Northwest Women Pick Up Road Win at Central

By David Boyce

WARRENSBURG, Mo. -- The game was supposed to be close between the Northwest Missouri women's basketball team and Central Missouri.

They came into the Multipurpose Building Wednesday evening with identical overall and MIAA records.

For 10 minutes, the play matched the records. But in the final 10 minutes of the first half, the visiting Bearcats hit a gear that Central Missouri was unable to keep pace.

Northwest Missouri went on an epic run that produced a 25-point halftime lead. It was enough points to hold off a furious comeback attempt by the Jennies that saw them close to single digits with just under six minutes left.

Although the Bearcats wound up winning 80-67, Coach Gene Steinmeyer had at least one anxious moment when Meghan Waggoner drilled a three-pointer for Central Missouri, narrowing the gap to 68-61 with 5:44 left.

The win lifted Northwest Missouri to 8-7 overall and 4-4 in the MIAA. Central Missouri dropped to 7-8 and 3-5.

"It was a big win because there are four of us sitting there even," said Northwest Missouri junior center Gentry Dietz. "You have to win at home and it is really important to steal some wins on the road.

"Central played us hard on their court. They were making some shots. We just had to gut it out and we did in the end."

The Bearcats might be heating up.

"Our last game we won on a last second shot and then to come in here and get a win on the road was huge for us," said Northwest Missouri sophomore guard Abby Henry.

It was a dramatic turn of events in the second half after what transpired in the first half.

For a while it appeared it was going to be a battle to the buzzer when the game was tied 17-17.

The Bearcats then found their groove. Dietz was scoring on the inside. Henry was hitting outside shots. Players off the bench were making baskets.

Meanwhile, Central Missouri was not making anything.

"We were playing really well. Everything was clicking," Henry said. "It kind of seemed like we couldn't miss, especially toward the end of the half."

When halftime arrived Northwest Missouri held a commanding 47-22 lead. Folks, it was a 30-5 run by the Bearcats to conclude the first half.

"We had the bench players come in and they were really playing well," Dietz said. "We were making defensive stops. Abby was hitting shots and that allowed me to be single covered. I always like that.

"And Abby was penetrating and they couldn't stop her. She played a really good game."

The final outcome seemed obvious and this was brought to the attention of Steinmeyer, who responded like a coach. He went to the past and recalled a game two years ago when his Bearcats held a 28-point halftime lead in Maryville, Mo., and almost lost.

Coach speak? No. Steinmeyer knew the Bearcats' recent history at the Multipurpose Building. They suffered 30-point and 40-point losses in Warrensburg the previous two seasons.

"This has been kind of a tough place for us to play in," Steinmeyer said.

Central Missouri played much better in the second half. The Jennies' deficit started to disappear as fast as the snow did Wednesday afternoon in 40-degree weather.

"They made a charge and we knew they would make a charge," Steinmeyer said. "But the first half was as well as we've played all year, except for Emporia. That's how we played the entire Emporia game."

The Bearcats saw their huge lead of 58-31 slip to 59-39 and then 61-46 and later to 63-51.

The Jennies even closed to within five at 70-65 with 2:30 left. They just have enough offensive punch left to get closer.

"I wouldn't say I got nervous," Henry said, "but they were definitely creeping up on us. I was hoping time would run out."

In the end, the outside shooting of Henry and the inside play of Dietz was just too much. Henry finished with a game-high 27 points and Dietz added 19.

Meghan Waggoner led Central Missouri with 15 and Taylor Hanson added. Both Waggoner and Hanson hit momentum-changing three-pointers to fuel the Jennies' second-half run.

"Taylor started hitting threes and that helped," Central Missouri coach Dave Slifer said. "I was thinking let's get some stops and turn this around. We make some free throws early in the second half and it is a different game."

As for the first half, Slifer said he was clueless by what took place.

"It wasn't just defensively; we were just as miserable offensively. Numerous times they put a little pressure on us and we just turned it over, gave it to them."

But the Jennies didn't quit, and that made for an interesting second half.

To reach David Boyce, contributing writer for the MIAA, e-mail dboyce@themiaa.com.