Home at last! The last time saw Stephens College Stars play in Silverthorne was in an intense overtime battle against league leader, Missouri Baptist (8-1). The arena has been patiently waiting for students to return, creating that winning atmosphere we all know and love.
Coming off a tremendous victory against the University of Health Science and Pharmacy of St. Louis put the Stars back in a winning mindset. Central Baptist College made the six-hour journey to Columbia, in hopes of keeping their overall record above .500, despite their conference record being 2-6. Stephens Stars, 10-4 overall and 5-3 within the AMC, are looking to gain momentum for the second half of their season.
The Stars were locked in from the get-go, with Marveen Ross starting the onslaught of scoring and the backcourt defensive pressure from Alayasia Douglas, Zaraya March, and Brooke Peters was too much for CBC to handle. The Stars length and athleticism on defense, with the slashing back door cuts on the offensive end, forced the Lady Mustangs coach to call a timeout within the first minute of the game. The Stars were able to create a cushioned lead, up 21-3 by the end of the first quarter.
To give credit where credit is due, Central Baptist College did not go down without a fight. The Stars had to keep focus in the second quarter because the Lady Mustangs looked much more alert on offense scoring the first two buckets of the quarter. However, Stephens College and Allison Moore consistently driving left, created problems and gaps within CBC's defense. At the end of the first half, Moore was sitting pretty with 13 points and the Stars up 35-13.
Going into the second half, Coach Bell kept up the defensive pressure forcing 19 turnovers, turning into 24 points easy points. Bell was able to go deep into his bench and we saw the likes of Grace Haase hitting a deep three-pointer and Celeste Athon with a fake pass to an easy left-handed layup, that had the CBC defense fooled and the entire Stars bench on their feet.
Stephens College Stars are back to their winnings way, beating CBC 59-36, moving to 11-4 overall and 6-3 in the AMC. The Stars take on Williams Baptist College this Saturday at 1:00 PM in Arkansas.
Allison Moore - 16-2-1
Zaraya March - 13-5-4
