CLAREMORE, Okla. – Rogers State women's basketball (7-16, 1-13 MIAA) scored 48 points in the second half and 10 points in the final 20 seconds at home against Northwest Missouri (11-12, 4-9 MIAA), but came up just short in the 76-73 decision on Saturday.
 
"Our girls did a great job on offense, and I am proud of them for giving us a chance to win the game," said Head Coach Heather Davis. "We normally are great on defense and struggle to score, but today was the opposite as no one on either team guarded a soul in the second half. To win games in this league, we have to play well on both sides of the ball."
 
Kate Melton scored a career-high 25 points and was a perfect 9-9 from the free throw line. She also added four assists and two steals. Ella Hafer and Destiny Jones both put 14 points and were both perfect from the foul line with Jones shooting 6-6 and Hafer shooting 3-3. Hafer also led the team in rebounding, with eight boards, two shy of a double-double. Hafer and Jaiana Wiggins both had a block. RSU as a team shot .909 from the free throw line, going 20-22, which is a season-high in free throw percentage.
 
The game was a tale of two halves as defense dominated the first half. In the first quarter, neither team could gain an advantage, but Melton hit a long 3-pointer at the four-minute mark to tie the contest at 10. The two sides continued to trade shots and the contest was dead even at 15 after the first 10 minutes.
 
In the second quarter, the Bearcats built a slight four-point lead, but the Hillcats seemed to always have an answer to keep stride. A pair of Jones free throws tied the game at 25 late in the period, but Northwest made a layup with less than a minute to play in the half, giving the Bearcats a 27-25 lead.
 
In the third quarter, both offenses got rolling, as NWMSU scored 26 points, and RSU scored 22. The Bearcats opened the second half on a 14-4 run and built a 12-point lead with 5:49 left in the period. RSU responded late in the quarter, closing it out on a 7-0 run in the final two minutes to trim the deficit to 53-47.
 
During the final quarter, RSU put on an offensive clinic. The Hillcats trailed by as many as 12 points but got within striking distance late in the game when they went on a 7-0 run, but were still down 65-60 with two minutes to play. In the final 20 seconds of the game, RSU closed on a 10-3 run, unfortunately the Bearcats made just enough plays to escape the Expo Center with the 76-73 win.
 
The Hillcats will return to action on Saturday, Feb. 15 to close out the three-game homestand when they host Central Oklahoma. Tipoff is set for 1:30 p.m.