University of Missouri
Illinois
First-half Run Powers Illinois Past Missouri
12/22/2001 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Dec. 22, 2001
Final Stats?|? Notes
ST. LOUIS - The University of Missouri women's basketball team opened Saturday's Busch Braggin' Rights Game at the Savvis Center with a 16-8 run in the game's first nine minutes. However, Illinois responded with a 22-4 run and never looked back as the Illini recorded a 74-53 victory.
"We knew what Illinois was going to do and we didn't respond," said MU head coach Cindy Stein. "We didn't have five players on the court at the same time who wanted the ball and knew what to do with it."
Missouri had a season-high (tying) 28 turnovers in the contest and struggled from the field, making only 19-of-52 field goal attempts. Evan Unrau led the Tigers with 13 points and seven rebounds while Kerensa Barr added 12 points. Barr also had five assists to push her career total to 249, tying her for eighth place all-time at Missouri.
MU used back-to-back 3-point field goals by Natalie Bright and Unrau to take a quick 8-4 lead. Baskets by Melanie Fisher, Tracy Lozier, Barr and Unrau pushed the Tigers' lead to 16-8 with 11 minutes and two seconds remaining in the half. However, MU struggled from there on, making only one field goal in its next 12 attempts.
"Our team was off with everything," said Bright. "We didn't seem to get into a good flow."
Missouri, now 8-2 on the season, plays Wisconsin-Green Bay Dec. 30 at 3 p.m. The game will have a promotion, "Harry Potter Day," that day. More details on that promotion will appear later on www.mutigers.com.
