January 28, 2010

Lady Tigers ride big second half to 57-33 win over Kansas City

Playing its first game in a week, the Cowley College women’s basketball team shook off the rust to defeat Kansas City 57-33 Wednesday night at W.S. Scott Auditorium.

For a half it appeared the Lady Tigers may slip up and lose to the Lady Blue Devils as they trailed 22-19 at the end of the first half. However, then the second half rolled around.

Cowley turned up its intensity in the second half as they scored the first 16 points and held Kansas City scoreless for 10 and a half minutes. After combining to make just 5-of-15 shots in the first half, sophomores Kaneesha Lee (pictured) and Gianna Woods combined to score 19 of Cowley’s first 25 points of the second half, and the Lady Tigers outscored Kansas City 38-11 over the final 20 minutes of play.

Lee and Woods each finished with 15 points and eight rebounds, while Lee added six blocked shots.
“Those two making shots was the difference for us in the second half,” Cowley head coach Todd Clark said.

The win, coupled with Coffeyville’s loss to Independence on Wednesday, moves Cowley into sole possession of second place in the Jayhawk Conference Eastern Division. The Lady Tigers are now 14-6 overall and 7-2 in the conference. Cowley is a half game behind conference leading Labette, which is 7-1.

Kansas City made only 3-of21 shot attempts and turned the ball over 16 times in the second half as they fell to 11-8 overall and 2-6 in the Jayhawk Conference Eastern Division.

Alyssa Rushton (11 points) was the lone Kansas City player to score in double figures. However, Rushton also had eight of the Lady Blue Devils 27 turnovers.

Cowley freshman Jasamyne Saunders, who earned a spot in the starting lineup after scoring a season-high 19 points off the bench last Wednesday, finished with nine points, six steals, four rebounds and three blocked shots.

“She is so athletic,” Clark said. “We are pleased with the effort and energy she has been playing with.”
The Lady Tigers will now prepare to host Neosho County (8-12 overall, 3-5 Jayhawk East) Saturday at 5 p.m. before playing host to Coffeyville on Monday. Neosho County is second in the Jayhawk East in scoring with an average of 76.3 points per game.

“Style wise we are complete opposites,” Clark said. “We are going to guard them and take care of the basketball.”

Box score:
Kansas City (33): David Jarae 1-2 0-2 2, Shannon Carlin 0-4 0-0 0, Alyssa Rushton 4-11 0-0 11, Sarah Craft 2-7 0-0 4, Laci Schreiber 1-4 2-3 4, Anna Belousova 1-2 0-0 3, Brenna Wilson 1-2 -0 3, Ashley Wham 0-0 0-0 0, Melanie Phipps 1-6 2-2 4, Annie Rowan 1-2 0-0 2. Totals: 12-40 4-7 33.

Cowley (57): Jasamyne Saunders 4-9 1-3 9, Ariani Silva 2-7 1-2 5, Kaneesha Lee 7-15 1-2 15, Anna Sonka 3-8 0-0 7, Gianna Woods 6-14 3-3 15, Maggie Vieyra 0-0 2-2 2, Maylisa Johnson 2-5 0-0 4. Totals: 24-58 8-12 57.

Three-pointers: Kansas City 5-14 (Carlin 0-1, Rushton 3-7, Belousova 1-1, Wilson 1-1, Phipps 0-3, Rowan 0-1), Cowley 1-7 (Silva 0-4, Sonka 1-3). Rebounds: Kansas City 30 (Craft 10), Cowley 30 (Lee, Woods 8). Assists: Kansas City 8 (Carlin 4), Cowley 17 (Silva, Johnson 5). Turnovers: Kansas City 27, Cowley 11. Total fouls: Kansas City 16, Cowley 8. Fouled out: none. Technicals: none.