Aces Edge Panthers 58-57 in MVC Quarterfinals

Friday, March 9

Des Moines, Iowa

2:35 PM

University of Northern Iowa

Evansville

Aces Edge Panthers 58-57 in MVC Quarterfinals

3/9/2007 7:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball

By: UNI Athletics Communications

March 9, 2007

DES MOINES, Iowa -

The University of Northern Iowa women's basketball team came out strong, but could not hold on for the win in a 58-57 loss to Evansville in the quarterfinals of the Missouri Valley Conference Tournament in the Knapp Center Friday afternoon. Evansville's Rebekah Parker connected on two free throws with 1.9 seconds left to give the Aces the one-point win.

The loss overshadowed a tremendous performance by senior Tara King, who notched her third 30-point game of the season, scoring 30 on 13-of-23 shooting. Parker led the Aces with 26 points.

Ashley Austin hit a layup on Evansville's first possession, but Megan Keefe and Nicole Clausen hit threes on consecutive trips to put UNI in the lead, 6-2 at 18:10.

Shannon Norvosel pulled Evansville within two, but then Tara King rattled off eight straight points to give the Panthers (17-13) a 14-4 lead with 13:30 left. At 12:50, Traci Ollendieck drained a three from the left baseline to cap an 11-0 run and put the Panthers in front, 17-4.

The Aces (19-11) responded with a 7-0 run of their own, cutting the UNI lead to 17-11 with 10:52 left in the half.

Keefe ended the Evansville run when she scored in the lane off an assist from Sarah Larsen, putting UNI in front 19-11 with 9:45 on the clock. That was the beginning of a 10-0 run over the next five minutes that stretched the Panther advantage to 27-11 with 4:35 left.

Amy Gallagher took a steal the length of the floor, and her layup gave Evansville its first points in seven minutes, making the score 27-13 with 3:50 left in the half.

Kristin Iehl extended UNI's lead to 30-13 with a jump shot on the left baseline at 2:40.

With the Panthers in front by 17, Evansville's Laura Gaybrick knocked down a three at the buzzer to send the teams into the break with UNI in front, 32-18.

Trailing 36-20 early in the second half, Evansville went on a 12-0 run to climb within four, 36-32 at 14:55.

With the Panthers in front 38-34, Parker hit a layup as she was fouled, and the free throw pulled the Aces within one, 38-37 with 13:42 remaining. A free throw from Ollendieck put the Panthers in front 39-37, and with 11:32 left to play Robyn Jennings hit a jump shot in the lane to tie the game for the first time, 39-39.

With 11:10 on the clock, Lindsey Swanson grabbed an offensive board, and the put back gave UNI the 41-39 edge. Just 20 seconds later, Parker drove the baseline and scored to tie the game at 41.

Jennings put the Aces in front 43-41 with a basket at 9:57, but Biggs knotted the game for the third time when she hit a fade-away jump shot from the elbow on UNI's next trip down the floor. King scored on the Panthers' next possession to return the lead to UNI, 45-43 with 8:43 left. With 8:05 on the clock, King scored again to make it a two-possession game in favor of the Panthers, 47-43.

At 6:40 Parker knocked down a three to pull the Aces within one, 47-46. At 5:10, King scored to give the Panthers a 51-48 lead. On Evansville's next trip, Novosel scored as she was fouled, and the free throw tied the game, 51-51 with 4:53 on the clock.

A basket from Parker gave Evansville a 53-51 lead at the four-minute mark, but King hit a fade-away jumper with 3:37 remaining to tie the game for the fourth time. The senior gave the lead back to UNI with a pair of free throws at 3:01.

Parker hit the first of two free throw attempts to make it a one-point game, 55-54 in favor of UNI with two minutes left to play. On the Panthers' next trip, King hit a turnaround jump shot in the lane to stretch the Panther lead to three, 57-54.

Evansville's Courtney Felke made it a one-point game with a basket in the lane at 1:12. UNI came up empty-handed on its next possession, giving Evansville a chance to take the lead with less than a minute to play.

Sarah Larsen blocked a shot attempt by Ashley Austin, and Keefe grabbed the rebound to give UNI the ball with the one-point lead and 27 seconds left. Biggs found Ollendieck in front of the pack, and she was fouled on her layup attempt with 11 seconds left.

Ollendieck missed both attempts, and Robyn Jennings grabbed the rebound for Evansville. Parker drove to the basket and lost control of the ball when she entered the lane. Parker, King and Ollendieck got tangled scrambling for the ball, and Ollendieck was whistled for a foul with 1.9 seconds left. Parker hit both free throws to give Evansville the 58-57 win.

The Panthers end the season with a 17-13 record.