Senior Night ends in disappointment
Published March 2, 2007
The Missouri women's basketball team needed a win to end the regular season on a high note and gain some momentum heading into next week's Big 12 Tournament in Oklahoma City. With the Kansas Jayhawks, who are in last place in the conference as an opponent, there shouldn't have been much trouble.
Perhaps Thursday night was a fitting way to end MU's erratic season. The Tigers fell behind 26-13 in the first half, and even after rallying to lead by one in the second half, they couldn't get the one basket they needed and fell at home to KU 70-66 in front of a crowd of 3,303.
Tigers coach Cindy Stein said her team was held back early by the weight of Senior Night, the final home game for seven players.
"Our emotions got the best of us tonight early," she said. "It was a very frustrating night."
Missouri (17-12, 5-11 Big 12) committed 17 turnovers in the game, including 11 in the second half and two in the final possessions of the game. Trailing by two points with 0:13 left, MU sophomore guard Alyssa Hollins dribbled the ball off her leg and the Jayhawks recovered. KU senior Shaquina Mosley hit two free throws to ice the game, her 25th and 26th points of the game.
"They were just careless turnovers," Stein said. "We were just very sloppy."
Senior forward Carlynn Savant agreed that her team didn't do the necessary things to win.
"Kansas played really well tonight," she said. "And we had a lot of turnovers and unforced errors."
The Tigers' second half rally was sparked by one of the less heralded seniors who has spent the season coming off the bench. Senior Marchelle Campbell hit a 3-pointer to put Missouri up 43-42, but the Jayhawks responded with an 8-2 run immediately after. Senior EeTisha Riddle said Kansas (10-19, 4-12) did a good job of staying tenacious.
"They did a great job to counter our runs in the second half," she said. "They did a better job of getting at me defensively."
Although Riddle ended with 16 points, senior Tiffany Brooks said too much of MU's offense involved dumping the ball inside and hoping for the best.
"When we had the ball we would just throw it in and look for (EeTisha) to do something," she said. "And they were able to control Tish."
Brooks led the Tigers with 19 points, even while sustaining an injury. With less than two minutes left, Brooks was accidentally hit in the face by Mosley and suffered a chipped right front tooth and an eye laceration. She was able to return to the game in the final minute.
"I mean, I chipped a tooth, but I'll be alright," she said. "I guess I should see a dentist."
Missouri, seeded No. 10, will face the seventh-seeded Texas Longhorns on Tuesday in Oklahoma City, with the winner meeting Oklahoma in the quarterfinals.
Stein was very blunt about the matchup: "We've got to win it. We want to get into the NCAA's."
Savant said the Tigers will play without any trepidation.
"We have nothing to lose," she said. "One of our goals was to make the NCAA Tournament, and that is what we're shooting for."