PITTSBURG – The 10^th-ranked Pittsburg State University women's basketball team overcame a seven-point deficit with 11:36 play in the game to rally for a 65-59 victory over 2^nd-ranked Fort Hays State University Saturday (Feb. 14) at John Lance Arena.
 
The Gorillas (23-3, 13-2 MIAA) pulled within a game of the conference-leading Tigers (22-2, 14-1 MIAA) while snapping FHSU's 21-game winning streak and handing the squad its first MIAA defeat of the season.
 
Lizzy Jeronimus and Cathy Brugman scored 17 points apiece to pace the Gorillas, while Antqunita Reed also scored in double figures with 10 points.
 
Kate Lehman had a game-high 19 points and eight rebounds for FHSU, but she was limited to eight points in the second half of the contest.
 
The Gorillas used a 15-5 run to turn the seven-point second-half deficit into a 56-53 lead on Reed's jumper with 5:15 to play.
 
Pitt State added a free throw by Kylie Gafford at the 4:02 mark and Hailey Roderique's layup with 2:19 to go made it 59-53.
 
The Tigers were limited to 1-of-8 shooting from the field during the Gorillas' second-half surge.
 
FHSU drew as close as three points, 62-59, on Jill Faxon's 3-pointer with 19 seconds to play, but Mikaela Burgess made two free throws two seconds later to effectively seal the win.
 
The Gorillas made 20 of 28 free throws in the contest to compensate for a 32.8 percent shooting day (21 of 64). Defensively, Pitt State limited FHSU to 34.5 percent shooting (20 of 58).
 
The Gorillas will return to action Wednesday (Feb. 18) when they entertain Northeastern State University in MIAA action at 5:30 p.m.