FORT SMITH, Ark. – The University of Arkansas-Fort Smith used a 19-8 scoring advantage in the fourth quarter to gain a 56-47 victory over the Northwest Missouri State University women's basketball squad Saturday at Stubblefield Center.
 
UAFS moved to 17-9 overall and 11-6 in MIAA play. Northwest dipped to 13-14 overall and 6-11 in league action.
 
Sadie Maas provided seven of Northwest's 10 points in the first quarter as the Lions held a 12-10 lead after 10 minutes of action. Maas went 3-of-5 from the field, while the rest of the Bearcats combined to go 1-for-13 from the floor in the opening stanza.
 
UAFS opened a four-point lead in the second quarter at 19-15. Northwest drew even at 21-21 with 3:48 to play. Maas gave Northwest a short-lived lead at 23-21 with 3:15 left in the half. UAFS tied the game at 23-23 with 3:02 left. Neither squad could dent the scoreboard in the final three minutes of the first half as they combined to make only two of their final 13 shots of the half. The contest was deadlocked at 23-23 at the break.
 
Northwest was able to take a five-point lead at 34-29 after a pair of free throws from Molly Hartnett with 3:44 left in the third quarter. Lindsey Kelderman knocked down her first three-pointer of the game with :34 left in the third to give Northwest a four-point lead at 39-35. UAFS's Anna Trusty scored at the third-quarter buzzer to leave the Bearcats on top, 39-37.
 
UAFS began the fourth quarter on a 7-3 run to take a 46-42 lead. Maas countered with a bucket with 5:26 to play to cut the UAFS lead to 46-44. Morgan Browning drained two free throws with 3:30 left to push the UAFS advantage to 48-44. Kesten buried a triple with 2:34 to play to slice the UAFS lead to one, 48-47. Browning took the margin back to three with 2:14 to play. Following a travel call on Northwest's Emree Zars, Browning sank two free throws with 1:41 to play to give the Lions a five-point lead. Zyniah Thomas's basket with just over a minute to play, gave UAFS its largest lead of the game at 54-47. Trusty added two more free throws with :36 left to give the home squad a nine-point cushion. UAFS outscored Northwest in the fourth quarter, 19-8, to score a 56-47 victory over Northwest.
 
Maas scored a career-high 15 points, grabbed nine rebounds and blocked three shots. Maas went 7-of-12 from the field. Kesten was the only other Bearcat to score in double figures with 11 points as she buried a trio of three-pointers. Kelsey Fields grabbed a team-best 12 rebounds. Molly Hartnett handed out a team-high four assists.
 
Northwest shot 29.0% for the game (18-of-62). The Bearcats won the rebounding battle, 42-36.  UAFS shot 39.3% from the field (22-of-56). UAFS committed six turnovers to 11 for Northwest.
 
Northwest will wrap up the MIAA regular season at home this Thursday vs. Newman and Saturday vs. Emporia State.
 
NOTES: UAFS entered the game averaging 75.0 points per game … Sadie Maas put up her third double-figure scoring game this season … Maas blocked three shots to give her 36 on the season … Caely Kesten has drained at least one three-pointer in 24 games this season … Kesten has made at least one three-pointer in 15 consecutive games … Kesten has made two or more triples in 20 games this year … Kesten has had 12 games where she has sank three or more three-pointers this season … Lindsey Kelderman has made at least one three-pointer in 21 games this season … Kelderman has made two or more three-pointers in 14 contests, including three straight games.

Northwest Career 3-Point FGs Made

1. Jaelyn Haggard, 2017-21 – 256
2. Kelli Nelson, 2005-08 – 202
3. Caely Kesten, 2019-pr. – 185
4. Shelly Martin, 2008-10 – 170
5. Laura Friederich, 2003-06 – 163
6. Peyton Kelderman, 2021-pr. – 152
7. Brooke Hogue, 2002-04 – 143
8. Mallory McAndrews, 2015-19 – 139
9. Tanya Meyer, 2014-18 – 132
10. Katie O'Grady, 2004-07 – 125
11. Lindsey Kelderman, 2022-pr. – 123