The No. 14 William Woods University Lady Owls watched their eight-game winning streak come to a stunning stop in a 71-55 AMC loss to No. 23 Columbia College on Saturday at Anderson Arena.
Junior guard Sharron Andrews - who was 6-of-10 from the field and 3-of-4 from 3-point range - scored 18 points to pace William Woods (20-2, 7-1 American Midwest Conference). Senior forward Rachel Baker also provided 14 points and grabbed a team-high 10 rebounds.
Janita Session, who made three 3-pointers, answered with a game-high 20 points for Columbia, which improved to 17-5 on the season and took over sole possession of first place in the AMC at 8-0.
Heather English and Denise Rosario added 14 points apiece for the Lady Cougars, who extended their own winning streak to eight games.
Paris..................................................66
New Bloomfield basketball (VG)......49
STURGEON - The Lady Wildcats could not find the defensive solution to suppress the Lady Coyotes' blazing 3-point shooting Friday night in the third-place game of the Sturgeon Tournament.
Half of Paris' output was the product of an 11-of-30 outing from 3-point range, with six different players connecting from behind the arc. The Lady Coyotes finished with more 3-pointers than two-point baskets (nine).
"We knew they had a couple of players who could shoot (from 3-point range), and we were ready for that, but they had a great night shooting," New Bloomfield head coach Brett Craighead said. "We kept fighting to make a game out of it, but we couldn't overcome their hot shooting."
Craighead tried an assortment of defenses in an attempt to cool off Paris, but none were very effective. The Lady Wildcats started the game in a zone, then went to a box-and-1 followed by a triangle-and-2, before resorting to straight up man-to-man.
"I really don't know what more we could have done," Craighead said.
The No. 6 seed Lady Coyotes took a narrow 14-12 lead into the second quarter, but then outscored No. 4 New Bloomfield 21-8 to open up a 35-20 advantage at the break. Paris was in front 56-39 to begin the fourth quarter.
"We'd make a nice run to cut the lead, but then they would come down and hit a three," Craighead said.
Senior guard Elizabeth Clark scored 14 points to pace the Lady Wildcats (7-11). Junior forward Chelsea Wiler supplied 10 points, 10 rebounds and five blocked shots.
"We were a lot better (offensively)," Craighead said. "We took the ball inside more and got some better shots in there, and we moved the ball well."
Payton Gruber topped the Lady Coyotes with a game-high 17 points and hit three 3-pointers. Kayla Jones followed with 15 points - including one 3 - and Shelby Dickey contributed 10 points and made a pair from behind the arc.
New Bloomfield travels to Salisbury for a non-conference matchup at 5:30 p.m. Thursday.
South Callaway basketball (VB)........41
Paris..................................................39
STURGEON - The Bulldogs rallied by outscoring the Coyotes 11-5 in the fourth quarter late Thursday night in the consolation semifinals of the Sturgeon Tournament.
South Callaway trailed 21-18 at halftime and 34-30 to start the fourth quarter, but the Bulldogs ratcheted up their defensive intensity and Paris began to show fatigue in the last 8 minutes.
"We had the nine p.m. game and I wasn't sure how our kids would respond," South Callaway head coach Tony Brandt said. "We had a tremendous defensive effort and the turning point of the game ... was the fourth quarter.
"I really believe that our kids are in great shape and it seems like we always have gas in the tank in the fourth. We really apply solid pressure throughout and I believe it wears on teams, physically and mentally."
Senior guard Will Brandt registered a game-high 17 points to guide the Bulldogs (8-8), winners of four of their last five. Senior guard Bryan Lechner added nine points.
Cole Lockhart led the Coyotes with 14 points and Kable Ragsdale finished with 11.
South Callaway squared off against Callaway County rival New Bloomfield - the No. 5 seed - for fifth place late Saturday afternoon. Results were not available at press time.
The Bulldogs bowed in their two previous meetings - both close outcomes - with the Wildcats this season. South Callaway lost at New Bloomfield 61-60 on a last-second shot Dec. 10, then fell to the Wildcats 42-39 in the first round of the South Callaway Tournament on Jan. 13.
The Bulldogs host Missouri Military Academy at 6 p.m. Monday.
