Mom WAS right: Slow and steady DOES win the race!

NEVADA, MO – What a tale of two halves. After shooting a miserable 24.1% from the floor and committing 16 turnovers all in the first half, UHSP connected at 62% and had just five turnovers in the second half as the resurgent Eutectics rallied for a 79-69 triumph at Cottey on Monday night. Aryanna Bull posted a double-double and Analyssa Maldonado led the road warriors in scoring with 18 points as UHSP recovered from a 14-point halftime deficit to end up earning a series sweep of their cross-state AMC rivals.

GAME HIGHLIGHTS:

UHSP 79, COTTEY 69

• It was 10-0 better than halfway through the first quarter before UHSP ever got on the board. Buckets from Sara Hameed and Maldonado were the Eutectics lone field goals in the quarter that saw UHSP trail 15-4 at the end of the first.
• Less than four minutes into the second, Maldonado got UHSP to within ten at 26-16 after they fell behind by 14. A Maldonado triple with 5:34 left in the half brought them to single digits at 28-21. But Cottey went on a quarter-closing 10-3 run to lead 38-24 at the half.
• Less than three minutes into the third, an AuShae Farris three gave the Comets an 18-point cushion at 48-30, their largest lead of the game. UHSP went on an 13-3 run over the next four minutes capped by a Reece Halley jumper to close to 51-43. After a pair of Alina Bowden foul shots the cap the quarter, the Eutectics deficit was 56-48. The Eutectics outscored Cottey 24-18 in the third.
• UHSP took off in the fourth quarter scoring 13 of the first 15 points eventually 59-58 lead with 7:41 remaining on an Aryanna Bull jumper. It was the only lead change in the game. Cottey would tie it at 61-61, but Alise Milenberga's three would cap an 11-2 run to make it 72-63 as the game had swung in the Eutectics' favor. Farris made a pair of foul shots that made it a two-possession game with 1:23 left, but UHSP closed the game by two free throws each from Bull and Hameed each to seal the improbable win.
• For the game, Cottey shot 50% from the field while UHSP shot 43.1%. The Comets made four more threes than the Eutectics did going 9-for-19 compared to 5-of-19.
• The free throw line was a major factor in the game and as it turns out, a complete reversal from what took place Saturday. Against Mission in their last contest, UHSP was just 8-of-11 from the line while the Patriots unloaded 31 foul shots, making 24. Tonight, it was UHSP's turn to dominate at the line. The Comets were just 6-of-9 from the stripe while the Eutectics sank 24 of their 35 shots from the charity stripe.
• Maldonado had her most efficient shooting night of the season going 7-for-11 (63.6%) from the floor. She grabbed two rebounds and had five steals.
• Alise Milenberga had 17 points while Aryanna Bull had 16 points and ten boards.
• AuShae Farris led Cottey with 16 points. She added five rebounds, two assists and two steals. Andrea Aragon went for 15 points and six boards.
• The win keeps UHSP in the three spot in the AMC race, one game behind Williams Baptist and a half-game in front of Stephens.

NEXT UP:

It will be another AMC contest for the Eutectics (11-10, 8-3 AMC) when they host Crowley's Ridge (0-20, 0-11) on Thursday at 5:30p. UHSP knocked off the Pioneers 86-55 back on January 8. After the contest with CRC, UHSP will play the other three teams currently in the top-four in the AMC race in three of their next four games: Williams Baptist, Columbia and Stephens.