Fayette, Mo. – The Columbia College women's basketball team had four players score in double figures and hit a season-high 13 three-pointers in a 79-64 win at Central Methodist University Thursday in Fayette, Mo.
 
Ashtyn Klusmeyer led Columbia with 20 points, while Lexi Miller (17), Lauren Friedrich (15) and Mya Miller (13) also scored in double figures. The Cougars outrebounded Central Methodist 47-33 and had a season-high 22 assists on 30 field goals made.
 
Columbia improved to 3-0 with the win, while Central Methodist dropped to 2-2. The Cougars are off to a 3-0 start for the fourth-straight year.
 
Friedrich's wing three-pointer gave the Cougars an early 10-9 lead, snapping a 5-0 run by the Eagles. After Central Methodist pulled ahead by four, Columbia closed the quarter on a 5-0 run to take a 15-14 advantage.
 
Mya Miller led the Cougars with six points on 3-of-3 shooting, as Columbia hit 35.3 percent (6-17) from the field but just 2-of-13 from three-point range against the Eagles' zone defense.
 
The Cougars extended their lead to 24-18 on a driving layup by Lexi Miller, then pushed it to double figures (31-20) on a left-handed drive by Klusmeyer with 4:19 remaining. Klusmeyer later knocked down a wing three-pointer with less than 90 seconds left to make it 39-27.
 
Columbia took a 40-27 lead into halftime, paced by 13 points from Klusmeyer and nine from Mya Miller. The Cougars recorded 11 assists on 15 made field goals and held CMU to 34.5 percent shooting (10-of-29) in the first half.
 
Lexi Miller's three-pointer from the wing extended the Cougars' lead to 49-34 with 7:30 left in the third quarter. The Eagles answered with an 11-2 run to pull within 54-47, but Friedrich buried a pair of threes to spark a 12-0 run that closed the quarter and pushed the lead to 66-47.
 
Nautica Washington (18 points), Alina Riley (11) and Tayla Robinson (11) scored in double figures for Central Methodist, who was limited to 37.1 percent (23-62) shooting from the field in the loss.
 
The Cougars host Missouri Baptist on Wednesday, Nov. 12 at 5:30 p.m.
 
NOTES: Columbia leads the all-time series 8-1 ... Lexi Rubel filled up the stat sheet with two points, six points and eight rebounds ... The 15 points by Friedrich tied a career high ... Tori Rubel added eight points and a game-high 13 rebounds.