Dec. 5, 2009
Box Score |
Photo Gallery 
COLUMBIA, Mo. - The University of Missouri women's basketball team outscored Ball State 40-28 in the second half to propel the team to a 66-55 victory over the Cardinals Saturday afternoon at Mizzou Arena. The Tigers improve to 4-2 on the season while the Cardinals fall to 3-4.
Junior Shakara Jones secured her second double-double of the year with 15 points and 10 rebounds. Senior Jessra Johnson narrowly missed her own double-double with a team high 18 points and nine rebounds to go along with three blocks. Sophomore Christine Flores scored a season high 10 points and junior RaeShara Brown added nine points and a career high tying seven assists.
The Tigers scored the game's first four points on layups from Johnson but the Cardinals came back to take a 7-4 advantage after Amber Crago hit a three with 16:06 on the clock. The game see-sawed back and forth, with Missouri earning a 16-12 after Jones converted a three-point play at the 8:37 mark but Ball State eventually knotted the score at 22-22 with 2:39 remaining in the first.
With the Cardinals leading 27-24 and less than a minute left in the half, Jones found Brown for a layup to cut Mizzou's deficit to one, 27-26, at the break.
Senior Amanda Hanneman nailed a three to open the second half as the Tigers took a 29-27 advantage but Ball State came roaring back on an 13-5 run as the Cardinals grabbed a 40-34 advantage with 14:24 on the clock.
After Johnson and Ball State's Benning traded baskets, Mizzou upped its intensity and responded with a 13-0 run, including six points from Brown, as the Tigers gained a 51-42 lead with 9:31 left in the game.
Mizzou kept the Cardinals at bay for the remainder of the contest and earned its biggest lead of the game, 66-53, when Johnson hit a layup off a Brown assist.
The Tigers outscored the Cardinals 46-22 in the paint and handed out 19 assists while forcing Ball State to commit 21 turnovers.
Missouri hits to the road for 7:05 p.m. game against Bradley on Tuesday, Dec. 8 at Lorene Ramsey Gym on the campus of Illinois Central College. The Tigers then return to Mizzou Arena for contests against Texas-Pan American on Thursday, Dec. 10 at 6:30 p.m. and Murray State on Sunday, Dec. 13 at 1 p.m.
