PITTSBURG -- The No. 10 Pitt State women's basketball team earned a 68-60 win over No. 15 Central Missouri on Wednesday (Feb. 8) night in John Lance Arena.

Pitt State missed its first two shots of the game, but then made nine of its next 11 to shoot nearly 70 percent in the first half. The next two quarters the offense struggled, going 0-for-20 from three point range and only 6-for-33 overall. The team recovered to shoot 5-for-9, including 4-of-6 from three-point range in the fourth quarter. Despite their shooting woes, the Gorillas did not lose the lead after grabbing it for good on a three by Mikaela Burgess with 1:49 to go in the first quarter. 

Shelby Lopez led the Gorillas with 16 points. Burgess and Madison Northcutt each added 11. Northcutt also had 10 rebounds for her fifth double-double of the season. She was 9-for-10 from the free throw line. Athena Alvarado came off the bench to score 10 points and pull down seven rebounds. Paige Lungwitz was just under double figures with eight points. Hadyn Herlocker contributed five points, five rebounds and seven assists. 

Central Missouri's Kelsey Williams and Paige Redmond each scored 20 points. 

The Jennies cut the Pitt State lead to two several times in the second quarter, but the Gorillas hung on and eventually built an eight-point lead, 36-28, with 1:17 to go. Central Missouri scored the final three point of the half to make the score 36-31 at the half.

The Gorilla lead hovered between three and five for the entire third quarter. After just over 21 minutes without a three, Paige Lungwitz finally hit a long-range shot with 9:01 left in the game. The was the first of four, as she hit another late and Burgess and Lopez each hit another. Lungwitz free throws with 1:52 remaining gave Pitt State its largest lead of the game, 11 points, at 62-51. 

Pitt State will travel to Bolivar, Mo. to take on the Bearcats at 1:30 p.m. on Saturday.