Lincoln women drop decision to Pittsburg State

Lincoln women's basketball coach Nicole Collier has been waiting for her team to put together a complete 40 minutes.

So far, it hasn't happened.

Despite a late comeback in the second half, Pittsburg State was able to hold off the Blue Tigers for a 76-64 Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association win Monday night at Jason Gym.

"We do this all the time now," Collier said. "We let teams pound on us a little bit then we want to fight back and try to make a run. It's starting to be a pattern."

Lincoln trailed by as many as 15 points with just more than eight minutes left in the second half, but went on a 13-2 run to cut the deficit to four with 5:28 to play.

"We don't want to play that way the entire time and that's probably the biggest disappointment," Collier said. "It's uncomforting - especially when you know you have it. You just don't use it all the time."

Lincoln couldn't finish the comeback.

Pittsburg State maintained at least a four-point advantage, before ending the final three minutes of the game on an 8-0 run to put the Blue Tigers away.

Lincoln junior Jennifer Rosado scored a game-high 19 points, while Quiessence Price added 15 and Hunter Yoakum chipped in 10 to lead the Blue Tigers, who were 27-of-58 from the field (41.1 percent).

Pittsburg State jumped out to a 9-2 advantage in the first three minutes of the game and maintained a comfortable lead for most of the first half.

Rosado knocked down a jumper to bring the Blue Tigers within four, but Pittsburg State's Cathy Brugman hit back-to-back 3-pointers to cap off a 14-4 run that gave the Gorillas a 26-11 lead with 9:45 to play.

"If something breaks down, we look around at each other like, "What are we going to do now?' instead of just playing basketball," Collier said. "I think that's what we've got away from. I think we're indecisive and nervous."

Pittsburg State, which took a 42-27 advantage into the break, led by as many as 18 points and maintained at least a 12-point lead to close out the first half.

Lincoln was 8-of-20 from the field in the first half and committed 14 turnovers. Pittsburg State was 16-of-32 from the field and was limited to five turnovers in the first 20 minutes.

"I felt like the first half was just chaos," Collier said. "There wasn't anybody taking control. There were five people out there doing their own thing. That's going to create turnovers when you don't know what anybody is doing.

"We were murdered and diced up in the first half, which was disgusting. "

Pittsburg State continued to control the tempo early in the second half, but Price converted on a three-point play to cap off a 9-4 run to bring the Blue Tigers within nine with 12:29 to play.

The Gorillas extended their lead to 15 again, but two 3s by Lizzie Nessling, and treys by Yoakum and Rosado brought the Blue Tigers within four with 4:43 left to play.

Price had back-to-back baskets to make it a 68-64 game with three minutes to play, but that's as close as the Blue Tigers would get.

Lizzy Jeronimus scored 16 points, while Cathy Burgman added 12 and Alex Muff chipped in 10 to lead Pittsburg State, which was 27-of-58 (46.6 percent) from the field and 17-of-23 (73.9 percent) from the free- throw line.

"I think Pitt is a well-coached team," Collier said. "I would say middle of the pack in the MIAA kind of team - definitely a team I felt we could get."

Pittsburg State improves to 9-3 on the season and 2-0 in the MIAA.

Lincoln (3-10, 0-6 MIAA) travels Saturday to Fort Hays State.