Dec. 6, 2006
EeTisha Riddle scored 18 of her career-high 22 points in the second half and lifted Missouri to a 70-67 win over previously unbeaten Ohio at Mizzou Arena Wednesday night.
Riddle led Missouri (8-1) with her third double-double of the season as she added 12 rebounds and three steals in a season-high 37 minutes. Tiffany Brooks contributed 13 points, five rebounds and four assists, with Carlynn Savant pulling down 10 rebounds and a game-high three blocks.
Missouri led by as many as 16 point with 6:41 to play in the first half but saw Ohio chip-away at the deficit and take a 43-42 lead with 16:01 to play in the game. Over the next eight pressure-filled minutes there were seven lead changes with neither team able to extend their lead to more than two points.
Trailing 52-50 with 11:09 in the game, Riddle started a Mizzou run with three free throws over a pair of possessions that gave the Tigers a 53-52 lead. They never trailed again as the run reached 11-0 before the Bobcats scored again with five minutes remaining.
MU seemed to have the game under control with a nine-point lead and 11 tics left but Ohio mounted one final rally. Lauren Kohn finished her 16-point night with a three-point play when she was fouled by Brooks and Rachel Frederick made her third 3-pointer with 2.2 seconds left which made it a three-point game at 70-67. Then MU's Blair Hardiek missed both free throws before Kohn got the rebound with 1.7 seconds left. She was not able to get a shot off before the horn sounded.
Both teams shot 40 percent and Ohio (5-1) held a slim 42-39 edge on the boards. Frederick led all scorers with 22 points.
Following a Ohio bucket to open the game, Missouri forced the Bobcats into three consecutive turnovers as the Tigers went on an 11-0 run that included layups from Brooks and Riddle, a jumper from Alyssa Hollins and a three-ball from Savant. All told, MU scored on seven of its first nine possessions.
Jessra Johnson got the first of her two offensive rebounds when she tipped-in a Savant miss and completed the three-point play after being fouled in mid-air. She followed with a jumper to make it 31-15 MU with 7:20 to play. After a Bushby jumper, Johnson again got the ball in the lane and muscled it over a double-team. She finished with eight points and four rebounds in seven minutes.
The Tigers then went cold as Ohio trimmed the MU lead to 33-26 before Brooks jumper with 2:45 stopped the 9-0 Bobcat run. Missouri led 38-30 at the half.
MU will play its final non-conference road game on Sunday, Dec. 10 when it travels to Evanston, Ill. to face Northwestern (6-2). Tip-off at Welsh-Ryan Arena is set for 2 p.m. Central time. The game can be heard in Columbia on KWWC 90.5 FM.