FULTON, Mo. - On her Senior Night, William Woods University's (11-16, 9-12 American Midwest Conference)
Sydney Booker posted her ninth double-double on the season, and it was one of her most productive with a game-high 20 points (7-13 field goals and 6-7 free throws) and a game-high 16 rebounds. Regardless, the Owls dropped a heartbreaking 65-62 decision to Missouri Baptist University (9-18, 9-12) Thursday at Anderson Arena.
William Woods women's basketball coach
Terry Nash decided to start all five of his seniors:
India Atkins, Booker,
Ruthie Brown,
Peyton Dearing and
Katie Keilholz.
Along with Booker, who added a co-team-high three assists and a tri-team-high one block to her double-double, Atkins was a senior standout on the night, tallying 19 points (game-high 9-10 free throws and 2-3 3-pointers), five boards, a co-team-high three assists and a tri-team-high one block. Junior
Mariah Prince also shined, finishing with five rebounds, two points, a game-high two steals, one assist and a tri-team-high one block.
The Spartans were in control early on, going up 6-2 with 7:43 left in the first quarter. However, the Owls responded late in the first, using an 8-2 run to go in front 10-8. During that stretch, Booker scored four points, and a lead-changing
Jersee Wren triple capped the run. It stayed tight in the final few minutes of the first, though WWU transitioned into the second quarter up 13-12 thanks to Prince's layup off a Booker block/rebound with 40 seconds to go in the first.
As they were late in the first quarter, the Owls were slightly better than Missouri Baptist early in the second. After the Spartans tied it at 18, WWU used a five-point with no reply stretch to lead by that amount - Wren's layup from a Prince steal/assist put it at 23-18. That seemed to spark the Owls, carrying that momentum into a 9-4 run that spanned 3:28. All nine of those points were from deep, beginning with Keilholz knocking the first down, Dearing draining the second in and Atkins hitting the last triple to increase their cushion to 10 points (32-22) with 59 seconds until halftime. MBU got a layup to fall with :08 to go, which cut WWU's lead to 32-24 at the break.
The third quarter followed the second quarter's script but in the opposite way. The Owls were up comfortably in the first few minutes but let their lead slip to one possession in the final minutes. Dearing gave Woods the second of its two 10-point game-high leads, 34-24, on her second of two free throw makes with 9:36 left in the third. Following that, the Spartans notched six unanswered points to trim the Owls' lead down to four (34-30). Getting closer, MBU put up a 7-5 run to drop WWU's advantage to two (39-37) with 2:17 on the clock. Booker's play on both sides - made a layup and had an offensive and defensive board - ensured the Owls were ahead by three after three at 43-40.
The Spartans applied the pressure on WWU and opened the fourth quarter on a 15-8 run to earn two four-point leads, including on a bucket inside to end the period as MBU was on top 55-51. Responding, the Owls regained the upper hand with a 7-2 stretch; an Atkins 3-pointer assisted by Dearing and four free throws by Booker concluded the run, which handed WWU a 58-57 lead. That was the Owls' final advantage, but they did tie it two times in the final 2:02, the second instance at 62-all on the second of two Atkins free throws with 1:23 remaining. Over each team's last two drives, the Spartans went 3-4 from the line, while the Owls turned it over and missed a 3-pointer, which sealed a three-point loss.
William Woods collected 37 rebounds (12 offensive) with 11 second-chance points, scored 14 points off 12 forced turnovers and shot 33.3% (18-54) from the field, 33.3% (6-18) from 3-point range and 87% (20-23) at the stripe. Missouri Baptist had 35 boards (10 offensive) with two second-chance points, tallied four points off 11 forced turnovers and converted 43.6% (24-55) from the field, 26.7% (4-15) from deep and 56.5% (13-23) at the line.
Thursday was the Owls' final home game of the season. WWU ends its regular season slate by facing Mission University (20-5, 17-4 AMC) at 1 p.m. Saturday at W.E. Dowell Fieldhouse in Springfield. It was a close affair the first time the Owls met the Patriots this year, as WWU fell 70-65 to MU on Jan. 18 in Fulton.
