FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Jan. 24, 2009

Mitts becomes all-time wins leader with 56-54 win over Truman

Box Score

Joplin, Mo. - Missouri Southern head coach Maryann Mitts passed Jim Phillips for first-place on the school's all-time wins list with her 130th career victory as the Lions rallied for a 56-54 win over the Truman Bulldogs Saturday afternoon (Jan. 24) at the Leggett & Platt Athletic Center.

The Lions led 56-54 when the Bulldogs had one final possession to tie or win, but Eli Medina's jumper with three seconds left was blocked by Jolea Apon and India Wood secured the final rebound for Mitts' record-breaking victory.

Southern trailed by 11 at the half and then by 13 when Georgia Mueller hit a layup for a 36-23 Truman lead with 18:48 remaining in the contest.

The Lions trimmed the lead to 38-32 with a 9-2 spurt that was capped by a jumper from Wood with 16:09 left.

After the Bulldogs scored four straight to put the lead back to double-digits, the Lions exploded for a game-changing 14-0 run to lead for the first time since 2-0 early in the first half.

Apon hit three consecutive treys to spark the run and bring the Lions to within one at 42-41.  Michelle Hedgecock and Myosha Barnes each split a pair of free throws for a 43-42 Lion advantage and Wood hit a three for a four-point lead with 9:26 left.

The Bulldogs refused to go away and tied the score on two occasions, with the last being at 52-52 on a Mueller layup with 4:32 left.

Four straight made free throws by Barnes gave the Lions the lead for good with just 2:13 remaining.

Mueller and Julie Guinn combined to score 14 points over the first 9:11 of the opening half as the Bulldogs raced to a 22-11 lead.

The Bulldogs expanded the lead to 26-11 as Sarah Gordon made a bucket and Eli Medina hit a jumper with 9:37 left in the first half.

India Wood scored seven of the Lions' next nine points to help Southern cut the lead to single-digits a 28-20 at the 3:49 mark.

Mueller then hit consecutive buckets to push the lead back to 12 at 32-20 and the Bulldogs went on to a 34-23 lead at the half.

Barnes led the Lions with 13 points on 4-8 shooting from the field. She was 5-6 from the free-throw line. Apon and Wood had 12 points each.

The Lions will be back in action next Wednesday, January 28 when they travel to Warrensburg, Mo. for a crucial match-up with Central Missouri. Tip off is slated for 5:30 pm. The Jennies defeated Southern 59-52 earlier in the year.