North Central Missouri College secured a thrilling 86-85 victory over Jefferson College in a tightly contested matchup, thanks to a dominant performance from Gladys Brown. Brown was nearly unstoppable, pouring in a game-high 24 points on an efficient 7-of-12 shooting from the field while converting 10-of-11 free throws. She also controlled the boards, pulling down nine rebounds, including three on the offensive glass, while adding two steals to her stat line.
Jessica Reeter provided a strong scoring punch, finishing with 19 points, including two three-pointers, and knocking down seven of her eight free throw attempts. She contributed across the board with five rebounds, four assists, and two steals, keeping the offense moving. Oliviya Tinoco struggled with her shot, hitting just one of seven attempts, but still made an impact on the glass with five rebounds while dishing out two assists.
Abbi Fountain and Jacie Morris each added valuable minutes as starters, with Fountain scoring seven points on an efficient 3-for-5 shooting, while Morris added two points and three rebounds. Off the bench, Kayanna Cranmer provided a major spark, scoring 12 points on 5-of-9 shooting while showing great energy on defense. Honor Mannings chipped in seven points, showcasing her playmaking ability with five assists and four rebounds despite dealing with foul trouble.
The rebounding battle was controlled by Tailer Morrison, who was a force in the paint with a double-double of 10 points and a game-high 14 rebounds, including five on the offensive end. Her presence helped North Central Missouri maintain control of the interior and secure key second-chance opportunities.
Despite a strong effort from Jefferson College's Lauren Bennett, who led her team with 23 points and 12 rebounds, and Kanise Mills' 21-point performance, North Central Missouri's balanced attack and resilience proved to be the difference. Jefferson had a chance to steal the win late, but North Central's defense held firm in the final moments.
With contributions across the board, North Central Missouri's depth and efficiency at the free-throw line (25-of-35) ultimately sealed the hard-fought victory, keeping them ahead in the final minutes of a nail-biting contest.