From staff reports
sports@joplinglobe.com
PITTSBURG, Kan. — Senior Brianna Buchanan hit 4-of-5 shots from 3-point range while scoring 21 points as Pittsburg State defeated Southwest Baptist 74-64 Saturday night in an MIAA women’s basketball game at John Lance Arena.
Junior Nicole McCombs registered a double-double with 15 points and 12 rebounds. Amanda Orloski added 12 points on four treys and point guard Caitlin Demarest dished out 10 assists against just one turnover as coach Lane Lord’s Gorillas (7-2) are off to a 3-0 start in conference play for the first time in 13 seasons.
DePrice Taylor contributed 10 points for PSU, and her defensive effort limited Courtney Creed to two points on 1-of-6 shooting. Creed entered the game as the league’s top scorer at 21.5 points per game.
Rachel Graves and Cortney Shewmaker scored 20 and 19 points, respectively, for the Bearcats (2-6, 0-2 MIAA).
SBU men 82, PSU 76
PITTSBURG, KAN. — Center Matt Rogers collected 15 points, 12 rebounds, five blocked shots, three assists and two steals in 32 minutes to lead the No. 4 Bearcats.
D’Ante Harris added 13 points, hitting 11 of 13 free throws, for Southwest Baptist (9-0, 2-0 MIAA), which shot 49 percent form the field and made 20 of 28 free throws. Tomas Brock, sophomore guard who prepped at Mount Vernon, had 11 points, three assists and four steals in 29 minutes.
Carlos Taylor captured game honors with 16 points for Pittsburg State (5-4, 1-2). Spencer Magana and Rodney Grace added 12 apiece, while T.J. Stukes and Ivan Evans each finished with 11.
Crowder romps
HUTCHINSON, Kan. — The Crowder College women, with a win Saturday, split a pair of games in the four-team Hutchinson Classic basketball tournament.
Crowder defeated the Bethany junior varsity 79-38 after losing to the host team 89-59 on Friday.
Jessica Mitchell led Crowder’s scoring in both games, netting 22 against Bethany and 16 against Hutchinson.
Crowder (5-9) led 44-14 at halftime against Bethany and trailed 41-28 at intermission against Hutchinson.
Crowder’s next outing will be in Region 16 play Jan. 10 at Jefferson Community College.
