Box Score The Kentucky Wesleyan women's basketball team won their first home game of the year with a 74-68 win over Missouri-St. Louis on Wednesday afternoon. The Panthers (2-3) used multiple runs throughout the course of the game to overcome an early first quarter deficit, and to hold off the Tritons for good in the second half.
Early on in the action, Missouri St. Louis was up on the Panthers 18-10. The Tritons led 22-16 after the opening quarter, and scored 12 points in the paint. Missouri St. Louis remained out in front in the second quarter and held a 29-22 advantage halfway through the quarter. Kentucky Wesleyan would take over in the final six minutes of the quarter, and the Panthers went on a 12-0 run to lead 34-29 at halftime. Kentucky Wesleyan out-scored the Tritons 18-7 in the quarter.
In the second half, KWC scored seven quick points and led 41-32, but the Tritons would go on a run of their own. Missouri-St. Louis clawed back into the game with a 9-1 run to cut the Panthers lead to just one at 42-41 with three minutes remaining in the third quarter. However, Kentucky Wesleyan responded with yet another run. This time the Panthers went on a 13-2 run and built their largest lead of the entire day at 55-43 after
Jade Mills-Harris connected on a layup in transition early in the fourth quarter.
UMSL would just not go away though. The Tritons cut the Panthers lead again down to two at 58-56 with five minutes to play. UMSL would eventually take a short lead at 61-60, before
Jennifer Walker-Crawford nailed a three pointer to put Kentucky Wesleyan back out in front at 63-61.
The game was tied back up dead even at 65 apiece with under three minutes remaining, but the Panthers refused to go down, and finished the game on a 9-3 run. Walker-Crawford and
Brittany Wells put the game away for good at the free throw line. Kentucky Wesleyan scored 16 points in the paint in the fourth quarter.
Brittany Wells led Kentucky Wesleyan with 23 points, on 8-9 shooting from the field.
Jennifer Walker-Crawford scored 16, and
Bria Wright also reached double figures with 10 points. Walker-Crawford and Wright both recorded a team-high five rebounds each.
Jill Jones also dished out four assists. The Panthers shot 48% from the floor, and 40% from three point range.
Kentucky Wesleyan's next game will be on Saturday against Rio Grande at 11:30 a.m. at the Sportscenter.
