ST. JOSEPH, Mo. – Rogers State women's basketball (9-15, 4-14 MIAA) dropped a 57-43 game to No. 24 Missouri Western (21-4, 16-3 MIAA) on Saturday.
 
Alayzha Knapp led the Hillcats with 17 points along with a team-high seven rebounds as well as three steals. Both Destiny Jones and Trinity Jackson put up six points with Jones adding six rebounds, two assists and two steals while Jackson added four rebounds and a steal.
 
The opening minutes of the first quarter were a back-and-forth affair with three lead changes. However, the Griffons came out on top with a 4-7 lead. They managed to close out the period on a 7-1 run, taking a 14-7 lead.
 
MWSU kept their momentum alive in the second quarter as they sank two free throws to start the period and take their largest lead of the half at 16-7. The Hillcats answered back and were able to keep the lead in check as they were only outscored 15-13 in the period with the Griffons carrying a 29-20 advantage into the break.
 
RSU came out of the locker room on fire as they dashed out on a fast 6-0 run to start the third quarter and cut the deficit down to just three points at 29-26. Unfortunately, MWSU responded with a 7-0 run of their own to take their first double digit lead of the day at 36-26. They worked to build out the lead to 41-28 going into the final 10 minutes.
 
A 6-2 run from the Griffons to open the fourth quarter gave them a 47-30 lead. They eventually took their largest lead of the game at 56-37 and took a 57-43 win.
 
The Hillcats will return home on Thursday, Feb. 22 to begin the final homestand of the regular season with a matchup against Central Oklahoma. Tipoff is set for 5:30 p.m.