March 3, 2004
COLLEGE STATION, Texas - A free throw by senior All-America candidate Evan Unrau (Fort Collins, Colo. / Rocky Mountain HS) with 7.9 seconds left secured a key 61-60 win at Texas A&M on Wednesday in both teams' regular-season finale. With Mizzou's third straight win, the Tigers (16-11, 7-9 Big 12) break a mysterious 0-for-20 drought in the state of Texas, and also are poised to hold the No. 7 seed for next week's Big 12 Conference Tournament.
Unrau posted her Big 12-leading 13th double-double with 12 points and 11 rebounds, while senior guard MyEsha Perkins (Detroit, Mich. / Oak Park HS / Trinity Valley [Texas] JC) had a game-high-tying 16 points.
Charlette Castile hit a key 3-pointer from the left corner - her second in the final four minutes - to tie the game at 58 with 53.8 seconds left. Following a Mizzou timeout, Unrau hit a put-back with 35.4 seconds left for a two-point lead. The Aggies then called timeout, and Williams sank a basket with 18.9 left. James was fouled on a layup attempt, and missed both free throws. The teams got tied up on the rebound, and Missouri retained possession. Unrau was fouled with 7.9 left and made the first free throw before missing the second. Williams grabbed the rebound, drove coast-to-coast, but was called for charging into James with 2.2 seconds left. Despite a last-second turnover, the Tigers defended the last seconds well.
The Aggies (9-18, 2-14) forced seven turnovers in the first 5 minutes, 10 seconds in posting a 6-2 lead. A&M got the first six points before Unrau banked a leaner with 16:00 left in the first half. The Tiger defense kept things close by holding the Aggies to 2-for-11 shooting in the opening minutes.
With 12:18 left and down 11-6, Bond hit a baseline jumper on the third shot of the possession. Perkins hit a 3-pointer less than 90 seconds later to tie the score, and a pair of free throws from senior guard Tracy Lozier (Leawood, Kan. / Blue Valley North HS) made for a 7-0 run and a 13-11 lead.
After senior forward Stretch James (Columbus, Ohio / Northland HS / Tyler [Texas] JC) made a bucket with 3:22 left in the half, the Tigers had completed a 23-7 run spanning over 9 minutes to take a 29-18 lead. Texas A&M got a bucket and a free throw from Erica Roy in the final two minutes to trail 29-21 at the half.
After James hit a layup to open the second half, the Tigers went without a field goal for the next 5 minutes as the Aggies closed to within three (31-28). Lozier then hit a running jumper, and two free throws the next time down to boost the lead back to seven. Unrau then went to work, hitting a put-back and a pair of free throws in the next couple of minutes to give Mizzou a 41-31 lead with 11:45 left.
The Aggies countered with a 9-0 run - provided mostly by five straight points from Tamea Scales - over the next 4 minutes to pull within one (41-40). TAMU took the lead at 44-43 on a layup from Mindy Garrison with 6:24 to play, then Perkins hit three straight buckets to restore the Missouri lead to three points (49-46) with 4:38 left.
Bond hit a pair of free throws after being fouled to boost the lead to five (51-46), and after Williams converted a 3-point play with 3:30 left to pull the Aggies back to within one, Unrau hit a huge 3-point play the next possession down to restore the lead to four (56-52).
"It was a really physical game. I kept telling the team that poise and defense was going to win the game for us," Head Coach Cindy Stein said. "We missed some shots, but the defense kept us in the ball game."
The Tigers must wait until Thursday night to determine their seeding for next week's Phillips 66 Big 12 Women's Basketball Tournament. That is when Iowa State hosts Kansas; if Iowa State wins, the Tigers will hold the No. 7 seed and play Oklahoma State on Tuesday; otherwise, Mizzou will face Iowa State as the No. 8 seed.