Columbia, Mo. – The 5^th-ranked Cougar women's basketball team defeated American Midwest Conference (AMC) opponent Missouri Baptist University 90-55 this afternoon at Southwell Complex to take the regular season sweep over the Spartans. With the win, Columbia improves to 25-1 overall and 19-1 in conference play.

The score was tied at 12 at the end of the first quarter after a back-and-forth battle between the two squads. With the scored knotted at 14, Columbia reeled off an 18-1 run to finally gain some separation at 33-15. The Cougars remained in control from there as they outscored the Spartans 14-6 over the next three and a half minutes and carried a 48-21 advantage into the halftime break. The Cougars shot 60 percent in the half and were led by Corri Hamilton and Kei'yana Pearson with 12 points apiece.

Columbia held a 71-39 advantage at the end of the third quarter and led by as many as 39 in the fourth to pick up their sixth straight win.

The Cougars finished shooting 51 percent (30/59) from the field and outrebounded the Spartans 41-32 for the game. Columbia also shot well from the charity stripe going 27-for-32 to finish shooting 84 percent. Four Cougars ended in double-digit scoring led by Hamilton and Pearson with 18 points apiece. Petrolina Chilaka chipped in 15 points and three assists while Caprese Marshall had 10 points. Hamilton also led the Cougars with six rebounds while Ashlee Marlatt dished out a game-high four assists.

The Spartans shot just 35 percent from the field and were led by Danna Jenkins with 13 points.

The Play4Kay fundraising event also took place this afternoon.

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 also asked 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 were also pledge forms that asked for a flat monetary donation to go toward the gas cards. After today, the Cougars have raised a total of $1,200.

The Cougars return to the court on Thursday, February 18^th when they travel to Henderson, Tenn. to take on No. 11 Freed-Hardeman University. Game time is set for 5:30 p.m.