Columbia, Mo. –
Ashtyn Klusmeyer scored a career-high 28 points as Columbia College remained undefeated with a 72-45 win over Missouri Baptist University at the Arena of Southwell Complex.
Klusmeyer shot 10-of-16 from the field, including 4-of-7 from three-point range, and went a perfect 4-of-4 at the free-throw line. She added five rebounds and two assists in 35 minutes. Lauren Friedrich scored 11 points on three three-pointers, while Mya Miller posted nine points and a game-high 12 rebounds.
Columbia improved to 4-0 with the win, while Missouri Baptist dropped to 0-3. The Cougars are off to a 4-0 start for the fourth-straight year.
Friedrich's three-pointer gave Columbia an early 3-0 lead just 32 seconds into the game. The Cougars pushed the lead to 13-2 on Klusmeyer's three-pointer with 5:53 left in the opening quarter, then extended it to 18-9 by the end of the period.
Klusmeyer scored eight points in the first quarter on 3-of-6 shooting, as Columbia hit 31.3 percent (5-16) from the field but knocked down 4-of-10 from three-point range.
The Cougars' lead ballooned to 30-9 on Klusmeyer's layup with 5:11 remaining in the second quarter. Columbia led by as many as 21 points before taking a 42-21 advantage into halftime. The Cougars recorded nine assists on 14 made field goals and shot 60 percent (9-15) in the second quarter.
Klusmeyer's layup extended the lead to 48-23 with 6:48 left in the third quarter. The Cougars maintained a comfortable advantage throughout the second half, pushing the lead to 27 points at 60-33 on Klusmeyer's layup with 8:25 left in the game.
Riley Jansen and Paula Puzule led Missouri Baptist with eight points each. The Spartans shot 33.3 percent (21-63) from the field and were limited to just 14.3 percent (2-14) from three-point range in the loss.
NOTES: Columbia leads the all-time series 42-2 ... Lexi Miller added seven points and five rebounds ... Lexi Rubel finished with five points, six rebounds and two steals ... The Cougars recorded 13 assists on 24 made field goals ... Columbia shot 87.5 percent (14-16) from the free-throw line.
