Fayette, Mo. – The Central Methodist women's basketball team delivered a dominant performance Wednesday evening inside Puckett Field House, defeating William Woods 62-49.

With the win, Central improves to 9-7 overall and 4-4 in Heart of America Athletic Conference play, while the Owls fall to 2-12 overall and 2-7 in league action.

The Eagles set the tone early, exploding for a 25-10 advantage in the opening quarter while forcing seven William Woods turnovers. Although the second quarter was more evenly contested, Central maintained control heading into halftime with a 34-17 lead.

William Woods came out of the locker room with renewed energy, outscoring CMU 18-9 in the third quarter and trimming the deficit to single digits. The Owls were unable to take the lead, however, as the Eagles responded in the final frame. Central forced five turnovers in the fourth quarter and closed the game on a 19-14 scoring run to secure the victory.

Senior transfer Kaitlyn Patke led all scorers with 19 points while adding six rebounds and three steals. Fellow transfer Maizen Williams followed with 14 points, six rebounds, and three steals. Freshman Tayla Robinson turned in an all-around performance, posting 10 points, six rebounds, six steals, and four assists.

Central built its largest lead of the night at 21 points in the third quarter and finished the contest forcing 26 turnovers while outrebounding the Owls 40-29. The Eagles also held the advantage at the free-throw line, shooting 76.9 percent compared to William Woods' 50 percent.

CMU returns to action Saturday in Lamoni, Iowa to face the Graceland Yellowjackets. Tip-off is scheduled for 2:00 p.m.

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