JOPLIN -- Despite trailing by as many as 10 in the second quarter, the Pitt State women's basketball team used a 30-point fourth quarter to earn a 77-62 win at Missouri Southern on Saturday (Feb. 4).

There were three ties and six lead changes in the game, many of them in the third quarter. Pitt State trailed by one at the end of the third quarter. The team switched to a zone defense in the fourth and took the game over. The Gorillas held Missouri Southern to just 14 points, while putting up 30 of their own. Pitt State shot 80 percent (12-15) in the final 10 minutes of play. The team's largest lead was 19, 75-56, with 1:27 to go.

Mikaela Burgess led the Gorillas with 19 points and three steals. Paige Lungwitz added 18 along with three assists. Shelby Lopez scored 10. Hadyn Herlocker led the team with six rebounds and eight assists.

Pitt State led the whole first quarter, but Missouri Southern whittled away at that lead to tie the game 21-21 with just over seven minutes to go in the second quarter. An 11-0 run by the Lions, put Pitt State down 28-21. A Marina Bauza layup broke up that run, but the Lions tacked on five more to take their largest lead of the game, 33-23, with 2:36 to go in the first half.

The Gorillas went on a 15-2 run to end the first half and start the second to lead 38-35 with 7:02 in the third. Pitt State stretched the lead to six, but never lead by more than that until it ade its fourth quarter surge.

Pitt State will play one game at home and one on the road next week. The week begins on Wednesday as No. 14 Central Missouri comes to John Lance Arena for a 5:30 p.m. game.