University of Missouri
.png&width=60&height=60&type=webp)
Kansas
Kansas Outlasts Mizzou in Hard-Fought Game, 63-61
1/22/2005 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Jan. 22, 2005
LAWRENCE, Kan. - Aquanita Burras' steal and layup with 78 seconds left provided Kansas' winning margin in a 63-61 win over Missouri in Big 12 Conference action Saturday night at Allen Fieldhouse.
Crystal Kemp had game-highs of 22 points and 14 rebounds to lead the Jayhawks (8-8, 1-4 Big 12), who earned coach Bonnie Henrickson her first Big 12 win. Sophomore forward Tiffany Brooks (Leavenworth, Kan. / Leavenworth HS / Kansas State) had 14 points to lead four players in double-figure scoring for Missouri (7-10, 1-5), which has lost five straight.
The start of the second half was played at a frenetic pace, with both teams making two-thirds of their shots and combining for just three turnovers. Kansas took a 32-31 lead with 18:26 left, and the game had one tie and six lead changes over the next six minutes. Two straight buckets from Kemp gave KU a 48-45 lead with 11:21 left, yet the Tigers clawed to a 56-55 advantage on a 3-pointer and driving layup by sophomore forward EeTisha Riddle (O'Fallon, Ill. / O'Fallon HS), who finished with 13 points.
Kemp continued her domination in the paint, scoring the Jayhawks' next six points on layups - four on putbacks. Both teams went scoreless for over three minutes until junior center Christelle N'Garsanet (Abidjan, Cote d'Ivoire / Illinois Central College) hit a layup with 3:24 left to tie the score at 61.
"It was probably a great game for television," Head Coach Cindy Stein said. "It was a well-played, well-fought game. Crystal Kemp was unbelieveable on the offensive end. We didn't have any answer, and the key was turnovers in the end." In all, the game featured six ties and 18 lead changes.
While Missouri was having to shoot from outside at the start, Kansas took advantage inside, getting four layups in the first four minutes for an 8-2 lead at the first media timeout. After two free throws from junior guard LaToya Bond (Urbana, Ill. / Urbana HS), the Jayhawks went on another 8-2 run, which included back-to-back 3-pointers from Erica Hallman. Bond ended with 13 points, six rebounds and six assists.
Yet the Tigers slowly started chipping away at the Kansas lead, starting with three straight jumpers from Brooks. Riddle added a spinning layup off the fastbreak, and a runner from sophomore guard Blair Hardiek (Effingham, Ill.) finished an 8-2 run to pull within two (18-16).
With Kansas misfiring - they went through a stretch of making just two field goals in over nine minutes - Mizzou took its first lead of the game with 4:20 left in the first half when sophomore forward Carlynn Savant (Euless, Texas / Trinity HS), who had 10 points on the night, found Bond for a layup and a 21-20 advantage. The Tigers' defense stiffened down the stretch, holding Kansas to just two field goals the rest of the way. Missouri, meanwhile, converted on five possessions - including the last three of the first half - in taking a 31-26 lead into the locker room.
The Tigers end their four-out-of-five-game road trip on Wednesday, Jan. 26, at No. 10 Texas Tech. Mizzou's next home game is next Saturday morning, in an 11 a.m. FSN telecast against No. 15 Texas.
