ST. JOSEPH, Mo. - Khadijah Ellison and Hunter Yoakum combined to score 37 points, but the Lincoln women's basketball team fell to Missouri Western, 98-67, on Thursday (Feb. 23).

Ellison led LU with 19 points and three assists, and also grabbed six rebounds to go with a steal. Yoakum, meanwhile, chipped in 18 points, recorded a pair of steals, grabbed three boards and dished an assist.

Missouri Western (5-20, 4-14 MIAA) scored eight of the game's first 10 points before Yoakum hit a jumper to cut the Griffons' lead in half. Tyler Brown-Henderson hit a free throw to pull LU to within 8-5, but the Griffons answered with a 10-2 run to take an 11-point advantage. Brown-Henderson led Lincoln (20-7, 12-6 MIAA) with seven rebounds and scored five points.

Ellison hit a jumper to end the run, and in the process started Lincoln on an 11-0 run. Shamirah Johnson hit a pair of free throws before Yoakum sank a three to tie the game up at 18 at the end of the first quarter. Johnson finished her night with five points, four boards and a pair of steals.

Tempary Gunter tied the contest up at 25 in the second quarter with a layup at the 7:57 mark, but Missouri Western scored 22-straight points to take control of the game. MWSU took a 49-33 lead into halftime, and maintained a double digit lead the rest of the evening.

Gunter scored nine points and grabbed six rebounds while blocking a shot. Jordan Matthews was next on the scoring chart with eight points, two boards and a steal while Azaria Nave chipped in two points and Kailey Foster finished with one. Nave additionally tallied two rebounds and an assist. Foster, meanwhile, grabbed two boards and dished a pair of assists while registering a block and a steal.

Lincoln will head to Maryville, Mo. on Saturday (Feb. 25) to play Northwest Missouri at 1:30 p.m. CST.