Facing a deficit that was as large as 15 points in the second half, the Shawnee State women's basketball program put together an outstanding rally as the Bears overcame a 55-40 deficit with 2:43 to play in the third quarter to take a 70-69 lead over the Midway Eagles' women's basketball program with 55 seconds left to go in a River States Conference matchup on a Chianne Gloster bucket in the paint.

However, Serenti Webb's mid-range jumper off of an inbounds pass with 33 seconds remaining ultimately proved to be the go-ahead bucket -- and following a defensive stop on Shawnee State's last offensive possession, Midway was able to ice the contest on free throws as the Bears fell by a 74-70 margin to the Eagles Saturday afternoon at Marshall Gymnasium in Midway, Ky.

Utilizing a gritty effort on both ends to get back into the fight, Shawnee State hounded Midway on and off of the ball by forcing 28 Eagles turnovers in the contest and notching a scant 41-40 rebounding advantage. SSU also posted a strong 40-18 advantage in points scored in the paint.

However, Shawnee State's shooting efficiency proved to be too much to overcome -- as the Bears shot just 36.8 percent from the field (25-for-68) in Saturday's contest, while the Eagles made the same amount of shots (25) on 14 less attempts from the floor en route to a 46.3 percent shooting mark from the field and a 12-of-21 (57.1 percent) mark from three-point range.

Holland stays on the attack

While Shawnee State had its struggles from a scoring standpoint, sophomore do-it-all talent Markayla Holland never relented in her attacking style of play -- as per the norm.

Holland, in fact, was a key cog in SSU's strong start to Saturday's contest -- as Shawnee State jumped out to leads of 7-0 and 11-4 in the opening quarter behind Holland's four points and three steals to start the affair.

Holland, who ultimately posted eight points, five rebounds and five steals at the halftime break, then scored 10 additional tallies in the third quarter of action to not only help Shawnee State stay within striking distance but pull the Bears within a 57-46 margin to begin the fourth and final frame after the Bears trailed by a 55-40 deficit with just under three minutes left to play in the third quarter.

Holland ultimately finished with 23 points, seven rebounds, six steals and two blocks for the contest -- all while running the lead guard position for much of the contest for SSU.

Cianna Gloster keeps producing

Essentially a walking double-double at this point, Shawnee State senior forward Cianna Gloster posted her eighth double-double of the season and her 10th double-figure scoring output of the year with an incredible 16-point, 12-rebound, nine-steal showing Saturday.

Gloster, who matched Holland in playing a team-high 36 minutes Saturday, notched a terrific second half by posting 10 points, seven rebounds, six steals and three blocks while shooting 6-for-7 from the field over the final two quarters of action. Gloster ultimately went 8-for-14 from the field in the scant setback.

Gritty production evident across remainder of roster

Even in Saturday's setback, the production showcased by various talents on the Shawnee State side was evident.

Amiya Latham, who went 3-for-6 from downtown against Indiana-Southeast in Shawnee State's 65-53 victory Thursday evening, went 3-for-5 from deep against Midway (Ky.) to keep the Eagles honest defensively throughout the contest.

In addition to Latham, seniors Sanaya Gregory, Teyarra Johnson and Chianne Gloster were all tremendous in the final quarter of play -- as Gregory's speed and savvy, a three-point play by Johnson to begin the fourth quarter, and a tough finish by Chianne Gloster that gave Shawnee State its 70-69 lead with 55 seconds to go in the game -- were all highlights in a fourth frame that saw SSU outscore Midway (Ky.) 24-17 in the final quarter of play.

Chianne Gloster notched five points and three rebounds in the final frame of play, while Gregory finished just behind Latham with eight points and four steals for the contest.

Additional

Shawnee State (9-6, 2-3 River States Conference) will turn its attention to a Thursday, Jan. 11 matchup against Brescia (Ky.) in Owensboro, Ky. That contest will start at 7 p.m. ET/6 p.m. CT.

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