KYLE RHINE | Reporter
The women’s basketball team knocked out No.1 seed Central Missouri 75-66 Thursday night at Municipal Auditorium in Kansas City, Missouri.
Central Missouri led the Lions 35-28 at halftime, but Lindenwood came storming back in the second half. Forward Gabby Walker made a free throw to cut the Jennies’ lead to 54-49 to close out the third quarter.
Lindenwood started the fourth quarter on an 11-2 run, leading the Jennies 60-56 with four minutes remaining in the final quarter. Central Missouri would tie the game with 2:43 remaining, but a layup by Kylie Ferguson and a 3-pointer by Lindsay Medlen put the Lions up five with 1:45 remaining. The Lions went on a 12-3 run to close out the game and eliminate Central Missouri.
Walker scored 20 points, grabbed nine rebounds and delivered two assists in 28 minutes off the bench.
“We just have to say confident in our abilities and each other,” Walker said. “When we killed them inside, they tried to double up, but we kicked out to our 3-point shooters, so we were unstoppable.”
Forward Kallie Bildner notched her four straight double-double in the win. Bildner scored 17 points and grabbed 10 rebounds in 32 minutes.
“We knew we were the underdogs going in to everyone else, but to us it was just a regular game that we knew we could win,” Bildner said, “We came out and showed the MIAA to watch out, because this is our time of year.”
Following the win, the Lions advance to play Missouri Western State University at 2:15 p.m. Saturday, March 3 at the Municipal Auditorium in Kansas City.
