WARRENSBURG, Mo. (Jan. 6, 2017) - It wasn't always pretty, but the No. 11 Central Missouri Jennies picked up their eighth straight win with a 81-46 victory over Nebraska-Kearney. The Jens move to 11-1 on the season and are 5-0 in the MIAA.

How it Happened
• The Jennies never trailed for the duration of the game. They built an early 11-2 lead, getting four points from Paige Redmond and three from Sydney Crockett.
• It was a tough first 20 minutes for both teams, as they had to grind their way to a 29-17 UCM lead after the first half.
• The Jennies finished the game shooting 48.5% and were 9-20 from three. They didn't get to the line much, but finished 8-9. 
• The Jennies were superior under the basket, winning the rebounding edge 44-39, and outscored the Lopers 32-24 in the paint.
• UNK committed 14 turnovers to the Jennies 10. Central Missouri turned those 14 turnovers into 15 points.
• Central Missouri's defense was on display, holding the Lopers to just 26.2% from the floor and 25% from three. UCM held the Lopers to under 10 points for the first two periods.
• Despite the early lead, the Jennies offense struggled toward the end of the first quarter. UNK hit a few layups, and trailed by just five after 10 minutes, 13-8. 
• It was another sloppy second period, but the Jennies put some distance on the Lopers late with baskets from Megan Skaggs, Kelsey Williams and Peyton Taylor.
• It wasn't until the second half that the Jens kicked it into high gear. They took some pressure off the defense scoring 28 points in the third and 24 more in the fourth.
• Jolene Shipps hit back-to-back baskets and the Jennies took their first 20-point lead of the game, 46-26. 
• Central Missouri closed the third on an 11-2 run, and led 57-30. It was all UCM the rest of the way, going on to win 81-46.

It was Over When...
• The Jennies led by double-digits, 29-17 at the half, but the game still had a close feel to it. Morgan Fleming started the second half scoring binge with a three-pointer and that was the start to UCM scoring 52 second-half points.

Jennies Stat Leaders
• Kelsey Williams was a rebound shy of a double-double. She scored 11 and pulled down a career-high nine rebounds. She also handed out five assists.
• Paige Redmond led the team scoring 19 points. She was 7-15 from the field and 3-5 from three. She secured four rebounds as well and had four assists. 
• Kayonna Lee was a force on defense grabbing a game-best 13 rebounds. She also blocked two shots and scored six points.
• Peyton Taylor came off the bench to score 10 points in 11 minutes. She buried a pair of three and was 3-5 from the floor.
• Jolene Shipps and Megan Skaggs each scored eight points. It's the second straight game Shipps has scored eight points.

For the Lopers
• Michaela Barry scored a team-high 13 points and had five rebounds. She scored four of her 13 at the free throw line.
• McKenzie Brown was the only other Loper in double-figures. She was 4-19 for 11 points.
• Kennedy Sander grabbed six assists. Barry also had five.
• Kelsey Sanger scored four points and had two assists, a block and a steal. 

News and Notes
• Paige Redmond has entered the UCM all-time top-10 list for made three pointers, and is at 98 for her career.
• Central Missouri is now 6-1 all-time against Nebraska-Kearney.
• UCM is 5-0 in the MIAA for the first time since 2013-14.
• The Jennies defense has held opponents to fewer than 10 points in a quarter in nine of 12 games this season. 
• Kelsey Williams' nine rebounds are a new career high. 
• After this weekend, Central Missouri now has the best defense in the MIAA, holding opponents to 53.5 points per game. 

Up Next
• The Jennies will hit the road for a pair of MIAA games next week. They'll take on Northwest Missouri and Missouri Western for the second time this season, January 11th and 13th. The Jennies defeated both teams in early December.