University of Missouri
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Kansas
Kansas Women Split Series with 81-71 Overtime Win
2/25/2006 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Feb. 25, 2006
LAWRENCE, Kan. - Erica Hallman and Crystal Kemp combined to score 54 points, and Kansas made four of its five baskets in overtime to lead the Jayhawks to an 81-71 win over Mizzou in Big 12 Conference action Saturday afternoon at Allen Field House.
The win gives the Jayhawks (16-10, 5-10 Big 12) a split of the season series with Mizzou, while the Tigers (20-7, 10-5) fall into third place in the conference with the loss. It spoiled a season-high 26-point effort from junior guard Tiffany Brooks (Leavenworth, Kan. / Leavenworth HS / Kansas State) to lead Missouri. Senior center Christelle N'Garsanet (Abidjan, Cote d'Ivoire / Illinois Central College) posted her 13th double-double, and eighth in nine games, with 12 points and 11 rebounds, while junior forward Carlynn Savant (Euless, Texas / Trinity HS) added 10 points.
Hallman led all scorers with 29, while Kemp had 25; Kaylee Brown added 11 for the Jayhawks.
"I thought we made some great defensive plays; unfortunately, they got offensive rebounds. We just had to get a hold of the ball. Their putbacks broke our back," Head Coach Cindy Stein said. "We weren't poised down the stretch. It was a hard-fought game, though. Tiffany Brooks had an outstanding game and played hard. Christelle N'Garsanet had foul trouble, and our point guards had an off night, but you have to give credit to KU."
Both teams went inside early and often, pitting KU's Crystal Kemp against N'Garsanet. Each had two baskets in the first 3 minutes, 45 seconds of the game. Following an N'Garsanet putback for her sixth point of the game, Kansas went on a quick 6-0 run for a 14-8 lead - the Jayhawks' largest of the half - with 12:56 to go in the half.
Brooks, continuing a hot shooting streak over the last three games, took over for the Tigers on the outside with N'Garsanet on the bench with her second foul. In a four-minute span, Brooks canned a pair of 17-foot jumpers and also made all four of her free-throw attempts to become the first player of the game to score in double figures.
Kansas kept on feeding Kemp inside, and the senior center finished the first half with 12 points of her own. Yet it was a rare 4-point play from Savant with 6:04 to play in the half that gave the Tigers the lead again (24-22). After the Jayhawks regained the lead on back-to-back turnaround jumpers from Kemp and Marija Zinic, Brooks made her fifth basket of the half to start a 10-2 Mizzou run that ended with a nice layup from senior guard LaToya Bond (Urbana, Ill. / Urbana HS) on the fastbreak. Mizzou took a 38-34 lead into the locker room.
KU scored the first six points of the second half to take a two-point lead just 2:48 in before a 9-2 Tiger run gave Mizzou a 47-42 lead. After a couple of Hallman free throws, the Tigers forced two shot-clock violations, yet Hallman hit a pair of jumpers to retake the lead. Another Brooks jumper - she is 26-of-46 (.565) from the field in the last four games - and an N'Garsanet putback put Mizzou ahead again, and the Tigers stayed in the lead until a Kaylee Brown layup tied the game at 61 with 1:45 to go. Kansas built the lead to three with 17 seconds left before Savant was fouled on a 3-point try with 9 seconds to go. She hit all three to send the game into overtime.
In the extra period, Kansas made its first three shots to take a 70-64 lead with 3:22 to go. Mizzou misfired on its first four shots, and had two turnovers, before Brooks hit the Tigers' only field goal on a layup with 59 seconds left to pull Missouri within six (74-68). The Tigers then sent Kansas to the line, where KU was 9-of-13 in the extra period.
After making their first 21 free throws of the game to tie the school record, the Tigers missed their final three of the game to finish 21-of-24 (85.7 percent).
The Tigers close out the regular season Wednesday night vs. Nebraska at 7 p.m.; Seniors LaToya Bond, Christelle N'Garsanet and Cherice Mack will be honored in pre-game ceremonies. Tickets are on sale at the Mizzou Arena Box Office, by calling 1-800-CAT-PAWS (884-PAWS in mid-Missouri) or visiting www.mutigers.com. Mizzou students with All-Sports passes and KMIZ-ZOU cardholders gain free admission to the game.
