University of Missouri
Kansas State
Tigers Fall to K-State
6/21/1999 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
January 24, 1999
COLUMBIA, Mo.- It certainly was not the Missouri Tigers' night in Manhattan, Kan. on Saturday evening. Everything bounced Kansas State's way as the Wildcats shot 56 percent from the field and out-rebounded Mizzou 37-28 en route to a 79-67 victory over the Tigers (9-7, 2-4). The Wildcats (11-6, 4-3) defeated Missouri 72-60 earlier in the year in Columbia.
Kansas State was red-hot in the first half, shooting at 60 percent clip for the period. Missouri's 5-3 lead with 18:16 left in the first half was the last advantage Missouri would have on the evening. With Missouri trailing 22-18, K-State went on a 7-0 run to take a 29-18 lead. The Tigers immediately fell into the hole when they lost senior center Kesha Bonds to her second personal foul with 15:23 left in the half. Bonds returned and then picked up her third foul at the 4:42 mark. The Wildcats, led by junior Nicky Ramage's 13 points, took a 40-28 lead into the lockerroom at the half.
Missouri came back to life early in the second period. After K-State's Kristin Rethman buried a three-pointer to put the Wildcats up 45-32, the Tigers' Julie Helm (29 points, 7 rebounds) answered with a trey of her own, one of five on the night, to cut the lead to 10. After a Helm lay-up, Missouri was within 8 points and went on a 7-0 run to cut the Wildcats' lead to 47-44.
Still trailing by three points, 49-46, Kansas State answered with a 7-0 run of their own to take a 56-46 lead. The Tigers would not quit. Ekpe Akapaffiong scored on a layup off of a Tracy Franklin steal to bring Missouri within five points at 60-55 with 7:06 left to play. After an Angie Finkes layup, Akpaffiong took it strong to the hole again and was fouled. She hit one-of-two free throws keeping Mizzou within six points, 62-56 with 5:48 to go.
That is when the flood gates opened. The Wildcats went on a 6-0 run led by 6-6 center Olga Firsova. Firsova (13 points, 8 rebounds) grabbed three huge offensive rebounds leading to four points of her own and an assist to Finkes (18 points) to give K-State a 70-56 lead. Firsova had connected on a three-pointer earlier in the game and connected for a fall-away layup on a conventional three-point play.
The Kansas State run ballooned to 13-1 in over four minutes to give Kansas State a 75-57 lead. Five Wildcats scored in double figures with Ramage leading the way with 19 points. Amy Monsees chipped in with 12 points for Missouri, who shot just .409 percent from the floor.
