Box Score (PDF)

The Northwest Missouri State women's basketball team let a nine-point first-half lead slip away and fell to Washburn, 41-38.

The first quarter started out as a defensive battle, with neither team scoring in the first three minutes. However, a Jayna Green free throw and a Mallory McConkey layup gave the Bearcats a 3-2 advantage with five minutes left in the quarter. After trading buckets back and forth with the Ichabods for most of the period, the Bearcats took a 9-7 lead into the second period.

The Bearcats distributed the ball equally throughout the second quarter with five players scoring points to take a 22-13 lead into halftime. Mallory McConkey led the Bearats with four of her eight points in the period. The defense also only allowed 13 points from the Ichabods, the lowest from an opponent this season since they allowed 19 against Lincoln.

Washburn started the second half on a 8-0 run, forcing the Bearcats to call a timeout. The rest of the quarter was slower offensively, resulting in a 28-28 score heading into the final period.

The Ichabod defense stifled the Bearcats again in the fourth quarter, allowing just one Bearcat field goal in the first four minutes of the period until a Jaelyn Haggard triple with 5:42 left in the game pulled the Bearcats within 35-33.

After a few timely defensive stops, Caely Kesten hit a layup that pulled the Bearcats within 38-39 with just under 30 seconds left. Northwest fouled Mackenzie Gamble, proving to be a smart choice as Gamble went 1-for-2 at the line to give the Bearcats the ball back with 19.3 seconds.

With the clock winding down, Haggard threw up a three-pointer that missed and Washburn regained control with just three seconds left on the clock. Washburn's Hunter Bentley was fouled and sent to the free throw line where she went 1-for-2 to add to her game-high 12 points. Jayna Green attempted a half-court shot as time expired, but Washburn narrowly escaped with the 41-38 win.

Haggard led the Bearcats with nine points on 3-of-6 shooting from three-point land while Mallory McConkey chipped in eight points and eight rebounds.

The Bearcats meet Washburn in Bearcat Arena on Tuesday to begin the last week of their regular season schedule. Tip-off is set for 5:30 p.m.

NOTES: Northwest allowed just 13 first-half points from the Ichabods, the lowest amount from an opponent in the first half this season since the Bearcats played Lincoln on Dec. 5 in Bearcat Arena … this was also the lowest defensive performance for Northwest in an MIAA game since holding Lindenwood to 13 points on Feb. 6, 2016.