University of Missouri
Miami (Ohio)
Brooks' Turnaround Gives Mizzou Thrilling 58-57 Win
12/31/2004 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Dec. 31, 2004
OXFORD, Ohio - Sophomore forward Tiffany Brooks (Leavenworth, Kan. / Leavenworth HS / Kansas State) hit a turnaround jumper with just 5.9 seconds left to lead Missouri to a 58-57 win at Miami (Ohio) in a New Year's Eve matinee at Millett Hall.
With the Tigers down by one and inbounding the ball at half court following a timeout with 8.0 seconds left, Brooks, playing in just her second game since transferring from Kansas State last winter, took the inbounds pass on the right wing with her back to the basket. She immediately turned and hit a 15-foot jumper, sending the Tiger bench into a frenzy. A runner off the glass by Miami's Nicki Motto bounded away as the buzzer sounded.
"I thought our kids gave great effort. These are the kinds of games we haven't been winning, and it's good to get one. Every time we struggled, someone was there to pick us up. For Tiffany to hit that shot was huge for us," Head Coach Cindy Stein said. "We wanted the first open shot at the end, but we told them that we had plenty of time. I wasn't expecting a shot that early, but hey - she took it and she made it."
Brooks led the Tigers (5-5) with 16 points, while junior center Christelle N'Garsanet (Abidjan, Cote d'Ivoire / Illinois Central College) added 10 points and nine rebounds, and junior guard LaToya Bond (Urbana, Ill. / Urbana HS) added 13 points, seven rebounds, four assists and five steals.
The Tigers took an early 7-3 lead before Miami went on a 13-2 run over the next 2 minutes, 29 seconds for a 16-9 lead at the first media timeout. Yet Mizzou scored the game's next seven points to tie the game with 11:48 left on a 3-pointer by sophomore forward EeTisha Riddle (O'Fallon, Ill. / O'Fallon HS). The Tigers had assists on six of their first seven baskets.
The scoring slowed considerably over the next four minutes, as the two teams combined for just three baskets as Miami held a 20-18 lead with 7:33 left in the first. But Missouri hit its stride late in the half to go on a 9-2 run over 6:21; the Tigers held Miami to just one field goal over a span of 5:21. Included in that span was a personal 5-0 run by Bond in 38-second stretch that saw her hit a runner in the lane and convert a 3-point play.
Miami's Cindi Merrill countered with a 7-0 run of her own, and Amber Miller's layup with nine seconds left sent both teams into the locker room tied at 29. The RedHawks, who hit on six of their first 11 baskets, made just six of their last 26 (23.1 percent) to finish the half. Missouri made nearly 42 percent of its first-half shots, yet were out-rebounded 26-19 and committed 10 turnovers.
With Missouri up 36-33, sophomore forward Carlynn Savant (Euless, Texas / Trinity HS) hit a pair of 3-pointers over a two-minute period to give the Tigers a 42-38 lead. After Jaclyn Leininger hit a 3-pointer, Merrill continued carrying the RedHawks on her shoulders by scoring Miami's next four points. Then with the Tigers up 51-48, senior center Megan Roney (Independence, Mo. / Truman HS) blocked a shot which fell into Bond's arms. Bond drove down on a 2-on-1 and found Riddle open underneath for a 53-48 lead with 5:24 left.
That sparked the RedHawks to a 7-0 run over the next 3:15, as the Tigers were held without a bucket until Bond canned a 3- pointer with 1:36 left for a 56-55 lead. The score would remain that way until Amanda Jackson, who was 2-for-19 to that point, hit a layup with 10 seconds left to set up the game's final play.
The Tigers return home on Sunday, Jan. 2, with a 1 p.m. game against in-state rival Saint Louis. Tickets remain for the game, and may be obtained by stopping by or calling the Mizzou Arena Ticket Office at 1-800-CAT-PAWS (884-PAWS in Mid- Missouri).
