AVALON, Miss. (Interstat) — In a game defined by offensive struggles and a dramatic final minute, the Mississippi Valley State Devilettes secured their first victory of the season, edging the Lipscomb Bisons 72-68 in a non-conference women’s basketball game Sunday at a sparsely attended LeFlore County Civic Center.

The contest, played before an announced crowd of 181, saw both teams battle through poor shooting and a high number of turnovers. The outcome was decided in the final 19 seconds from the free-throw line.

With the game tied at 70 and 19 seconds remaining, Lipscomb’s Taylor Bowen committed a foul on Mississippi Valley State’ Jaeda Murphy, sending her to the line. Murphy missed her first attempt but calmly sank the second to put the Devilettes ahead by one.

On the ensuing possession, Lipscomb’s Molly Heard missed a three-pointer, and the Bisons were forced to foul Ariel Jefferson with one second left. Jefferson missed her first free throw but made the second, extending the lead to two points. Lipscomb’s desperation heave at the buzzer was off the mark, and a final foul sent Jefferson back to the line, where she sealed the game with two more makes.

The contest was a tale of contrasting strengths. Lipscomb’s offense was anemic from the field, managing to convert only 16 of 50 attempts. However, the Bisons kept themselves in the game through prolific free-throw shooting, making 27 of 31 from the line. Conversely, Mississippi Valley State found more success from the floor, shooting 28 of 67, but were hampered at the charity stripe, making just 12 of 20.

Mississippi Valley State was carried by a dominant double-double from Ariel Jefferson. The Clarendon, Arkansas, native poured in 20 points and hauled in 12 rebounds, many on the offensive end, to power the Devilettes. Janiya Jones of Olive Branch, Mississippi, provided crucial support with 15 points.

For Lipscomb, the scoring load was shouldered by Elena Bertrand of Bristow, Virginia, who netted a game-high 21 points. Hannah Richardson from Auckland, New Zealand, added 13 points, while McKayla Miller of Cimarron, Kansas, contributed 10 points, seven rebounds and four assists. Taylor Bowen from Carmel, Indiana, was a force on the glass, pulling down 12 rebounds.

The game was a back-and-forth affair throughout. Lipscomb held a 17-13 lead after the first quarter, but Mississippi Valley State used a 22-point third quarter to seize control, taking a 52-46 lead into the final period. The Bisons mounted a fierce comeback in the fourth, outscoring the Devilettes 22-20, but ultimately fell short in the closing seconds due to critical turnovers and missed opportunities.

Both teams struggled to maintain possession, with Lipscomb committing 18 turnovers and Mississippi Valley State giving the ball away 15 times. The Devilettes won the battle on the offensive glass, grabbing 16 rebounds to Lipscomb’s 10, which led to 18 second-chance points.

With the loss, Lipscomb falls to 2-3 on the young season. The Bisons will look to rebound on the road against Belmont on Wednesday. Mississippi Valley State, meanwhile, improves to 1-3 and will travel to face Nicholls State, also on Wednesday.