PORTSMOUTH, Ohio – The No. 4-ranked Lindsey Wilson women's basketball team made 9-of-10 free throws in the final 44 seconds to outlast No. 6 Shawnee State (Ohio) in a wild contest that lived up to hype in the NAIA Network Game of the Week on Saturday afternoon at Frank & Janis Waller Gymnasium.

With the victory, the Blue Raiders (19-0, 7-0 Mid-South Conference) take sole possession of the top spot in the MSC standings after handing the Bears (20-2, 6-1 MSC) their first conference loss. The win also extends Lindsey Wilson's program-record win streak to 19 straight, while ending Shawnee State's six-game win streak.

Kayla Styles poured in a career-high 27 points to go along with a team-high 10 rebounds en route to her ninth double-double of the season. Chanel Roberts added 19 points while Kayla Richardson chipped in 14, including a perfect 6-for-6 performance from the free throw stripe, all coming in the final minute of play.

The Lindsey Wilson defense held strong on the day limiting the potent Shawnee State offense that averages 90.9 points per game to just 78. The Bears typically average seven made three pointers per game, but made only five in the contest including just one in the second half. Shawnee State came into the contest averaging 49.1 percent from the field, the second-best in the NAIA, but were held to just 35.7 percent in the loss.

It marks just the second time in the series the Blue Raiders have defeated the Bears in Portsmouth, Ohio.

It was a wild back-and-forth, up-and-down affair for the opening 20 minutes of play. The Blue Raiders trailed early before a field goal by Malerie Martin put the Blue Raiders ahead 10-8. Lindsey Wilson extended the lead to 17-11, the largest lead of the first half, only for the Bears to roll off eight straight to move ahead 19-17. The Blue Raiders answered with a five-point run of their own to take the lead back 22-19 as LWC led 24-21 after the first 10 minutes.

The second quarter remained as tight as the first as neither team led by two points until the 2:57 mark when Styles scored a layup and Richardson drained a three pointer to make it 39-34 in favor of the Blue Raiders.

A pair of Styles free throws with 1:58 to go would be the last points of the half as the two teams combined to go 0-for-6 with three turnovers to close the half. Lindsey Wilson had four possessions to push to lead beyond four, but came up empty as the Blue Raiders took a 41-37 lead into halftime.

Lindsey Wilson shot 47.2 percent in the opening half and made a trio of three pointers. Shawnee State shot 39.5 percent from the field and made four three pointers in the opening half.

Styles scored 13 in the opening half, Roberts had 10 and Martin had seven off the bench.

Lindsey Wilson came out strong in the second half, using a 16-6 run to take a 57-43 lead, the largest of the game, with 5:03 to play in the third.

During that run, Jynea Harris drove to the basket for a three-point play to push the lead to nine, Roberts sunk a baseline fade away jumper to extend the lead to double digits, and Richardson knocked down a three pointer to make it a 14-point lead.

Shawnee State slowly but surely cut into the LWC lead and got it down to single digits at 63-55 heading to the fourth quarter.

The Bears continued to claw closer and closer, using an 11-2 run to cut the lead down to a single point at 67-66 with 5:19 to play.

Shawnee State finally retook the lead for the first time in the second half after Jonessa Moore made a pair of free throws to put the Bears ahead 72-71 with 2:31 to play. Lindsey Wilson promptly answered with seven-straight points to take a 78-72 lead with 44 seconds to go.

The Bears cut it down to two points at 80-78, but a pair of Richardson free throws followed by a stellar defensive effort around the three-point line by the Blue Raiders in the final 18 seconds kept Shawnee State off the board. Teanna Curry then sunk a pair of free throws for the final points of the game as Lindsey Wilson remained unbeaten on the season.

Lindsey Wilson finished 22-for-28 from the charity stripe, while Richardson accounted for 10 of her 14 in the second half.

Shawnee State's Moore, who averages 20.6 points per game, finished with 17 points and 17 rebounds. Brandie Snow and Madison Ridout had 18 points each. Bailey Cummins, who led the NAIA with a 51.5 three-point shooting percentage, went 0-for-1 from deep with 10 points.

Next up for the Blue Raiders is a Jan. 24 meeting with Fisk (Tenn.) at Biggers Sports Center.