Box Score Springfield, Ill. - The Lady Cougar basketball team bounced back from Saturday's heartbreaking loss to Freed-Hardeman with a 96-57 victory at Benedictine University-Springfield on Thursday night in their final regular season road game of 2013-14. Columbia, ranked 12^th for the third straight week in Tuesday's NAIA Top 25 Poll, improves to 23-6 overall on the year and 19-2 in conference play with the win.

Columbia dominated the contest the contest from the opening tip, scoring the first 18 points of the first half and taking a 36-5 lead midway through the frame. The Lady Cougars didn't let up from there as they built a 60-17 halftime advantage with the help of 18 assists on 24 of 38 shooting (63 percent) from the field in the opening period. Janairrika Bland and Ashley Fisher led Columbia with 10 points each in the half.

The Lady Cougars stretched their lead out to 47 in the second half as they cruised to their 11^th victory in 12 games dating back to January 23^rd. Fisher led four Columbia players in double figures with 17 points, while Bland notched her fifth double-double of the season with 12 points and a game-high 12 rebounds to help the Lady Cougars finish with a 54-21 edge on the glass. Danielle Duncan had 12 points on 4 for 4 shooting from three-point range and Aqua Corpening chipped in 10 points for Columbia, who shot 54 percent from the field and 17 of 19 from the free throw line in addition to 24 assists.

The Lady Cougars will close out the regular season at home vs. conference foe Missouri Baptist on Saturday, March 1^st. Columbia seniors Heather English and Laurel Wichmann will be honored prior to tip-off at 2:00 pm at the Arena of Southwell Complex.