Box Score St. Louis, Mo. – The Columbia College women's basketball team defeated American Midwest Conference (AMC) foe Harris-Stowe State this evening by a score of 64-59 to claim their eighth straight victory. The Cougars improve to 8-0 on the season and 3-0 in conference play with the win while the Hornets fall to 3-5 overall and 1-2 in league play.

Kei'yana Pearson hit a last second shot to give the Cougars a 22-20 lead over the Hornets headed into the halftime break after a back and forth battle between the teams. Columbia struggled offensively as they shot 25 percent in the first half and were led by Corri Hamilton with seven points. The Hornets finished shooting 32 percent from the field behind 13 first half points from Cierra Stanciel. Neither team gained much separation as the Cougars led by as many as three while the Hornets opened the game on a 5-0 run to grab their biggest advantage of the half.

The third quarter mirrored the first two as both teams battled for points. The game would be tied six different times, but Columbia led 43-41 with 30 minutes gone from the game.

The Hornets erased the two point deficit to knot the score at 43, but Petrolina Chilaka rushed down the court and drained a three to regain the Cougar lead at 46-43. Harris-Stowe wasn't fazed as they battled back to tie the score five more times, but another Columbia three by Ashlee Marlatt gave the Cougars a 56-53 advantage with 3:54 to go. A basket and a made free throw by the Hornets tied the game back at 56 however, back-to-back layups by Hamilton and Caprese Marshall gave Columbia a 60-56 advantage with 55 seconds left to play.

With the clock winding down, Stanciel attempted a three in hopes of pulling the Hornets within a point, but the ball would spin out. Pearson drew a foul from there where she made one of two shots making the score 61-56, but Alantas Sutton answered with a three making it a two point game at 61-59. The Hornets were forced to foul Hamilton and Pearson in desperation, where they would make three to put the game away 64-59.

Four Cougars finished the night with double digit points with Chilaka, Marshall, and Hamilton leading the team with 13 points apiece. Marlatt chipped in 11 points while Martha Imoniana and Hamilton had seven rebounds apiece. The Hornets were led by Stanciel with 25 points.

The Cougars return to the court this Saturday, December 5^th when they return to St. Louis, Mo. to take on AMC foe St. Louis College of Pharmacy. Tipoff is scheduled for 2:00 p.m.