Missouri brings its best for the best

Missouri nearly outlasted No. 3 Nebraska in a competitive game.

By John Montesantos

Published Feb. 16, 2010

The bigger the stage, the better the showing from the Missouri women's basketball team. The Tigers nearly toppled undefeated Nebraska on Saturday, holding the lead most of the game before falling short in the final minutes.

Although their 1-10 conference record might not show it, the Missouri women have had their best games against the toughest opponents. Its lone Big 12 win was over then-No. 10 Baylor on Jan. 23, a team complete with freshman sensation Brittney Griner. The upset was Missouri's first win over a top 10 team since early 2006.

Saturday's game was shaping up to be another top 10 win for the Tigers, but Nebraska boasted a far more impressive record than any of Missouri's prior opponents. The Cornhuskers sat at No. 3 in the country and were one of only two undefeated teams in the nation coming into the game.

The Tigers had to be near perfect to give the Cornhuskers a run. They shot well above their average with 44 percent from the field as well as a stellar 14-of-15 from the free throw line. Missouri's field goal percentage and eight 3-pointers were the same numbers they put up in the Baylor win last month.

Coach Cindy Stein noted the difference between the win over Baylor and the almost upset against Nebraska. She said Baylor gave them openings to score and Nebraska's defense forced them to find new options every time down the floor.

Missouri found every scoring option it could; every Tiger who hit the floor got on the scoreboard. Senior forward Jessra Johnson led the pack with 21 points, and junior guard RaeShara Brown added five steals as Missouri pushed Nebraska to its closest final score of the season.

Nebraska senior guard Yvonne Turner explained the curse of being undefeated and the motivation for teams like Missouri to play up to its level.

"Every team is going to come in and give us their A-game," Turner said. "We have to come in and be prepared and also give them our A-game."

The Tigers are on the other end of that philosophy, taking powerhouses like Oklahoma and Texas A&M down to the wire as well as narrow losses to Kansas and Iowa State. Close games like these are what make Missouri's one-win conference record so misleading.

Nebraska coach Connie Yori read between the lines of Missouri's conference record and knew it didn't tell the whole story.

"Missouri is a very good basketball team," Yori said. "You take three possessions in four of their games, and all of a sudden you flip their record. All of a sudden they're sitting in the middle of the pack of the Big 12."

Stein said she is proud of her team's heart but knows it takes more than that to get those close wins.

"Our team has great heart," Stein said. "But the key for us is to be able to teach kids how to win. To have that poise under pressure when everyone is screaming at you. That's where we have to get better."

That poise was not there for the Tigers on Saturday, watching their small lead slip away in the final seconds. Missouri turned the ball over on its last five possessions, which led to the 82-78 final.