COLUMBIA, Mo. – The William Woods University women's basketball team used a strong second half to defeat Stephens College, 60-47, on Thursday night in American Midwest Conference action.
 
Sophomore Peyton Greenlee led the Owls with 18 points on 7-of-13 shooting. Sommer Burgard came off the bench and scored 17 points. Kaycee Gerald led the Owls with 10 rebounds in the contest. The Owls shot 37 percent from the floor.
 
The Owls return to action on Saturday, January 20th when they host Park University in American Midwest Conference action. Tip-off is set for 1 p.m.
 
Game Flow
The Owls got off to a fast start in the first quarter scoring the first five points of the game on a layup by Kaycee Gerald and a three by Bailey Rollins. WWU stretched the lead to 7-2 after a Jasmine Brown layup with 7:08 left in the quarter. Stephens slowly started coming back in the contest and after a jumper by Chalee Britt the Owls lead was down to one, 9-8. WWU scored four more points in the quarter and led 13-10 after one.
 
The game went back and forth starting the second quarter, as three minutes into the quarter, the Stars tied the game at 13-13. After a pair of free throws by Tori Nesslage the Owls took a 17-15 lead. WWU went scoreless for the next two minutes of the contest until Gerald hit a layup. WWU stretched its lead to four, 21-17, after a Peyton Greenlee runner. The Stars came back tying the game at 21-21 with 1:29 left in the half. William Woods closed the half scoring the final six points of the quarter and led 27-21 at halftime.
 
The Stars came back and trimmed the Owls lead down to two, 27-25, after the first minute and a half of the third quarter. Stephens battled and kept the Owls off the scoreboard for the first three and a half minutes until Greenlee hit a three putting the Owls ahead by five, 30-25. Greenlee's three started a 14-2 run putting the Owls ahead, 41-27. Greenlee ended the run with another three-pointer. After three quarters of play the Owls led by nine, 43-34.
 
WWU stretched its lead to 11 points, 45-34, early in the fourth quarter as Gerald hit a pair of free throws. After Gerald's free throws, the Stars scored the next six points trimming the Owls lead down to five, 45-40. After scoring the first points of the quarter, WWU went five minutes with out scoring and the Owls lead was cut down to two, 45-43. WWU stretched the lead back to nine points, 54-45, after a Greenlee runner. WWU grew the lead back to double-figures and came away with a 60-47 victory.
 
By the Numbers
18 – Peyton Greenlee led the Owls with 18 points
17 – Sommer Burgard scored 17 for the Owls
3 – WWU had three players score in double-figures
5 – William Woods hit five three-pointers in the contest
18 – The Owls committed 18 turnovers in the victory
24 – WWU scored 24 points in the paint
18 – William Woods scored 18 second chance points
10 – Kaycee Gerald led the owls with 10 rebounds in the contest