PITTSBURG, Kan. -- A strong second half and crucial bench play ended in an 81-76 come-from-behind win for the Pitt State Women's Basketball team on Saturday (December 5) night in John Lance Arena.
Sophomore Paige Imhoff came off the bench to play 32 minutes and contribute 18 points, six rebounds and a team-leading five assists and three steals. She was 8-for-9 from the free throw line and those free throws helped to secure the win. Shelby Lopez also added eight points off the bench, including a buzzer-beating, go-ahead jumper from the free throw line at the end of the third quarter to give Pitt State its first lead since the opening minutes of the game. Madison Northcutt also had four big rebounds and a block shot off the bench.
Cathy Brugman led the Gorillas with 21 points and 11 rebounds for her first double-double of the season. Kylie Gafford added 11 points and Mikaela Burgess, 10.
Pitt State made the first shot of the game, but Central Oklahoma quickly built a 10-point lead. Pitt State started to come back, but trailed 20-14 at the end of the first quarter.
The Gorillas outscored the Bronchos by one, 16-15, in the second quarter to only trail by five at the half, 35-30.
A Gafford layup started the second half and left the Gorillas down by only three, but Central Oklahoma went on a 13-4 run that included three threes to give the Bronchos their largest lead of the game, 48-36, with 6:31 to go in the third quarter. The Gorillas began to slowly chip away at the lead. Paige Lungwitz and Imhoff hit back-to-back threes to cut the lead to six. The Bronchos used some free throws to keep the Gorillas at bay, but made only free throws for the rest of the quarter, while the Gorilla offense went on the attack. Down by three with just over 30 seconds left, Lopez hit jumpers on conseuctive possessions to give her team the one-point lead going into the final quarter.
UCO would come within one, but were never able to take the lead back. Free throws by Lungwitz at the 3:00 mark gave Pitt State its largest lead of the game, 71-62. The Gorillas led by eight with three second to go, but the Bronchos Marley Anderson hit a long shot at the buzzer to make the final, 81-76.
Anderson finished the game with 19 points. UCO's Julia Mason led all scorers with 23. Olivia Mason added 10.
Pitt State travels to Missouri next week for a Thursday night showdown with No. 18 Missouri Western at 5:30 p.m., followed by a weekend game at Northwest Missouri.
