Fulton, Mo. – The Columbia College women's basketball team opened the fourth quarter on a 13-2 run to break open a three-point game in a 73-55 win at William Woods University Saturday at Anderson Arena in Fulton, Mo.
 
Columbia won its seventh-straight game to improve to 16-3 (8-1 AMC), while William Woods fell to 8-7 (2-4 AMC).
 
Mallory Shetley had game-high 28 points (8-of-9 FT), while DeLaney Horstman recorded her 10th double-double of the year with 24 points and 15 rebounds. Abby Backes added nine points for the Cougars, who dominated the paint (40-14) and the glass (45-30).
 
The Cougars started 1-of-9 from the field and trailed 8-4 in the opening six minutes, and a three from Natalie Thomas pushed the William Woods lead to 13-6. Lexi Miller canned the first three of the game for the Cougars to trim the lead to 15-13, and then Backes scored on a lay-up to tie the game at 15-15.
 
Both teams hit 6-of-17 (35.3%) from the field in the first quarter, with Shetley and Thomas each scoring six points. The Cougars ended the quarter scoring the final five points.
 
Shetley scored five of the first seven points of the second quarter to extend the run to 12-0 and give the Cougars a 22-15 lead. The Owls missed their first six shots in the second.
 
Columbia took a 32-22 lead to the break after outscoring William Woods 17-7 in the second quarter. The Cougars limited the Owls to 3-of-17 shooting in the quarter. Shetley led all scorers with 12 points at half.
 
The CC lead grew to 40-28 following back-to-back lay-ups from Horstman, but a quick 7-0 run by the Owls trimmed the lead to 40-3. A three-pointer by Olivia Hanks made it a three-point game with 2:42 left in the third.
 
William Woods outscored Columbia 22-15 in the third quarter and trimmed the advantage to 47-44. The Cougars shot just 23.1 percent (3-13) from the field.
 
The Cougars scored the first six points of the fourth to extend the lead to 53-44, and then the lead grew to 10 (56-46) after a three by Allison Stiers. Horstman put the game out of reach with a pair of layups to make it 60-48. Columbia outscored William Woods 26-11 in the fourth.
 
Peyton Dearing and Thomas each had 10 points for William Woods, who outscored Columbia 30-9 in bench points and hit 8-of-8 from the free-throw line.
 
The Cougars return home to host Harris-Stowe State on Thursday, Jan. 25 at 5:30 p.m.
 
NOTES: Columbia has won six-straight meetings against William Woods and leads the all-time series 40-11 ... Columbia only had six players score in the win ... The Cougars hit a season-low three (3-of-10) three-pointers.