Warrensburg, Mo. (Mar. 15, 2000) -- The Central Missouri State University basketball Jennies saw their season come to an end on Mar. 10 with an 85-75 loss to Missouri Western State College in the first round of the NCAA Division II South Central Regional in Emporia, Kan. They finished with a 22-7 record, marking the third time in five years and the 14th in the last 19 overall that they reached the 20-win plateau.

Seeded fifth among the six-team regional field, the 20th-ranked Jennies owned a 17-16 lead at the 12:01 mark of the first half, but were outscored 22-8 over about the next five minutes by fifth-seeded Missouri Western and went into the locker room at halftime trailing 45-32. They were behind by as many as 16 points early in the second period, but trimmed their deficit to just three, 69-66, with 7:06 to play, only to have the Lady Griffons respond with a 16-4 run to extend their lead to 85-70 with 1:15 remaining. CMSU scored the game's final five points, but it was not enough. Missouri Western lost 78-66 in the semifinals on Saturday to top-seeded and host Emporia State University, which went on to claim its third straight regional title with a 96-59 win over sixth-seeded Southwest Baptist University in the championship game on Sunday.

The Jennies had four players score in double-figures. They were led by guard Lori Nichols (So., Nevada, Mo., NHS), who tallied 17 points, while guards Molly Knobbe (So., Cimarron, Kan., CHS) and Marlies Ozias (Jr., Centerview, Mo., Crest Ridge H.S.) had 14 each and forward Blanche Tucker [Jr., Fort Worth, Texas, Brewer H.S./Odessa (Texas) College]. Knobbe also had seven rebounds, four assists and three steals.

The Jennies had a league-leading seven players named to the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association Commissioner's Academic Honor Roll. In addition to Knobbe, Nichols and Ozias, CMSU was represented by center Nicole Cassmeyer (So., Jefferson City, Mo., Blair Oaks H.S.), forward Ashley Lawrence (So., Farmington, Ark., FHS), forward Kelly Sutton (Jr., St. Louis, Mo., Parkway South H.S./Univ. of Evansville) and center Katie Vaske (So., Bancroft, Iowa, Algona Bishop Garrigan H.S.).

CMSU head coach Scott Ballard also announced this week that 11 members of his squad would earn varsity letters for the 1999-2000 season. In addition to Cassmeyer, Knobbe, Lawrence, Nichols, Ozias, Sutton, Tucker and Vaske, the list includes forward Stacy Butterworth (Fr., Monett, Mo., MHS), forward-center Callie Newton (Fr., Republic, Mo., RHS) and guard Carlonda Pettiford (Fr., Indianapolis, Ind., Lawrence Central H.S.). Ozias earned her third letter, while Cassmeyer, Knobbe, Lawrence, Nichols, Sutton and Vaske won their second awards. Butterworth, Newton, Pettiford and Tucker are first-time letter-winners.