End of an Era; 1997-98 Review
6/21/1999 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
October 13, 1998
The 1997-98 season started out like a whirlwind. The Tigers opened up the season at home with a 74-49 win over Missouri-Rolla.
The Tigers went on to take three straight wins over Illinois State (69-59), Southeast Missouri State (76-53), and UMKC (74-56).
At the Mid-America Classic, the Tigers defeated UNC-Charlotte 80-56 and advanced to the championship game against Brigham Young. The Tigers defeated BYU 71-66 to win the Mid-America Championship. Junior Kesha Bonds was named the Classic MVP and Julie Helm were named to the all-tournament team.
The Tigers went into Macomb, Ill., with a perfect 6-0 record. MU came out flat against Western Illinois and found their backs against the wall. The Tigers were down by 15 in the second half and fought back to go up by three in the final minute of the game. The Tigers missed two free throws, which would have sealed the game. Western Illinois hit a three-pointer at the buzzer to send the game into overtime. In the overtime, the lead changed four times and the Tigers were handed their first loss of the season, 68-66.
The Tigers rebounded in the South Alabama Coca-Cola Classic.. MU defeated Troy State 78-47. The Tigers took the title by defeating host South Alabama 78-47.
The Tigers travelled to hostile Fayetteville, Ark. to take on the No. 25 Lady Razorbacks. MU took the Lady 'Backs down to the wire, almost pulling the upset. Julie Helm poured in a season-high 31 points but it was not enough. MU turned over the ball 34 times. The Tigers fell 80-79.
The Tigers started off conference play against Texas Tech. The Tigers were only down by three points at the half but it was not enough as All-American Alicia Thompson poured in 39 points for Tech. The Lady Raiders defeated the Tigers 79-65.
On the road against Iowa State the Tigers lost another heartbreaker 55-58. The Cowgirls of Oklahoma State handed the Tigers their third straight loss and worst defeat of the season 54-86.
The Tigers returned to the friendly confines of the Hearnes Center to host Kansas State. The Tigers rose to the occasion, defeating the Wildcats 72-56. The Tigers were not able to keep the winning streak going, as they fell to Kansas 74-62.
In Austin, the Tigers fell to the Longhorns 53-44. The Tigers hosted Iowa State. The Cyclones had just come off a win over Texas Tech as they returned to the Hearnes Center. The Tigers trailed by six at the half. MU came back in the first five minutes of the second half to tie the game at 25. The lead changed seven times before going into overtime. The Tigers took the lead early in the overtime and were able to hold the Cyclones off and win the game 59-57.
The Tigers then hosted Baylor and fell behind early in the game. Baylor held a 31-22 advantage at the half. Julie Helm poured in 20 points and Kesha Bonds scored 25 but it was not enough, MU fell 69-62 to Baylor.
After the Baylor game, things seemed to go downhill for the Tigers as they lost four straight to Texas A&M, Nebraska, Colorado, and Kansas State.
Nebraska came into the Hearnes Center and the Tigers once again rose to the occasion. MU trailed by one at the half. Julie Helm drained a career-high 33 points and Ekpe Akpaffiong added a career-high 23 points but it was not enough as the Tigers fell 96-91 to the Cornhuskers.
On senior night, the Tigers ended a long conference losing streak as they defeated the Sooners 75-68. On that night, sophomore Julie Helm scored her 1,000th career point. Helm became the only sophomore in school history to accomplish that feat.
The Tigers finished up the season on the road. The first stop was Colorado. The Buffs took command of the game early and the Tigers could not overcome it, falling 78-65 in Boulder. The Tigers then traveled to Lawrence to close out the regular season. The Tigers led the Jayhawks by one at the half but were once again unable to keep the lead and fell 67-48 to Kansas.
Missouri junior Kesha Bonds became the second Tiger of the season to score 1,000 points. Bonds tallied her career 1,000th point at Kansas, becoming the 20th Tiger to reach that accomplishment.
Missouri traveled to Kansas City for the Big 12 Tournament. The Tigers were matched up against the Cowgirls of Oklahoma State in the first round. MU started out the game on fire, leading the Cowgirls at the half. OSU came back in the second half and took control of the game and the Tigers fell 48-67.
Missouri's Julie Helm earned third-team All-Big 12 honors. Helm was the third leading scorer in the conference, averaging 19.9 points per game. Kesha Bonds earned honorable mention honors. Bonds averaged a double-double with 14.5 points and 10.1 rebounds. Bonds also led the conference in rebounding.
The Big 12 Tournament did not put an end to the Tiger's season. On March 16, 23-year head coach Joann Rutherford announced her retirement. Rutherford stepped down after guiding the Tigers to a 422-263 record.
