Cougar News
Women's Basketball - Thu, Jan 26, 2012
MAYFIELD, Ky. - It was an unusual start to the game on Thursday night for the Mid-Continent University women's basketball team. Rain and a leaky roof threatened to derail the Cougars' tilt with the Blue Mountain College Toppers before the game even got started.
Thankfully, the situation was remedied and the game was played, with the Cougars (7-13, 2-5) staging a big second half rally to knock off the Toppers (3-15, 0-7) 83-77.
Mid-Continent scored the game's first six points, but the Toppers came roaring back. Blue Mountain knotted the score at 10-10, and again at 16-16 before knocking down three consecutive three point field goals to build a 27-18 lead. The Toppers knocked down eight shots from beyond the arc in the first half, using the long range shot to keep the Cougars at bay and taking a 45-36 lead into the locker room at the break.
Coming out of the break, both teams struggled shooting the ball, as they combined to miss their first eight shot attempts of the period before Jessi Hayles of Blue Mountain buried yet another three-ball to stretch the Topper's advantage to a dozen at 48-36.
From there, however, the Cougars would begin to whittle away at the margin. Mid-Continent trimmed the deficit to seven at the 12:57 mark, and just over a minute later, Asia Grigsby made it a four point game by hitting the Cougars first three-pointer of the night. Moments later, Heather George knocked down a triple to pull the Cougars within one, and after a pair of missed free throw from Blue Mountain, Stephanie Malone capped an 11-0 Mid-Continent run with a layup to put the Cougars ahead 55-54 with 9:48 to go in the game.
Blue Mountain hit a three-pointer to go back ahead, but Grigsby answered with a bucket to tie things up at 57-57 with 9:01 to play. Moments later, a Malone free throw would put the Cougars ahead for good. As the game wound down, Mid-Continent slowly stretched their lead to 11 points with 3:15 left on the clock, and though the Toppers would pull to within a single possession at 78-75 with 1:34 remaining, the Cougars would seal the win at the charity stripe, taking the decision 83-77.
Malone and Johnson each poured in 23 points, with Malone adding 10 boards to pick up her 12th double double on the year. Grigsby also scored in double figures, adding 21 points of her own in the win, and Johnson added three blocks on the defensive end of things in the game. As a team, the Cougars shot 29-for-61 (47.5%) from the floor, though they hit just 3-of-12 (25%) three-pointers. Mid-Continent had an excellent night at the foul line, hitting 22 of their 27 free throws (81.5%).
The Cougars will play their second of three consecutive home games on Saturday afternoon, when they welcome the Cumberland Bulldogs (8-11, 3-4) to Mayfield on Saturday afternoon. The game is scheduled to tip-off at 2 p.m.
Thankfully, the situation was remedied and the game was played, with the Cougars (7-13, 2-5) staging a big second half rally to knock off the Toppers (3-15, 0-7) 83-77.
Mid-Continent scored the game's first six points, but the Toppers came roaring back. Blue Mountain knotted the score at 10-10, and again at 16-16 before knocking down three consecutive three point field goals to build a 27-18 lead. The Toppers knocked down eight shots from beyond the arc in the first half, using the long range shot to keep the Cougars at bay and taking a 45-36 lead into the locker room at the break.
Coming out of the break, both teams struggled shooting the ball, as they combined to miss their first eight shot attempts of the period before Jessi Hayles of Blue Mountain buried yet another three-ball to stretch the Topper's advantage to a dozen at 48-36.
From there, however, the Cougars would begin to whittle away at the margin. Mid-Continent trimmed the deficit to seven at the 12:57 mark, and just over a minute later, Asia Grigsby made it a four point game by hitting the Cougars first three-pointer of the night. Moments later, Heather George knocked down a triple to pull the Cougars within one, and after a pair of missed free throw from Blue Mountain, Stephanie Malone capped an 11-0 Mid-Continent run with a layup to put the Cougars ahead 55-54 with 9:48 to go in the game.
Blue Mountain hit a three-pointer to go back ahead, but Grigsby answered with a bucket to tie things up at 57-57 with 9:01 to play. Moments later, a Malone free throw would put the Cougars ahead for good. As the game wound down, Mid-Continent slowly stretched their lead to 11 points with 3:15 left on the clock, and though the Toppers would pull to within a single possession at 78-75 with 1:34 remaining, the Cougars would seal the win at the charity stripe, taking the decision 83-77.
Malone and Johnson each poured in 23 points, with Malone adding 10 boards to pick up her 12th double double on the year. Grigsby also scored in double figures, adding 21 points of her own in the win, and Johnson added three blocks on the defensive end of things in the game. As a team, the Cougars shot 29-for-61 (47.5%) from the floor, though they hit just 3-of-12 (25%) three-pointers. Mid-Continent had an excellent night at the foul line, hitting 22 of their 27 free throws (81.5%).
The Cougars will play their second of three consecutive home games on Saturday afternoon, when they welcome the Cumberland Bulldogs (8-11, 3-4) to Mayfield on Saturday afternoon. The game is scheduled to tip-off at 2 p.m.
