University of Missouri
Kansas State
Another Road Win for Lady Tigers
2/5/2000 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Feb. 5, 2000
COLUMBIA, Mo.- Natalie Bright scored a career-high 24 points and the Missouri Tigers eclipsed their victory total from a year ago with a 72-68 win over Kansas State (9-12, 2-7) on Saturday afternoon. The victory gave Mizzou its 14th win of the season and marked the Tigers second straight road win. The last time Missouri (14-6, 4-5) won two straight conference road games was back in 1993.
Missouri got off to a very slow start, trailing 11-2 just five minutes into the game. But the Tigers roared back and led by as many as six points in the first half and took a one-point lead into halftime, 35-34.
Missouri took charge for most of the second half, thanks to the hot-hand of Bright. The sophomore scored 19 of her 24 points in the second half. Bright finished seven-of-eight from the floor, but did the remainder of the damage late in the game by netting 7-of-12 free throws.
Two Bright free throws gave Missouri a 66-54 advantage with two minutes, 37 seconds left in the game. That is when Kansas State started heating up. The Wildcats went on a 9-2 run courtesy of two 3-point field goals by Kristin Rethman and one by Kim Woodlee. The Tigers hit five of their last eight free throws with under a minute to go to hold on for the win.
Bright led five Missouri players in double-figures including senior Julie Helm, who tallied 10 points on the afternoon. Helm's fourth bucket of the day gave her 1,800 points for her career. Helm is now just 20 points from becoming Missouri third all-time leading scorer.
