Despite sinking 12 shots from behind the arc, the Morehead State women's basketball team suffered a 96-58 defeat against the No. 3-ranked Baylor Lady Bears on Wednesday afternoon in front of a near-sellout crowd of 9,627 at the Ferrell Center.
The Eagles hit on 12-of-30 (.400) shots from long range but the Lady Bears size in the post ultimately proved to be the deciding factor, as Baylor tallied 60 points in the paint. Kalani Brown, a 6-foot-7 forward for the Lady Bears, led all scorers with 21 points on 9-of-11 shooting from inside.
"They have a terrific team," said MSU head coach Greg Todd. "We were up against one of the most talented rosters in the county and I thought our girls came out loose and competed without being intimidated and really executed our game plan for the most part."
Morehead State's scoring was paced by senior guards Miranda Crockett and Crystal Simmons-Cozar who each dropped in 14 points. Crockett, who entered the day with only two three-point attempts and zero makes in her career, finished the day 2-for-3 from deep and made a team-high six baskets. Simmons-Cozar knocked down 3-of-6 shots behind the arc and tallied five assists.
Defensively, the Eagles caused 17 turnovers and finished the game with a plus-three turnover margin.
"I think we can move on from this game with some confidence," said Todd. "We learned some lessons and matured some I thought in front of a big crowd here against a team that will probably be competing for the national title at the end the season."
Morehead State drops to 7-3 overall with the loss.
Baylor remains perfect at 8-0 with the victory.
The Eagles continue play on the road Saturday with a challenge at Radford. The Highlanders will host MSU for 1:00 p.m. tip at Dedmon Center in Radford, Virginia.
