By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Sophomore Brooke Gomez (1) scored a game and career-high 23 points in Saturday's 64-58 road loss at Central Missouri. [File photo/TSN] The Jennies (17-5 overall, 11-2 MIAA) jumped in front early, leading 11-6. Washburn (15-7, 8-5) battled to tie the game at 14 after a 6-0 run and bucket by Madelyn Amekporfor at the 1:04 mark of the opening quarter. Central Missouri scored the final four points of the quarter to lead 18-14 after one.
A 5-0 run from the home team pushed the lead to double figures with 5:12 to play in the first half. The Jennies offense knocked down four 3-pointers in the second quarter while shooting 50.0 percent overall as the Washburn deficit grew to 37-25 at the half.
Washburn chipped away at the lead in the third quarter, cutting it down to six points at the 5:32 mark after sophomore Brooke Gomez knocked down a 3-pointer, the first and only trey of the game for the Ichabods.
The Jennies' lead was boosted back to double figures at 49-39 after a triple from Central Missouri with 1:09 seconds left in the quarter.
The offense of Washburn got off to a fast start in the fourth quarter, scoring the first six points, with the final four from Gomez to pull within four.
The deficit was cut down to four once more with 6:07 left but the Jennies fired back with five straight points.
Senior Gabi Giovannetti got an old-fashioned 3-point play with 33 seconds left, once again making it a four-point game. But the next two offensive possessions came up empty for the Ichabods, with the Jennies putting the game away at the free throw line.
Washburn narrowly out-shot Central Missouri from the floor, 44.6 percent clip to 44.2. The Ichabods were 1-14 from deep while the home squad went 7-18.
The Jennies led on the boards, 32-30, while Washburn had a 48-28 advantage in paint scoring.
Gomez led all scorers with a career-high 23 points on 11 of 13 shooting.
Reese Schaaf had 18 points to go along with nine rebounds to lead Central Missouri.
