by Kerry Stadler
Joplin, Mo. – The 19th-ranked Missouri Southern women’s basketball program played at home for the first time this season and did not disappoint the local crowd, running out 83-66 winners against Angelo State inside the Leggett & Platt Athletic Center.
Southern (5-0) was led by Kryslyn Jones (Seminole/Mvskoke) with 18 points going 4-of-6 from three while adding four rebounds, two steals and a career-high two blocks. Lacy Stokes followed closely with 17 points, nine assists, four rebounds and three steals. Amaya Johns scored a season-high 16 points going 7-of-12 from the field and grabbed a team-high six rebounds, Layne Skiles notched 12 points shooting 5-of-7 from the field, 2-of-4 from three to go with five rebounds and four assists.
Angelo State (2-1) was led by Sawyer Lloyd with 18 points with Tayjanna McGhee-Pleasant (14), Payton Brown (13) and Madisen Honea (12) the other Rambelles to reach double-figures. Lloyd and Brown were tied for the team lead with seven rebounds while Brown and McGhee-Pleasant both had four assists, two steals and one block to tie for the team lead in each category.
Both teams would trade shots in the first three minutes before a back-to-back three’s by Jones and Lacy opened up a 10-6 lead for the Lions with 6:00 left in the first quarter. Angelo State would tie it up with McGhee-Pleasant making a pair of layup but a 8-0 run capped by a Johns pull up jumper made it 18-10 Lions with 3:43 remaining as the Lions would coast to a 21-14 lead after one quarter.
The Rambelles would cut the lead down to one three times in the first three minutes of the quarter but a 9-2 run by the Lions capped off by a Johns jumper that was assisted by Lacy with 4:00 left made it 37-29. Southern would clamp down on defense and not allow a single point to be scored in the last 3:39 and extended the lead out to 12 following a Hailey Grant floater that was assisted by Lacy with 22 seconds left on the clock.
In the third quarter Angelo State would get the deficit down to seven (54-47) with 2:14 left in the quarter but a Skiles three with eight seconds left on the clock made it a ten point game (61-51) heading to the fourth quarter. Angelo State tried to make a run early in the fourth quarter cutting the lead down to six (67-61) with 6:28 left but the Lions went on a prompt 16-0 run the longest of the season to run away with the game by a final score of 83-66.
During the game Lacy went over 200 career assists in her 36 career game to become the second fastest Lion in program history to achieve the feat just behind Diane Hoch (88-89) who accomplished the feat in 29 games. The win also means it is the 13th season for the Lions to begin the year with five straight wins and the first since the 2015-16 season.
As a team the Lions held the advantage in field goal percentage (50.0-37.3), three’s made (7-5), free throw percentage (92.3-83.3), assists (20-16), steals (9-6), blocks (5-2), turnovers forced (16-14), bench points (24-4) and points off turnovers (13-12).
