University of Missouri
Eastern Michigan
Coleman's Free Throw Gives Eastern Michigan Tiger Classic Title
12/4/2004 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Dec. 4, 2004
COLUMBIA, Mo. - Ryan Coleman hit the back end of a pair of free throws with three seconds left in regulation to push Eastern Michigan to the State Farm Tiger Classic title with a 60-59 win over Missouri Saturday night at Mizzou Arena. It is the second time in the 27-year history of the tournament that the game has been decided by single point; the other came in 1990 when South Alabama captured a 56-55 win over Mizzou.
The Eagles (6-0) scored the game's final seven points, starting with another pair of Coleman free throws with 2:54 left. Ryann Kilgore hit a jumper with 1:40 to play to pull within two, and then hit two free throws with 49 seconds left to tie the game.
"We lacked poise and execution. We had a six-point lead and we couldn't execute and we turned the ball over and that's what hurt us," Head Coach Cindy Stein said. "We were in control until we lost that control through lack of execution and poise. That is just something we'll get better at."
Eastern Michigan's comeback was necessary thanks to a furious 23-7 Missouri rally midway through the second half. Down 10 with 13:03 to play, junior G LaToya Bond (Urbana, Ill. / Urbana HS) hit a layup. That began a quick 10-0 run that was capped when freshman G Crystal Howard (Omaha, Neb. / Central HS) hit a 3-pointer to tie the game at 46.
The teams traded the lead and tied the game twice again before junior C Christelle N'Garsanet (Abidjan, Cote d'Ivoire) sandwiched a pair of layups around a free throw from freshman G Kassie Drew (Anna, Ill. / Anna-Jonesboro HS) for a 59-53 lead with 4:16 left. Unfortunately, those would be Mizzou's final points of the game.
Coleman, who finished with a game-high 23 points, was named the tournament's most valuable player. Missouri (4-3) was led by N'Garsanet's 14 points. In addition to N'Garsanet, the all-tournament team featured Bond, EMU's Ryann Kilgore, and UMKC's Jowan Ortega and Katie Houlehan. That pair led the Kangaroos in a 78-48 victory over Mississippi Valley State in the consolation game with 20 and 17 points, respectively.
The Tigers hit the road Wednesday for a game at Southwest Missouri State. Tipoff is set for 7 p.m. at Hammons Student Center.
