By JACOB WOERTHER
Sports Reporter

(WARRENSBURG, Mo., digitalBURG) — The Jennies trailed by just three points with less than five minutes to play in Friday’s game against the Concordia-St. Paul Golden Bears. The Golden Bears defense, however, hung on in the final moments and spoiled the Jennies season opener with a 74-65 victory.

PHOTO BY ALEX PHILIPPS/PHOTOGRAPHER
Kayonna Lee jumps over three Minot State defenders during the Jens first win of the season Saturday, Nov. 12, at the Multipurpose Building. Lee ended the game with 10 points and two assists.

The Jennies offense left much to be desired, shooting a mere 26 percent (17-of-64) from the field and making just 4 of their 17 attempted 3-pointers.

The Golden Bears outperformed the Jennies, making 51 percent of their field goals and going 8-for-17 on threes. Mishayla Jones led the Golden Bears with 20 points and Anna Scmitt put up 11.

Concordia-St. Paul shot 15-for-27 in the first half and led the Jennies 40-34 at the half. The Golden Bears extended their lead to nine points with 2:21 left in the third. A late rally by the Jennies brought them within three with just 4:57 left to play. The Jennies, however, were unable to put any additional points on the board for the remaining five minutes of the game.

While UCM’s shooting may not have been ideal, they out-rebounded the Golden Bears 40-33. This effort was lead by junior forward Kayonna Lee, who dominated the boards with a team-high 16 rebounds.

Lee’s presence is especially appreciated on a team that lacks size. Of the 12 Jennies that set foot on the court, none of them measured over 6 foot.

Head coach Dave Slifer said he plans to develop the few big forwards on his roster. He said he not only expects Lee to be a big contributor when it comes to rebounding, but he would also like to see her averaging 10 points per game in the near future.

Friday’s game was Jennie fans’ first opportunity to see the team’s freshmen in the starting lineup.

Freshman Morgan Fleming was among one of the two freshmen that started in their first regular season game for the Jens. Fleming was a driving force on the Central offense and tied senior Ashley Duffy for a team-high 12 points. She shot 5 for 10 with two rebounds, one assist and three steals.

Freshman Megan Skaggs also joined the starting lineup for the first time. Skaggs finished the day with five points and five rebounds.

Despite the loss, Slifer says he saw potential in his newest additions.

“I think today went great for Morgan Fleming and Megan Skaggs,” Slifer said. “(They are) two kids that have a lot of different abilities and are learning the college game… As the season wears on they’re going to get better and better and so will we.”