From staff reports
sports@joplinglobe.com
PITTSBURG, Kan. — Pittsburg State took charge during an explosive two-minute segment midway through the second half and beat the visiting Arkansas-Fort Smith women 87-76.
The Gorillas overcame a five-point deficit with a 13-0 run, capped by 3-point goals from DePrice Taylor and Drew Roberts.
Taylor led PSU (2-2) with 23 points, hitting 9 of 17 shots from the floor and 3 of 5 free throws. Nicole McCombs came off the bench to score 18 points, Roberts had 16 and Laura Glenn added 12.
Arkansas-Fort Smith (0-3), playing its first season of Division II athletics after the conversion from the junior-college level, led by as many as eight points in the first half. The Lions were still ahead 63-58 with 14:47 left in the game.
Then a pair of free throws by Larissa Richards and a three-point play by McCombs triggered the PSU outburst. The Lions got no closer than five points the rest of the game.
Monica Sparman had 15 points to lead three players in double figures for UAFS.
Pittsburg State had a 44-27 rebounding advantage with Glenn collecting a game-high 11. The Gorillas overcame 23 turnovers.
Newman men 68, PSU 46
WICHITA, Kan. — Newman University ran off 20 unanswered points during the final 10 minutes of the first half to erase a 20-12 deficit.
Senior forward Jaray Mathews hit 7-of-11 field goals and 1-of-2 free throws for 19 points to lead three Jets in double figures. Forward Justin Berry and guard Keaton Schultz contributed 16 and 14 points, respectively, for Newman (3-1).
The Jets, ahead 32-20 at halftime, scored the first eight points of the second half before senior forward Rodney Grace broke the Gorillas’ drought with a three-point play, making it 40-23 with 16:42 left.
Grace led the Gorillas with 14 points, and C.J. Masters added 13 for the Gorillas, who play Southwestern (Kan.) at 6 p.m. Friday at Missouri Southern.
Golden Norse prevail
BETHANY, Okla. — Behind a 34-point performance by sophomore guard Phillipe Martin, the Northeastern A&M; Golden Norsemen earned an 85-76 victory over the Southern Nazarene University junior varsity in the Crimson Storm Fieldhouse.
"We tried hard all night to play with maturity," Golden Norse head coach Dustin Grover said. "But, coming off that emotional 99-96 overtime win Monday night against Northern-Enid, it was difficult to maintain our mental focus."
While winning their third game in a row, the Golden Norsemen are 6-3 on the season while the Crimson Storm are 0-2.
Corey Watkins paced the Crimson Storm with 16 points.
After a three-day break for Thanksgiving, the Golden Norse resume Oklahoma Collegiate Athletic Conference action on Tuesday, Dec. 1, with an 8 p.m. contest at Northern Oklahoma College-Tonkawa.
Martin (6-7 of Staten Island, N.Y.) scored 19 of his 34 total points in the first half as the Golden Norsemen built a 31-20 cushion in the first 10 minutes.
Southern Nazarene sank 24 of 59, including 13 of 29 from the 3-point area, for 41 percent from the field and 11 of 15 for 73 percent at the line. Martin also grabbed 11 rebounds to give NEO a 33-29 edge on the boards. Watkins collected seven rebounds to lead the Crimson Storm.
Coffeyville hurdles Crowder
NEOSHO, Mo. — The Red Ravens, sparked by sophomore guard Tasha Cannon’s 20 points, dropped the Lady ’Riders to 5-3.
Coffeyville improved to 6-1 and bounced back from its first loss of the season. Coffeyville, in its Community State Bank Classic, lost 71-63 to Connors State last Saturday.
Coffeyville, which led 48-33 at the half, received 13 points from Morgan Rolls, 12 from Keshia Primo and 11 from Arienne Smith.
Said Crowder coach Tina Robbins: “Coffeyville is an outstanding team. But we gave up too many layups. We were beaten down the floor several times.”
Sierra McSpadden, a 6-foot freshman from Chelsea, Okla., had three treys in scoring 17 for Crowder. Jaimee Shields, a 6-0 freshman from McDonald County, tallied 10.
Crowder entertains Penn Valley of Kansas City (Mo.) at 6 p.m. on Monday.
