by ROLLA, Mo. — The 20th-ranked Jennies basketball team earned its first win of the 2014-15 season with a 60-47 victory over Newman University at Billy Key Court in Rolla, Missouri on Friday night.
Senior guard Justina Prairie Chief (Cheyenne & Arapaho Tribe) established new career-highs with 20 points and five steals while adding eight rebounds.
The two foes exchanged baskets through the first 8:26 with Central Missouri (1-1) leading, 16-15 through the first 10:26 of the game. Newman went on a 5-0 run over the next 1;29 to take its largest lead of the game at 20-16.
The Jennies ended the half on a 12-5 run to take a 28-25 advantage and would not look back for the duration of the second half.
Newman began the half on a 9-6 run to knot the contest at 34 apiece with 14:30 remaining in the game – the last time the score would be deadlocked.
Seniors Jasmine Thompson and Prairie Chief would couple for a pair of baskets over the next 2:13 to give the Jennies a four-point edge at 38-34.
The Jets would score four of the game’s next six points to slice the Jennies’ lead to one point at 38-37 with 11:41 left, but UCM would run away on a 9-1 spurt over the next 3:55 to take a commanding 47-38 lead.
The Central Missouri lead never dipped below four points for the remainder of the game as the Jennies rebounded for their first victory of the season to even their record.
The Jennies held the edge in points in the paint (16-6) and points off turnovers (11-4).
Thompson (12) and senior Revonnia Howard (10) both finished with double-figure points for the Jennies.
Next up for UCM is a battle with Missouri S&T in Rolla on Sunday, November 22 for a 4 p.m. tip-off.
