Feb. 19, 2006
Box Score
Springfield, Mo. -
Amber Shelton came off the bench for 11 points, but more cold shooting in the second half by the Redbirds spelled a 68-53 defeat to Missouri State in a Missouri Valley Conference women's basketball game Sunday at Hammons Student Center.
Illinois State, 9-14 overall, 4-10 in the Valley, hit just nine of 27 field goals in the second half after battling to a tie on the first possession of the second half. Lori Trumblee and Holly Hallstrom had nine points each and combined for 17 rebounds. ISU had 16 turnovers and the Bears just four. Illinois State had 17 fouls and MSU just 11.
The Bears, 13-11 overall, 7-8 in the Valley, got what it needed from its three seniors as Kari Koch scored 23, Sarah Klaassen added 17 points and 10 rebounds while Hannah Kirk had eight boards and three assists. ISU had a 37-36 rebounding edge as a team, but MSU had 15 offensive boards.
Redbird coach Robin Pingeton thought the rebounding and toughness of the Bears, along with ISU's turnovers, made the difference.
"You can't give up 15 offensive rebounds and I feel like Missouri State played hard, on a mission," said Pingeton. "And for us to have 16 turnovers against a team that doesn't press, that's not good. But the bottom line is we have to knock down shots. We had open looks and didn't hit them. It's surprising that we've struggled with that because of the shooters we have."
MSU used a 9-0 run in the second half to take control.
"There were times when we lost our poise and they went on some runs," said Pingeton. "You have to give credit to Koch and Klaassen; they stepped up and had a great weekend on their senior weekend."
Missouri State used a pair of Koch buckets to take a 15-7 lead with 14:29 left in the half but Lori Trumblee put back a Redbird miss and then hit a three from the top of the key and ISU was back within 15-12. MSU broke back out to a 27-20 lead, but buckets by Hallstrom, Shelton, Sara Stevenson, Megan McCracken and Lashawn Johnson helped the `Birds battle back to within 32-30 at halftime with a 10-5 finish.
ISU was hampered by foul problems in the first half as Tiffany Hudson picked up three in the first 12 minutes and Kristi Cirone had two as ISU made five of its last eight shots.
Trumblee put back a Hudson miss on the Redbirds' first possession to tie the score at 32-32, but the Lady Bears scored the next nine points as the `Birds misfired on five straight shots. MSU led 41-32 with 16:50 left in the game. The `Birds got within four at 47-43 on a Brea Banks three pointer with 8:30 left. Then MSU took control, out-scoring ISU 16-4 over the next six minutes.
The Redbirds return home for the last two games of the season in Redbird Arena. ISU plays host to Drake at 8:05 p.m. Thursday and Creighton at 2:05 p.m. Sunday.
