Columbia, Mo. - The Cougar women's basketball team won their fifth straight game on Thursday evening, defeating crosstown opponent Stephens College by a score of 95-49 at Southwell Complex. Columbia, the 5^th-ranked team in the latest NAIA Top 25 Poll, improves to 24-1 overall and 18-1 in the American Midwest Conference (AMC) with the victory.

The scoring got off to a slow start as the Cougars led just 4-2 after five minutes of play. Columbia outscored the Stars 20-5 over the final five minutes and led 24-7 at the end of the first quarter. The Cougars were able to extend their lead to 25 in the second quarter and carried a 48-23 advantage into the halftime break. Columbia shot 56 percent in the half while the Stars shot just 36 percent from the field. Corri Hamilton led all players with 12 first half points.

The Cougars dominated the third quarter, scoring 32 points while holding the Stars to just nine points to go ahead 80-32. Columbia maintained a sizable lead in the fourth quarter and would run away with the 46-point victory.

Columbia finished shooting 53 percent (39/74) from the field and 47 percent (8/17) from beyond the arc. The Cougars outrebounded the Stars 43-23 for the game and took advantage of 25 turnovers to score 30 points. Hamilton led all players with a career-high 30 points and nine rebounds. Petrolina Chilaka chipped in 14 points while Kei'yana Pearson finished with 12 points. Martha Imoniana dished out a season-high five assists while Hamilton and Pearson handed out three apiece.

The Stars shot 36 percent from the field and were led by Sadie Dugger with 10 points.

The Cougars will return to the court Saturday, February 13^th when they host AMC foe Missouri Baptist University. Game time is set for 2:00 p.m. at Southwell Complex.

The Play4Kay fundraising event will also take place on Saturday.

The Cougar women's basketball team invited Missouri Cancer Associates staff and patients to attend and raise awareness for a new program they are introducing that provides gas cards to patients to help defray some travel costs associated with treating the disease.  It is estimated that the average cancer patient will travel to see their doctor 70 times after diagnosis in the first year alone. The Cougars are also asking for donations of hats, scarves, and t-shirts that can be made into scarves for the Missouri Cancer Associates office and American Cancer Society's Look Good, Feel Better program. There will be pledge forms that ask for a flat monetary donation to go toward the gas cards available at Saturday's game.

For more information on Play4Kay visit http://www.play4kay.org/faf/home/default.asp?ievent=1138924
American Cancer Society's Look Good, Feel Better program http://lookgoodfeelbetter.org/programs/programs-for-women
how the t-shirts are easily cut and tied into a head scarf https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CP2JyDgql_0