Nevada, MO - Stephens College earned a conference road victory Thursday evening, defeating Cottey College 69–58 to improve to 11-13 overall and 10-4 in conference play.

The Stars set the tone early, opening the game on a strong run and building a 24-10 lead at the end of the first quarter behind efficient offense and aggressive defensive pressure. Cottey answered in the second quarter, catching fire offensively and using a big scoring stretch to take a 39-32 lead into halftime.

Stephens regrouped after the break and responded with one of its strongest defensive stretches of the night, holding Cottey to just eight points in the third quarter while retaking the lead. The Stars carried that momentum into the final period, controlling the tempo and executing down the stretch to secure the 11-point win.

LaiJanique Perry-Ellis led all scorers with 27 points while also adding six rebounds, seven assists, and five steals. Quimari Shelton recorded a dominant double-double with 19 points and 15 rebounds, and Sydney Reddin added 11 points. Destinee Hunt contributed nine points and six rebounds to help round out the Stars' effort.

Stephens capitalized on turnovers throughout the game, scoring 25 points off miscues while controlling the boards with 35 total rebounds. The Stars now look to carry the momentum forward as conference play continues.