By JACOB WOERTHER
Sports Editor

Jens rally in the fourth quarter to upset No. 7 Pittsburg State 69-63

(WARRENSBURG, Mo., digitalBURG) — After trailing for 24:21, Jennies basketball mounted a fourth quarter comeback to lock-in their spot for the MIAA Tournament. Their win over Pittsburg State Saturday, Feb. 25, clinches the two-seed in the tournament and guarantees them a bye to the quarterfinals.

The Jennies trailed the Gorillas 9-8 with 3:56 left in the first quarter, but a layup and a three-pointer from Mikaela Burgess gave the Gorillas an eight-point lead heading into the second.

Triples from Brenlee McPherson and Burgess extended the Gorilla’s lead to 13 midway through the second quarter, giving them their largest lead of the night. A Paige Redmond three-pointer and series of free throws cut the lead down to five and the Jens trailed just 37-32 going into the third.

The Jennies found some much-needed momentum in the second half and slowly chipped away at the Gorilla’s lead throughout the third.

The Jennies reclaimed the lead with a layup from Redmond with 8:43 left in the fourth, demonstrating why they are a fourth quarter team. The Gorillas came within a basket of regaining the lead but a 3-pointer from Sydney Crockett helped seal the game for the Jennies

Kayonna Lee recorded her eighth double-double of the season tying a career-high 21 rebounds and racking up a career-high 17 points. Lee’s 21 rebounds are the most by any MIAA player in a single game this season.

Redmond led the Jens with 21 points on the night. Kelsey Williams and Crockett each put up 13. As a team, the Jennies shot 20-for-60 from the field and 2-for-14 from beyond the arc.

Burgess lead the Gorillas with 26 points and McPherson ended the day with 13.

The Jennies’ first MIAA Tournament game is scheduled for 2:30 p.m. Friday, March 3 at Municipal Auditorium in Kansas City, Missouri. The Jens will play the winner of the Southwest Baptist-Washburn game.

Reaves scores 26 in 81-75 win over Pittsburg State

Spencer Reaves shot 9-for-11 from the field and 2-for-3 outside the arc Saturday, Feb. 25, during the Mules’ victory over the Gorillas. The victory clinched the No. 2 seed for the Mules in this weekend’s MIAA Tournament.

The Gorillas scored first off a 3-pointer from R.J. Pair and held the lead for the first 9:32 of the game. A triple from Clarence Smith tied the game up at 13-all, but the Gorillas recovered and took charge again. A layup from Reaves with 7:23 left in the first half tipped the score in the Mules’ favor and proved to be the final lead change of the game.

A 13-5 run by the Mules resulted in a seven-point lead with 3:28 until halftime. Colton Pitko, however, drained a three for the Gorillas nearing the end of the half and the Mules led just 36-34 going into the break.

Central took control coming out of halftime, outscoring the Gorillas 27-16 in the first 12:21 of the second half. The spurt produced a 65-52 lead, but the Gorillas mounted one final push. Isaiah Hicks and Elijah Gains knocked down threes to bring the Gorillas within one point of the Mules with just 3:28 left to play.

Despite the Gorillas late burst of offense, the Mules held on until the finish. D.J. Richardson and Reaves both splashed a shot from outside the arc to seal the victory for the Mules.

Reaves’ 26 points marks a season-high for him. Jakob Lowrance and Marquiez Lawrence also scored in the double digits. Lowrance finished with 16 and Lawrence ended the day with 14. Central shot 26-for-50 from the field, 8-for-17 beyond the arc and 21-for-22 from the free-throw line.

The Mules will tipoff at 2:30 p.m. Thursday, March 2, at the Municipal Auditorium in Kansas City, Missouri. They will face the winner of Game 3, which consists of No. 10 seed Emporia State and No. 7 seed Central Oklahoma.