University of Missouri
Southeast Missouri
Tigers Win Unilever Title
12/1/2001 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Dec. 1, 2001
Final Stats?|? Quotes?|? Notes
COLUMBIA, Mo. - The University of Missouri women's basketball team used a 12-0 run to close the first half of Saturday's Unilever Lady Tiger Tournament championship game and rolled to an 80-62 victory over Southeast Missouri.
Missouri, which won its 17th title in the history of the 24-year-old tournament, was led by junior guard Kerensa Barr. She led the Tigers with 21 points, 10 rebounds and seven assists to earn all-tournament honors. She had her second double-double of the season and her career.
Evan Unrau, who was named the tournament's most valuable player, scored nine first-half points to lead the Tigers to a 35-19 lead at the break. Unrau finished the game with 13 points. Natalie Bright added 11 points and Amy Loftus had a career-best 10 points and nine rebounds.
Both teams suffered from cold shooting at the start as the Tigers were 8-of-26 from the field while Southeast Missouri was 7-of-26.
Southeast Missouri's Christine Rathke scored to cut the Tigers' lead to 23-19 before Missouri erupted. Unrau scored four straight points to start MU's run to end the half. Bright sank a 3-point field goal before Barr made back-to-back layups and added a free throw for the 12-0 run.
Mizzou started the second half in the same manner it closed the first half as the Tigers outscored Southeast Missouri 29-13 in the first nine minutes.
"I was pleased with some aspects (of the game)," said MU head coach Cindy Stein. "I thought in the first half that our substitutions were very good. I felt like we kept the intensity and made the right adjustments."
Joining Unrau and Barr on the all-tournament team were Southeast Missouri's Rathke and Lori Chase, Southeastern Louisiana's Pam Mathews and Texas A&M-Corpus Christi's Kristin Rogers.
The Tigers have now won seven straight games at home and 17 of the past 18 home contests.
Missouri improved to 5-1 with the win and will now play at Saint Louis Friday at 7 p.m. MU returns home on Sunday (Dec. 9) to meet Northern Iowa at 3 p.m.
