University of Northern Iowa Athletics
University of Northern Iowa
Missouri State
Panther Rally Falls Short in 90-80 Loss at Missouri State
1/2/2010 7:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Jan. 2, 2010
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SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – The University of Northern Iowa women's basketball team cut a 15-point second-half deficit to two but was unable to close the gap in a 90-80 loss at Missouri State Saturday afternoon at JQH Arena.
Jacqui Kalin connected for three with 2:24 on the clock to cut the MSU lead to 80-78. UNI came up with a defensive stop to have the ball with a chance to tie the game or take the lead. UNI was able to get the ball down to Lizzie Boeck on the post, but the junior was charged with an offensive foul. Christiana Shorter hit a baseline jump shot on the other end to put the Lady Bears back in the lead by four with 1:12 to play, and UNI was unable to come any closer from that point.
Nicole Clausen led the Panthers (4-9, 0-2 MVC) with 20 points, and Boeck finished with 18 points, seven rebounds and five assists. Kalin tallied 16 points and four assists, and Erin Brocka finished with 10 points and eight rebounds.
Casey Garrison led Missouri State with 27 points, Jaleshia Roberson finished with 18 and Christiana Shorter tallied 17 points and 10 rebounds.
UNI built an 11-point lead in the first half when Clausen knocked down her third three of the game at 4:14 to give UNI a 39-28 advantage.
Missouri State scored nine straight points to pull within a pair, 39-37. Kalin ended the Lady Bear run with a pair of free throws at 1:26.
Melissa Busby and Shorter each made a pair of free throws to tie the game, 41-41, with a minute left in the half. Kalin was fouled during the Lady Bear press, and she capitalized with a pair of free throws that gave UNI a 43-41 lead heading into the break.
Missouri State scored on its first possession of the second half to tie the game at 43-43. Kalin found Erin Brocka on the block for a basket that put UNI back in front, 45-43. Shorter made one of two free throws to cut the Panther lead in half, but Boeck connected on a pair from the stripe to bring UNI's lead to 47-44.
The Lady Bears scored seven straight points, capped by a three-point play from Lacey Boshe at 16:27 to take a 51-47 lead. Kalin drove into the lane and knocked down a short jumper on UNI's next possession to end the Lady Bear run and bring the score to 51-49.
Whitney Edie and Kirshbaum traded baskets to keep the UNI deficit at two, but MSU went 6-of-6 from the free-throw line over the next 1:30 to extend its lead to 59-51 with 14:10 to play. Shorter scored on a layup to give the Lady Bears a double-digit lead, 61-51, with 13:33 on the clock.
Brocka ended the 8-0 MSU run with a free throw, but a three from Busby and a mid-range jumper from Roberson gave the Lady Bears a 66-52 lead. Brocka hit a baseline jumper to pull UNI back within a dozen, but a three from Garrison gave MSU a 15-point lead, 69-54 with 12:25 to play.
Kalin connected for three to pull UNI back within 12, and jumpers from Brocka and Kalin brought the score to 69-61 with 9:05 to play.
Garrison and Boeck traded baskets, and Shorter made a pair of free throws to put MSU back in front by 10, 73-63 with 7:08 to play.
Kim Wypiszynski scored on the block, and Brocka connected for a three at the top of the key to pull the Panthers within five points, 75-70 with 5:13 on the clock.
Lacey Boshe made one of two free throws to give MSU a six-point advantage, but Boeck cut that in half with a three-point play that made the score 76-73 with 4:08 to play.
A basket from Garrison took it back to a two-possession contest, and Clausen and Boshe each made a pair of free throws to keep the MSU lead at five, 80-75 with 2:57 remaining.
Kalin put up three three-point attempts that went off the front of the rim. The Panthers kept collecting the offensive rebound, and Kalin got the fourth attempt to drop, cutting the UNI deficit to 80-78 with 2:24 left.
Clausen came up with a steal on the defensive end, but an offensive foul call returned the ball to the Lady Bears at 1:28. A basket by Shorter gave MSU a four-point lead, and the Panthers could not score on their next trip. UNI elected to send the Lady Bears to the free-throw line, and MSU went 8-of-8 from the line in the final minute to seal the win.
The Panthers shot 27-of-56 (48.2 percent) from the floor, including 7-of-20 (35.0 percent) from three-point range. UNI finished 19-of-22 (86.4 percent) from the free-throw line.
The Lady Bears finished 24-of-56 (42.9 percent) from the floor, including 6-of-16 (37.5 percent) from three-point range. MSU shot 36-of-40 (90 percent) from the free-throw line.
MSU outrebounded UNI, 35-30. The Panthers committed 18 turnovers, resulting in 25 MSU points. The Panthers turned MSU's 12 turnovers into 15 points.
UNI returns to action on Thursday when it hosst Southern Illinois at 7 p.m.
