University of Missouri
Iowa State
Mizzou Holds off No. 23 Iowa State
3/5/2011 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
March 5, 2011
COLUMBIA, Mo. - The University of Missouri women's basketball team claimed a 49-48 victory over the No. 23/25 Iowa State Cyclones Saturday afternoon at Mizzou Arena. The win, Mizzou's third of the year over a ranked foe, improved Missouri's record to 13-17 overall and 5-11 in Big 12 play. The Cyclones fell to 21-9 overall and 9-7.
"I'm really proud of our team," Head Coach Robin Pingeton said. "I thought we guarded really hard tonight and our rotations were pretty right on for the most part. Our pressure defense really slowed them down from getting them in their sets quite so early. Against a great team like Iowa State, if you can limit the amount of time they have in their half court it is to your advantage."
Senior RaeShara Brown became the 29th player in Mizzou history to score 1,000 points during the contest and led the Tigers with 14 points, seven rebounds, four assists and three steals. She was joined in double figures by junior Christine Flores, who had 11 points, six rebounds and three blocks.
Neither team could find an offensive rhythm in the opening minutes, as the game remained low scoring throughout the first half. RaeShara Brown's layup with 10:27 on the clock, the 999 and 1,000th points of her career, knotted the score at 10-10.
The Cyclones responded with a 7-0 run over the next three minutes to take its biggest lead of the first, 17-10, with 7:24 left. Anna Prins notched six the Iowa State's seven points during the stretch.
A jumper from junior BreAnna Brock capped a 10-2 run, by the Tigers, including five points from Jones, to pull the squad within 20-19 at the 1:52 mark of the first.
Prins hit another basket for a 22-19 Cyclone advantage. However, Mizzou used a jumper from Jones and a fastbreak layup from sophomore Trenee Thornton off a feed from Brown with 34 seconds left for a 23-22 Tiger halftime lead.
Five points from Flores less than three minutes into the second upped Missouri's advantage to 30-24 with 17:16 remaining in the contest. The Cyclones then reeled off five straight, including a three-pointer from Kelsey Bolte, cut Mizzou's lead to one, 30-29, at the 16:00 mark.
The Tigers used baskets from Flores, Brock and Brown to build its biggest lead of the night, 36-29, with just over 12 minutes left in the contest. Missouri kept Iowa State at bay for the next 11 minutes and did not allow the Cyclones to get closer than two points during the stretch.
After Flores knocked in a layup for a 49-45 Tiger lead and 4:03 on the clock, Prins nailed a trey to pull Iowa State within one, 49-48, with 48 seconds remaining.
Brown and Flores both missed the front ends of one-and-ones in the closing seconds, giving the Cyclones a chance to win with five seconds left in the game. However, a three from Kelsey Harris rimmed out to preserve Mizzou's 49-48 victory.
Prins paced the Cyclones with 18 points and 10 rebounds.
The Tigers will travel to Kansas City, Mo., for the 2011 Phillips 66 Big 12 Championship at Municipal Auditorium next week. Mizzou will be the No. 10 seed and will open play with a first round game at 5 p.m. on Tuesday, March 8. Missouri's opponent will be decided following Saturday's contests.
