University of Missouri
Kansas State
Bond's Jumper Sends Mizzou to 66-65 Overtime Win
2/1/2006 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Feb. 1, 2006
MANHATTAN, Kan. - Senior guard LaToya Bond (Urbana, Ill. / Urbana HS) hit a fallway jumper with 3.6 seconds left in overtime to bring the Mizzou women back to a 66-65 win over Kansas State in Big 12 Conference action Wednesday night at Bramlage Coliseum.
The win helps the Tigers (16-4, 6-2 Big 12) retain sole possession of second place in the Big 12 entering Saturday's showdown with undefeated Big 12 leader Oklahoma. It also gives Mizzou a season sweep of Kansas State (15-5, 5-4) for the first time since the Tigers' Sweet Sixteen season in 2001.
It was the second overtime matchup between the teams in the last three years; an eighth-ranked Kansas State squad escaped Columbia with a 93-90, double-overtime win in 2004. Mizzou has now won its last two overtime games, including a five-point win last year at Nebraska.
Bond's bucket brought the Tigers back from a 22-point deficit late in the first half, and capped a second half and overtime in which she scored 19 of her team-high 21 points; it's the ninth time this season that Bond has eclipsed the 20-point barrier. She added six assists and six rebounds. Senior center Christelle N'Garsanet (Abidjan, Cote d'Ivoire / Illinois Central College) posted her second-straight double-double, her seventh of the season, with 16 points and a game-high 11 rebounds. She added three of the Tigers' six blocks.
"I kept telling the team that we could win this game. It was really important that they could feel that they could win this game," Head Coach Cindy Stein said. "What a hard-fought game. We got some big-time plays from a lot of people. The players coming off the bench did a good job of giving us energy, and did really good things. This is a very good team win. We talk all the time about winning on the road, and it's great to get this one."
In a complete reversal of the first meeting Jan. 7 in Columbia, Kansas State made seven of its first eight shots, and forced three turnovers that led directly to seven points, in storming to a 16-4 lead. The Tigers, meanwhile, converted on just one of its first seven shots.
The Wildcats continued their hot shooting through the next media timeout, hitting half of their next six shots, including back-to-back 20- and 18-footers from Claire Coggins, to extend its lead to 21-5 with 14 minutes, 10 seconds left in the first half. Less than a minute later, Bond picked up her second foul and was sent to the bench for the rest of the first half.
Mizzou's only buckets to that point were layups from N'Garsanet and junior forward EeTisha Riddle (O'Fallon, Ill. / O'Fallon HS). In fact, both teams had trouble finding the hoop in the next several minutes, as the only scoring in a 4-minute stretch came on an N'Garsanet free-throw, a 7-foot baseline jumper from junior forward Carlynn Savant (Euless, Texas / Trinity HS), and a Shalee Lehning driving layup. The following four minutes weren't any better, as JoAnn Hamlin's chip-shot jumper that just rolled over the rim was the only scoring for either team; Mizzou and K-State were 1-of-8 from the field in that stretch, yet the Wildcats bumped its lead to 28-10 with 3:59 to play.
Savant, who came into the game leading the nation in 3-point field-goal percentage (50.6 percent), then picked up her second and third fouls in a 16-second span to force her to the bench for the final 3:14 of the half. The Tigers got buckets from N'Garsanet, sophomore guard Kassie Drew (Anna, Ill. / Anna-Jonesboro HS) and Riddle in the final two minutes, yet KSU made 5-of-6 free throws to take a 35-16 lead into the half. The score was similar to the first game, when Mizzou led 35-11 at the half.
The teams traded baskets to start the first couple of minutes of the second half before Savant canned her first 3-pointer of the game, and Bond sank a putback to pull within 16 (41-25) and force a Kansas State timeout just 2:39 into the half. Savant's trey began a 17-6 run which included back-to-back 3-pointers from Bond and a second from Savant. K-State had just one field goal in that stretch.
Bond continued to take over midway through the second half, hitting another 3-pointer, then driving through traffic for a layup to pull the Tigers within five (47-42) and force another KSU timeout.
N'Garsanet hit another bucket inside to trim the deficit to just three, but Hamlin sandwiched four baskets, including a 17-footer, around a Riddle fastbreak jumper to boost the Wildcat lead back to nine (55-46) and draw Mizzou's third timeout of the game.
On Mizzou's next three possessions, Bond and Riddle got inside the defense for buckets, and following a Lehning charge drawn by Savant, N'Garsanet got her fourth bucket of the half to get within three (55-52) for the second time in the game.
Following a Hamlin baby hook for her 14th point of the half, N'Garsanet hit 1-of-2 free throws, Riddle snuck underneath off an inbounds play for a layup, and junior forward Tiffany Brooks (Leavenworth, Kan. / Leavenworth HS / Kansas State) canned a 15-foot jumper with 1:29 left for the first tie of the ballgame (57-57). Neither team could convert a basket, which sent the game to overtime.
Savant started the overtime with her third and final 3-pointer before fouling out with 4:17 to play. She finished with 13 points and four rebounds. Brooks converted a backdoor layup moments later for a three-point lead and Mizzou's penultimate bucket. Kimberly Dietz made a pair of 1-and-1 free throws with 15.3 seconds to set up the final possession and Bond's game-winner.
The Tigers return home on Saturday at 5 p.m. to face No. 11-ranked and Big 12 leader Oklahoma in a game that will be televised state-wide over the Mizzou Sports Network. Tickets are on sale at the Mizzou Arena Box Office, or by calling 1-800-CAT-PAWS (884-PAWS in mid-Missouri) or going online to www.mutigers.com.
