COLUMBUS, Miss. – Mia Bowen scored a career-high 32 points to pace The W's upset of St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SLIAC) co-leader Lyon College, 68-65, at Pohl Gym. The win was the Owls' (2-10, 1-3 SLIAC) first-ever victory in program history over the Scots (5-7, 3-1 SLIAC) in the six meetings since 2023.
 
And Bowen, a senior transfer to MUW from NCAA Division I Arkansas-Little Rock, had what was, arguably, her best effort as an Owl. Bowen hit 11-of-25 from the field and was 10-of-12 from the free throw line. She matched her MUW career best by hauling in 15 rebounds, as well, for her fifth double-double of the season and 12th-consecutive double-digit scoring game (and giving her three straight games with 20-plus points).
 
The game showcased two of the nation's premiere shot blockers as Bowen, who ranks third in NCAA III for blocks, added two rejections to her season total versus the Scots, giving her 42. Lyon College's Savanna Lopez, who is No. 1 in blocks, picked up three swats against the Owls (to go along with six points and 11 boards).
 
Calysia Philips also had her best outing of 2025-26, appearing in just her fifth game after coming back from a season ending knee injury in 2024-25. Phillips tallied 14 points, dished off a game-leading seven assists, and had four rebounds on her ledger.
 
"This was the biggest win of our season," MUW Head Coach Eric Vaughn said. "We finally won a game where we overcame adversity. Phillips is a closer and she loves the big moment. Bowen looked like the best player in the conference today. She had the best game of her career."
 
Those efforts resulted in MUW flipping the script on a Scots squad that, back on November 25, defeated the Owls by an 85-71 score. But this time around, MUW stayed right with Lyon, with neither team leading by more than six points at any time. There were seven ties and 15 lead changes.
 
But none of the lead changes was as sweet as No. 15.
 
The Scots scored a put-back basket to take a 65-63 lead with 19 seconds left to play. The W followed that with a timeout to set up a play.
 
Phillips yo-yoed the ball and, with six seconds left, drilled a three-point basket from the right side of the arc to give MUW the 66-65 advantage. The Scots tried a long inbound pass that was knocked away by Conley Langford and gathered by Bowen, who was fouled and converted both free throws, for the 68-65 final score.
 
Langford finished the day with six points, six rebounds, and five steals. Jakayla Smith and Fantasia Wilson each booked seven points. Smith had a team-leading six steals and grabbed five caroms, while Wilson pulled down 10 rebounds to go along with for thefts.
 
The W will next be in action on Thursday, January 8 (5:30 p.m.) at Eureka College (Illinois) for another SLIAC bout.