Box Score Batesville, Ark. – The second ranked Columbia College women's basketball team traveled to Batesville, Arkansas to battle it out in Becknell Gymnasium with the 18th ranked Lyon College Scots in the AMC Game of the Week. Columbia snapped the Scots 11 game winning streak with a final score of 59-51. The Cougars improve to 12-2 on the season and 7-2 in conference play.
Lyon came out and took the early advantage, 8-0, and the Cougars would call a timeout two and a half minutes in. Columbia was struggling to find any kind of rhythm in the game. After almost four minutes, the Cougars got on the board with a pair of free throws. As the quarter progressed, Jordan Alford would connect with a 14 foot shot to give Columbia their first field goal of the game with just under three to go in the first. Ashlee Marlatt picked up a steal and a bucket to make the score 16-8, Lyon on top at the end of the first, while the Scots were controlling the boards and pace of the game so far.
After Lyon controlling the floor in the first quarter, Columbia was looking to steal some momentum in the second. Raegan Wieser would hit an early three to cut the lead 16-11. The Cougars still struggling to get shots to fall, were trailing 20-13 midway through the second. A scrappy rebound and put back from Morgan Brandt would put the Cougars within five with under four minutes before the half. With a minute to play, Wieser drew an and-one with a strong take to the basket. She would complete the three point play to cut the lead to four, 26-22. Columbia held the Scots in the final seconds as the score remained 26-22 Lyon at halftime. The Cougars did a better job on the boards in the second, limiting Lyon from getting some extra touches. Columbia went 5-6 from the free throw line to help keep them within striking distance.
Each team came out going back and forth in the third. Back to back threes from Wieser cut the score to 37-30, Columbia still trailing as Lyon called for a timeout. Following the timeout Alford hit a three and another bucket to make it 37-35 midway through. Alford found her groove as she knocked down a deep three to give Columbia their first lead 38-37 with 3:12 to go. Alford continued on a 10-0 run, igniting a fire within her team. As the momentum was swinging in the Cougars favor, the Scots called timeout trailing 40-37 with 2:05 in the third. Columbia held a 44-38 lead going into the final quarter.
Columbia went on an immediate 5-0 run to begin the fourth, forcing the Scots to call a timeout less than two minutes in as the Cougars led 49-38. Columbia displayed great mental toughness after working through a rough start. Columbia was rattling the Scots as they took a 13 point lead and called a quick timeout with five and a half minutes left in the game. With just over two minutes on the clock, Lyon cut the lead to 10 points, 55-45, and began to apply some full court pressure. The Scots kept chipping away as they trailed by six with a minute to play, however Columbia remained poised and took care of business to solidify a 59-51 victory.
With a gritty, come from behind win, Columbia was led by Raegan Wieser who had a season high 25 points, going 4-5 from three and 5-5 from the line, along with seven rebounds and two assists. Jordan Alford added 22 points, going 2-2 from three and had four rebounds, two steals, and two assists. Morgan Brandt was a big presence on the boards as she brought down 13 in the contest. The Cougars finished shooting 45 percent from the field and 43 percent from beyond the arc.
The women's basketball team returns to Southwell Complex on Tuesday, January 8th as they take on the Park University Prates in an AMC matchup. The game will tip-off at 5:30 p.m.
