three in the opening quarter, including a 3-for-3 performance from Friedrich off the bench. The Cougars hit 4-of-15 (26.7%) from the field with six turnovers in the opening quarter.
 
Shetley scored eight-straight points to trim the advantage to 22-20, and then a pair of free-throws by Horstman with 3:30 left gave Columbia the 23-22 lead.
 
Stephens took a 26-25 lead to half as the Cougars limited the Stars without a field goal for 5:55 in the second quarter. Shetley scored eight of her 10 first-half points in the second. The Cougars shot 29.0 percent (9-31) from the field in the first half, including 1-of-6 from three, and forced 13 turnovers.
 
Stiers hit a three from the top of the key to open the third quarter to ignite a 9-0 run as the Cougars gained the 34-26 lead with 7:47 left. Columbia followed with another 9-0 run to extend the lead to 48-32.
 
The Cougars were red hot from the field in the third quarter hitting 9-of-14 (64.3 percent) and led 54-40. Shetley had eight points, while Hess and Stiers had six points each.
 
Hess drilled a three to make it 57-43, and then a bucket by Horstman extended the lead to 60-45 with 6:43 to play. The Stars scored the next 10 points to trim the lead to five (60-55), but a three-pointer by Stiers put the game out of reach.
 
Chu Crockett had a double-double with 14 points and 11 rebounds, while Friedrich added 11 points. Stephens was 9-of-22 (40-9 percent) from the free-throw line in the loss.
 
The Cougars continue AMC play on Thursday, Jan. 11 at Missouri Baptist University. Tip-off is set for 5:30 p.m.
 
NOTES: Columbia leads the all-time series with Stephens 32-2 … The Cougars have won 23-straight home games and are 27-1 the past two seasons … Stephens received 25 votes in the NAIA Top-25 Poll.