Nov. 19, 2005
Final Stats
JONESBORO, Ark. - Arkansas State put the Missouri women in an early hole, and got key rebounds in the closing moments to stave off a Tiger comeback attempt in posting a 70-67 win Saturday night at the ASU Convocation Center.
Junior forward Tiffany Brooks (Leavenworth, Kan. / Leavenworth HS / Kansas State) led the Tigers (1-2) with 15 points, senior guard LaToya Bond (Urbana, Ill. / Urbana HS) added 13 points and five steals, and junior forward Carlynn Savant (Euless, Texas / Trinity HS) finished with 12 points and eight rebounds. Adrianne Davie had a game-high 17 points and 11 rebounds for Arkansas State (1-0).
"I thought we fought in the second half, but once again it came down to free throws," Head Coach Cindy Stein said of her team, which was 15-of-25 from the line. "If we make our free throws, we're in the game. We had a non-existent inside game tonight. Our 'bigs' really weren't effective, especially on the offensive end."
The Tigers got the first basket of the game on a drive from Brooks. But the Lady Indians used 8-0 and 11-0 runs to surge to a 21-6 lead just 6 minutes, 41 seconds into the game. ASU made its first six shots, and 10 of its first 12 in boosting its lead to 26-10 with 11:04 left in the first half.
After both teams traded baskets, Amber Abraham hit her third 3-pointer of the half to extend ASU's lead to 19 (31-12). A series of free throws from the teams brought the Lady Indian lead over 20 (35-14) a few minutes later before the Tigers finally started hitting their shots. A quick 9-0 run, capped by a jumper from junior forward EeTisha Riddle (O'Fallon, Ill. / O'Fallon HS), brought Mizzou to within 12 (35-23) with 3:05 to play.
While the Tigers were improving on the offensive end, they also turned up the intensity on defense, holding ASU without a field goal for a span of 8:21. The Indians went into the locker room with a 41-25 lead at the half.
Mizzou made three of its first four shots coming out of the break, including a Savant 3-pointer on the fastbreak, and closed the deficit to 47-35 after the first media timeout. Sophomore Kassie Drew (Anna, Ill. / Anna-Jonesboro HS) banked in a 3-pointer from the right corner to pull Mizzou within 10 (49-39) before ASU went on a quick 5-0 run.
The Tigers stormed back, though, buoyed by a 3-point play from junior guard Blair Hardiek (Effingham, Ill. / Effingham HS). She finished a 17-6 run with a pair of runners through the lane to pull Mizzou within four at 60-56 with 4:53 left.
Kelsey Lock ended an 8:46 field-goal drought with a pair of buckets, then Rudy Sims stole a crossing pass and went coast-to-coast for a 66-58 lead with 2:25 left. That allowed the Lady Indians some breathing room after the Tigers missed several 3-point attempts and ASU made five free throws down the stretch.
The Tigers return to action this Tuesday, Nov. 22, for their home-opener against Northwestern. Tipoff is set for 7 p.m. at Mizzou Arena. For tickets, visit the Mizzou Arena Ticket Office, call 1-800-CAT-PAWS (884-PAWS in Mid-Missouri) or go online to www.mutigers.com.
