Columbia, Mo. – This evening the fourth ranked Columbia College women's basketball team hit the hardwood as they hosted the Missouri Valley College Vikings in their final game in the Cougars vs. Cancer Tip-Off Classic presented by Cost Cutters. Columbia outlasted the Vikings by a final score of 48-44, while senior Ashlee Marlatt surpassed her 200th career-three point shot, becoming the fifth Cougar in women's basketball history to reach this achievement. The Cougars have a 2-0 start to the season.
Missouri Valley would win the tip and score on the first possession, while then immediately applying full court pressure on Columbia. It took the Cougars a moment to settle into their offense, as they trailed to start off. However, a pair of free throws from Morgan Brandt would tie the game up at six about midway through the first quarter. The Cougars would call a timeout after the Vikings took a 10-6 lead off of an offensive rebound. Each team was playing at a quick pace, looking to get up and down, as Columbia trailed 16-8 with about a minute left in the quarter. Jordan Alford took a charge with 18.1 on the clock to give Columbia the last possession. Geena Stephens would snag an offensive rebound with seconds left and convert on a reverse layup to cut the Vikings lead 16-12 at the end of the first. In the second quarter, quick defensive hands from Alexis Uffmann were able to deflect the ball and grab a steal. Uffmann pushed the ball up the floor hitting Ashlee Marlatt on the wing, who nailed her 200th career-three pointer, making it a one point game. A free throw from Mai Nienhueser tied the game at 18 with under seven to go in the second quarter. As the quarter continued, Stephens connected with Marlatt who made a great cut to the basket to give Columbia the two point lead. As the game was tied at 20 with two and half minutes before the break, good hustle from Alford caused a Viking turnover, which resulted in a Cougar bucket on the next possession. The last 2:25 would be scoreless for each team. Grey Hayes came up with a big steal with 22 seconds remaining, but Columbia was unable to convert on the other end as they headed to the locker room leading 22-20. The Cougars shot 77 percent from the line in the first half, with five steals on 14 Viking turnovers.
Columbia came into the second half looking to turn it up a notch, but their offense was struggling to click in the third as they trailed 25-24 midway through. As the quarter progressed, the Cougars trailed 31-27 and called for a timeout with just over three minutes left in the quarter. Great vision from Uffmann would find Marlatt in the corner off of an aggressive drive and kick as Marlatt hit from three, cutting the lead to one, 33-32, with under a minute and a half to go in the quarter. Heading into the final quarter Missouri Valley held a three point lead, 37-34. A big offensive rebound by Nienhueser off of a missed free throw gave the Cougars another possession, where Alford found Nienhueser on the inbounds for a quick bucket making it 40-37. Another bucket from Nienhueser and a steal by Marlatt gave the Cougars some new found energy. The game was tied at 42 each with five minutes left. With two minutes remaining, Wieser was able to pull down an offensive board and find Brandt who knocked it down from beyond the arc to take the 45-44 lead. Marlatt would snag another huge steal to stop the Vikings on the offensive end. Missouri Valley would call a timeout with 1:03 on the clock, while the score remained 45-44, Cougars. A crucial steal made by Nienhueser, gave Columbia the ball, but a quick turnover on Columbia's end put the ball right back in the Vikings hands with 29 seconds until the final buzzer. The Vikings would again call a timeout after regaining possession. With the clock at 14.4, Columbia was able to regain the ball off of a Viking travel, where they would immediately call timeout. Missouri Valley was forced to foul as soon as the ball was inbounded, sending Columbia to the line, where both free throws were missed, but Nienhueser again coming up with the rebound would get sent to the line herself where she would make one giving the Cougars a 46-44 lead. The Vikings came gunning down the court, getting a shot off, but missed as Brandt secured the rebound and was fouled right away. Brandt would sink both shots to ice the game and solidify a 48-44 victory.
Ashlee Marlatt (13) and Mai Nienhueser (10) each recorded double digit points, while Nienhueser also pulled down seven rebounds. Brandt chipped in nine points and seven rebounds, while going a perfect 6-6 from the line. Raegan Wieser and Ukari McKinney each pulled down five rebounds apiece in the contest.
Following the game an All-Classic team was named. Columbia's Morgan Brandt took home Most Valuable Player accolades while Ashlee Marlatt (Columbia), Hilma Mededovic (Missouri Valley), Kaycee Gerald (William Woods) and Timeah Stotts (Cardinal Stritch) were named to the All-Classic team.
The women's basketball team will return to Southwell Complex on Thursday, November 15th when they host the Stephens College Stars in their first AMC contest of the season. The game will tip-off at 7 p.m.