Russellville........................................60
North Callaway basketball (VG).......44
RUSSELLVILLE - Amber Duncan delivered 23 of her game-high 28 points in the first half Thursday night as the Lady Indians took down the Ladybirds in non-conference play.
Duncan was one of three players to score in double figures for Russellville, which owned a 37-24 halftime lead and stretched it to 55-36 entering the fourth quarter.
Senior guard Jordan Gray finished with 10 points to lead North Callaway (5-9). Senior guard Kelsey West tallied nine points and collected a team-high eight rebounds.
Kennedy Volkart chipped in with 12 points for the Lady Indians and Hannah Campbell had 10.
The Ladybirds (3-7) dropped the junior varsity game 55-27. Tara Oberlag ended up with a team-high 10 points.
No. 8 seed North Callaway faces No. 1 Harrisburg - ranked No. 4 in Class 2 - at 6 p.m. Monday in the first round of the Southern Boone Classic at Ashland. The game will be played at the high school.
WWU basketball (M)......85
Missouri Baptist..............74
ST. LOUIS - Freshman guard Jonathon Nutt was next to perfect with a game-high 26 points in the Owls' 11-point American Midwest Conference victory over the Spartans on Thursday night.
Nutt - one of four William Woods University players in double figures - nailed 10-of-11 shots from the field, including 4-of-5 from 3-point range, and hit both free throws he attempted.
The Owls (9-12, 3-3 AMC) shot a sizzling 64 percent (16-of-25) in the first half and carried a 53-41 lead into halftime. William Woods shot 58 percent (28-of-48) for the game, including 60 percent (9-of-15) from behind the arc, and committed 15 turnovers.
Junior forward Andrew Miller also tallied 12 points - including three 3-pointers - for the Owls, followed by senior guard Dan Anderson with 11. Senior forward Vern Watkins contributed 10 points.
Anderson and freshman guard Dontre' Jenkins grabbed seven rebounds apiece to guide William Woods to a 37-28 advantage on the boards.
Denzell Gatewood, who was 10-of-15 from the field and connected on 3-of-3 3-pointers, provided 23 points to direct Missouri Baptist University (7-13, 1-5). Rondu Stevens was next with 17 points and Le Andre' Johnson had 13.
The Spartans shot 50 percent (31-of-62) as a team and recorded 14 turnovers.
The Owls - winners of three of their last four - returned home Saturday for an AMC encounter against rival Columbia College, ranked No. 25, at Anderson Arena. Results were not available at press time.
Owls baseball team signs
Southern Boone recruit
William Woods University head baseball coach Darren Munns has announced the signing of Southern Boone senior Dyllon Harper to a letter of intent for the 2012 season.
Harper - a 5-foot-9 pitcher - has earned three letters in baseball at Southern Boone. He also received four letters with the Eagles football team and was an all-district and all-conference selection at both linebacker and running back.
"I'm pleased to have Dyllon Harper sign with us," Munns said. "We have had several Southern Boone players in our program the past five seasons, and they all have been tremendous representatives for William Woods baseball.
"Dyllon has a chance to be a very good college pitcher because of his competitive nature and ability to fill the strike zone as a left-hander. I look forward to continuing his development at William Woods."
WWU's Held, Stockton
earn AMC track laurels
William Woods University's Cheryl Held and Anthony Stockton recently were named the respective American Midwest Conference women's and men's indoor track and field athletes of the week.
Held - a junior from Wildwood - won the 3,000 meters in 10 minutes, 38.26 seconds at the season-opening Illinois College Snow Bird Open on Jan. 22 at Jacksonville, Ill.
Stockton, a sophomore from Franklin, Ky., prevailed in the weight throw at the Snow Bird Open with a heave of 56 feet, 6 inches, breaking his own school record by more than a foot. He also qualified for the NAIA indoor track and field national championships March 3-5 in Geneva, Ohio.
Stockton came in second in the shot put at the Snow Bird Open with a toss of 46-3 1/4.
The William Woods men's and women's teams competed at the University of Central Missouri Mule Relays starting Friday in Warrensburg. The meet continued Saturday. Results were not available at press time.