Colorado holds off Missouri rally
The Tigers let an early advantage slip away.
Published Jan. 26, 2009
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Junior forward Jessra Johnson, right, and freshman guard Bekah Mills box in Colorado sophomore guard Britney Blythe as Blythe screams for a timeout during Saturday's game at Mizzou Arena. The Tigers fell to 1-4 in conference play after losing 61-56 to the Buffaloes.
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Coach Cindy Stein watches a play unfold in the second half of Saturday's game.
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After jumping to an early 18-8 lead against Colorado Saturday night, things quickly took a turn for the worse for Missouri women's basketball. Colorado went on an 18-5 tear and never looked back.
The Tigers ended up losing 61-56 at home, falling to 1-4 in the conference.
"I thought the keys today were our inability to put the ball in the basket," coach Cindy Stein said. "I felt Colorado wanted the game more than we did in the first half. If we make our free throws, we win the game. We couldn't put the ball in the bucket."
The Tigers were able to get the rebounds and force turnovers, but capitalizing on those advantages was another story. In the first half, Missouri shot 38.7 percent from the field, though it seemed as if Colorado could not miss.
Colorado junior guard Bianca Smith was five for seven from the field and made five of her six 3-point attempts, all in the first half. Smith tied a Buffaloes record with seven treys in the game.
Missouri broke a record of its own. Entering the night with 1,154 points in her career, senior guard Alyssa Hollins scored eight points against Colorado, moving her to No. 18 in the team's history.
Missouri sophomore guard RaeShara Brown put the Tigers on the board in the second half with a field goal and then sank the following free throw. Just a few minutes later, Brown was at the line again and drained two free throws to narrow Colorado's lead, 40-38. It was a career night for Brown who led the Tigers with 17 points, her highest total ever.
"I was just letting the game come to me," Brown said. "A lot of teams have been trying to play off of me, and I think that's been putting a lot of pressure on other kids. Coach has talked a lot about not just taking a shot, but looking for it."
With one minute left in the game, Brown was at it again with a layup to pull the Tigers within three. Colorado took over with 42 seconds on the clock, leaving Missouri with the possibility of one more possession.
With 12 seconds left, Colorado guard Britney Blythe missed a jumper, but the Tigers could not get the rebound. The Buffaloes thwarted a Missouri comeback.
"We have to work with our team and teach them how to win the big game," Stein said. "It's a mentality thing. Sometimes there's a fear factor involved, and we're still young."
