QUINCY, Ill. – The Quincy University women's basketball team dropped a close decision, 59-54, to visiting Missouri Southern State on Sunday (Nov. 27) afternoon at Pepsi Arena.
 
Junior forward Anika Webster (Springfield, Ill.) led the Hawks (1-5) with 17 points, seven rebounds and five assists, while shooting 7-for-15 from the field.
 
Quincy took its first lead of the game after back-to-back 3-pointers by senior guard Rachel Ruzevich (Orland Park, Ill./Carl Sandburg/Moraine Valley CC) and Webster less than two minutes into the second quarter.

Jenson Maydew knocked down a couple free throws on the Lions' next trip to give the lead back to the visitors, 18-17. MSSU led by seven before Webster's 3-pointer just before halftime trimmed the lead to 28-24.
 
The Hawks started the second half on a 7-0 run, started by a layup by sophomore forward Sarah Schumacher (Whitewater, Wis.) and finished by a layup by Webster and a 3-pointer by senior guard Selina Barnes (Colorado Springs, Colo./Sierra/Southeastern CC) that gave the Hawks a 31-28 lead. Barnes' layup with 7:06 left in the third gave QU a 33-30 advantage.
 
Both teams then went more than three minutes without a field goal before Kayla Kivinski hit a 3-pointer to push the Lions ahead, 34-33.
 
On QU's next trip, senior forward Cha Cha Williams (Bolingbrook, Ill./Bolingbrook/Seton Hill) made a layup on a feed from junior guard Megan Wienstroer (Okawville, Ill.). Chelsey Henry then regained the lead for MSSU with 2:25 left in the third. The Lions did not trail after that basket.
 
In the fourth, the Lions stretched the lead to as many as 10, 47-37, but the Hawks kept clawing away as freshman center Alexa Low (Beavercreek, Ohio) converted a three-point play with 3:11 left to cut the deficit to 49-46. The Hawks had it down to two, 52-50, on Ruzevich's steal and layup with 1:52 remaining, but the Lions got a layup and hit five of six free throws in the final 31 seconds to seal the game.
 
Low finished with a season-high nine points on 4-for-5 shooting. Williams chipped in eight points and five rebounds. Barnes scored five points, collected five rebounds and handed out three assists.
 
Maydew was the only player in double figures for the Lions, scoring 10 points in 29 minutes off the bench. Nine Lions scored at least four points.
 
The Hawks out-shot the Lions, 35.6 percent to 33.9 percent, from the field. The teams were even on the glass, 40-40.
 
Quincy opens Great Lakes Valley Conference play on Thursday (Dec. 1) at 5:30 p.m. at William Jewell.