COLUMBUS, Miss. - Mississippi University for Women women's basketball kept its hopes for a St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SLIAC) playoff berth alive, thanks to its 69-58 come-from-behind win at home over Spalding University. The Owls improved to 7-12 (6-9 SLIAC), while Spalding fell to 9-13 (7-8 SLIAC).
 
The Owls currently hold a one-game lead – with three left to play – for the sixth and final SLIAC post-season slot. MUW will have a gauntlet its final three contests in an effort to hold that No. 6 position, facing Greenville University, the SLIAC's No. 3 team, on Saturday (Feb. 10/1 p.m.) at Pohl Gym, before finishing up the regular season on the road next weekend versus current league-leader (and unbeaten) Webster University and SLIAC No. 2 Westminster College.
 
But on Thursday evening, The W did exactly what it needed to do by ambushing the team directly ahead of it in the SLIAC standings. And, in doing so, the Owls turned in one of its best performances of the season against the Golden Eagles.
 
That fact was not lost on MUW Head Coach Drew Johnson.
 
"I was really proud of our team in tonight's comeback win," Johnson said. "We showed a lot of guts and grit being able to fight back from being down double digits and take control down the stretch against a solid Spalding team. Conley (Langford), Claire (Leak), Darby (Pitts), and Leileigh (Moody) each had big time performances, and did a great job on both ends to help us secure tonight's victory.
 
"However, what I was most proud of is the fact that when things started looking grim, we came together and stood strong. We found each other, and we believed in each other, and I believe that was ultimately the reason why we were able to come back and win this game."
 
The W led after one quarter, 17-11, but saw that shrink to a single point by halftime, 29-28. The Third quarter belonged to Spalding, leading by 14 with 1:27 left in the period. However, Pitts' three-point play the old fashioned, way ignited a 10-0 Owls' run that stretched into the first minute of the fourth period, cutting the deficit to four with 8:32 left. The W would swamp the Golden Eagles by a 24-6 margin in the final quarter to secure the win.
 
Langford led all scorers and rebounders, as she rolled up her seventh double-double game of the season with 21 points and 12 rebounds. She was 6-of-12 from the field, 2-for-4 from beyond the arc, and was a perfect 7-of-7 from the free throw line.
 
Leak went 5-for-11 shooting overall, burying all five of her makes from three-point range (in six tries). Leak also grabbed seven boards.
 
Pitts' 15 points and 12 from fellow freshman Leileigh Moody rounded out the quartet of the Owls' double-figure scorers.
 
In all, The W drained 10 treys in 23 attempts as a team.