University of Missouri
Texas Tech
Tigers Give No. 10 Texas Tech a Run
6/21/1999 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
February 14, 1999
COLUMBIA, Mo.- The Missouri Tigers (10-12, 3-9) gave 10th ranked Texas Tech all they could handle on Saturday night in Lubbock, Tex. After falling behind 17-0 and 60-38, the Tigers closed within two points before falling 74-68.
The first 10 minutes of the game was the absolute worst thing that could have happened to Missouri. Texas Tech got off to a 17-0 lead before the Tigers connected on a free throw at the 13:30 mark of the first half. Missouri did not hit a field goal until the 10:38 mark when Kesha Bonds scored to cut the Red Raiders lead to 19-3. Bonds would not be around long for Mizzou. She picked up her second personal foul at the 17:04 mark and was whistled for her third at the 10:22 mark. Bonds played just over two minutes of the first half.
Even with Bonds on the bench, Mizzou fought back. Missouri went on an 11-2 run keyed by two Tracy Franklin buckets and a three-pointer by Julie Helm to make it a 24-16 game. Two free throws by Ekpe Akpaffiong (13 points, 7 rebounds) cut the margin to 30-25 with 1:48 left in the half. Tech would score seven of the next nine points to close the half with a 36-27 advantage.
The second half turned ugly in a hurry for the Tigers. Texas Tech center Angie Braziel (28 points, 9 rebounds) netted six of the Red Raiders first 10 points of the half as Tech broke out to a 60-38 lead that would seemingly bury Mizzou. Not quite.
Missouri, led by their senior leader, Bonds, who picked up her fourth foul at the 16:05 mark, showed 8,087 Texas Tech fans what they were made of. After a Kendra Jones three-pointer and a bucket by Amy Monsees (16 points, 6 rebounds), Braziel hit a jumper in the paint to run Tech's lead back up to 62-45. Those two points would be the last Texas Tech would score for the next 4 minutes, 36 seconds. During that span, Mizzou went on a 13-0 run led by Bonds (16 second half points) and Akpaffiong, both scoring six points each during the run. The Tigers had the margin down to just four points at 62-58 with 4:19 left to play. After two Bonds free throws, the Tigers got a defensive stop at the other end of the floor. The Tigers got the ball back into Bonds who was fouled by Tech's Keitha Dickerson. Again, Bonds buried both free throws to get Mizzou within two points at 64-62 with 3:02 remaining.
Leading 66-64, Texas Tech went back to Braziel (18 second half points) for another bucket in the paint to take a 68-64 advantage, but the Tigers wouldn't go away. Monsees, filling in for Bonds who fouled out at the 2:19 mark, rebounded a errant three-point attempt by Natalie Bright and scored to keep the Tigers within two a 68-66 with 1:05 remaining. Then Tech hit the Tigers with the dagger. With the Tigers hounding Texas Tech defensively, Tech's Julie Lake (9 points) buried a 17 footer with just two seconds on the shot clock to give Tech a 70-66 lead with 32 seconds left. The Tigers answered with a Bright (4 points, 5 assists) runner to cut the lead to 70-68 with 21 seconds left, but the Tigers had to foul to get the ball back. Akpaffiong fouled Tech's Melinda Schmucker who stepped up to the line and swished both free throws to put Tech up 72-68.
