University of Missouri
Alabama State
Mizzou Women Outlast Alabama State, 68-62
12/20/2005 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Dec. 20, 2005
COLUMBIA, Mo. - Despite a poor shooting night, and being outshot for just the second time all season, the Mizzou women earned their eighth straight win, 68-62, over Alabama State at Mizzou Arena on Tuesday. The win streak is currently tied for the fifth-longest in the country, behind only Baylor, North Carolina, Tennessee and Virginia Tech.
As hot as Mizzou was from the field in Sunday night's win over Southern Illinois, the Tigers were equally cold to start Tuesday. MU missed 14 of its first 17 shots (17.6 percent), and the funk continued through the first half, culminating in a 27.3-percent half of shooting (9-of-33). For the game, Mizzou shot a season-low 35.1 percent.
By contrast, Alabama State (2-4) shot 40 percent for the game, including 7-of-11 shooting from 3-point range (63.6 percent). Yet the Hornets committed 24 turnovers, which the Tigers (9-2) converted into 33 points.
Junior forward Carlynn Savant (Euless, Texas / Trinity HS) led three Tigers in double-figure scoring with 15 points. Senior guard LaToya Bond (Urbana, Ill. / Urbana HS) added 14 points and eight rebounds, while EeTisha Riddle (O'Fallon, Ill. / O'Fallon HS) chipped in 13 points and five rebounds. Senior center Christelle N'Garsanet (Abidjan, Cote d'Ivoire / Illinois Central College) had a strong all-around game with eight points, eight rebounds and five blocks.
Shantae Robinson led ASU with 14 points, and Latille Ross had a double-double with 10 points and 10 rebounds.
"A win, is a win, is a win. I'm glad we got out of here with a win and didn't have any injuries," Head Coach Cindy Stein said. "Sometimes things didn't look pretty, but it got the job done. Our misfortune came from not hitting shots; they made great shots, and you have to give them credit for that. We took way too many shots outside in the first half, but we came back in the second half and showed great patience."
The Tigers didn't get their first field goal until a Bond 3-pointer with 16 minutes, 13 seconds remaining in the first half, and Alabama State kept the lead until Bond drove for a layup two minutes later.
3-point shooting was a huge different in the opening 20 minutes; both teams made five treys, but ASU did so on just seven shots, while Mizzou needed 17 to hit that many. The last two buckets of the half for both teams came from long-distance; Tashia Holston's 3-pointer with five seconds left gave the Hornets a 34-31 lead at the break.
A break from play seemed to work wonders for the Tigers, as Mizzou made six of its first seven shots - all inside the arc - coming out of the locker room to take a 44-39 lead. Alabama State used a quick 5-0 run, though, to force the game's seventh tie with 13:48 to play.
An N'Garsanet free throw - one of just six on 17 attempts on the night - with 12:40 left gave the Tigers the lead for good. Mizzou never led by more than nine points, but the Hornets could get no closer than four.
The Tigers will take the next week off for Christmas before returning home for their non-conference finale next Thursday, Dec. 29, against Western Michigan. Tipoff is set for 7 p.m. at Mizzou Arena; tickets are available by visiting the Mizzou Arena Box Office, calling 1-800-CAT-PAWS (884-PAWS in mid-Missouri) or going online to www.mutigers.com.
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