March 4, 2004
Box Score
Carbondale, Ill. -
Holly Hallstrom's 27 points and 14 rebounds lead a Redbird comeback which erased a 20-point Southern Illinois lead, but Erin Pauk's shot with two seconds left in overtime gave Southern Illinois a 59-58 win in the Missouri Valley Conference regular-season finale for both teams in SIU Arena.
The Redbirds finish the regular season 12-15 overall, 7-11 in the Valley. They will be the No. 6 seed in the 2006 State Farm Missouri Valley Conference Tournament and play No. 3 seed UNI Friday in the quarterfinals of the tournament at Springfield, Mo. SIU 10-17, 6-12 in the Valley, beat the Redbirds at SIU Arena for the first time since 2001.
The Redbirds trailed 38-18 with 14:55 left in the game, but Hallstrom scored 16 points during a 21-3 Redbird run which cut that lead to 41-39 heading into the final four minutes. Megan McCracken drained a three to give ISU a 42-41 lead with 2:54 left, but SIU scored the next seven points to take a48-42 lead on Carlai Moore's free throws with 13 seconds left.
McCracken's three with seven seconds left sent SIU to a time out with a 48-45 lead, but the Salukis couldn't get the ball in-bounds in five seconds and ISU had a shot to tie. Kristi Cirone nailed a trey from the left elbow on a pass from Tiffany Hudson and ISU got a second chance in overtime, tied 48-48.
After SIU scored first, a bucket by Hallstrom, a three-pointer by Lori Trumblee and a short jumper by Trumblee put the `Birds up 55-50 with 3:05 left in the overtime. But Moore's bank shot, a two-pointer by Pauk and a three-pointer by Pauk gave the Salukis a 57-55 lead into the final minute. Another McCracken three put ISU ahead 59-58 with 14 seconds left. After an SIU time out, Pauk hit a bank shot from the left side to put the Salukis ahead with 0:02 on the clock. ISU couldn't get a shot on the in-bounds pass, falling for the second time this season to the Salukis.
ISU's comeback was necessitated by a near 10-minute scoring draught. SIU led 19-17 with 4:46 left in the half after a Hallstrom bucket, but ISU didn't score again until Hallstrom hit a free throw with 15:55 left. By that time, the Salukis led 36-17. The 20-point lead came when Moore scored after Hallstrom's free throw.
After making just six of 28 shots in the first 25 minutes, the `Birds made six of their next 11 at the start of the comeback. Hallstrom scored 16 points during that 21-3 Redbird run. Cirone added 10 points and McCracken 11, but the `irds still shot just 38 percent from the field and made just 5 of 12 free throws.
Redbird coach Robin Pingeton was unhappy with the outcome despite the comeback.
"I felt like we would have had a better chance if we had come right out of the gate and played like we did in the second half," said Pingeton. "There's no excuse for not getting that effort. This time of year, you have to have it and you can't miss free throws like that and expect to win close games."
Hallstrom thought the end of the team's three-game win streak came painfully.
"It hurts (losing)," she said. "We have to come out this week in practice and get focused so this kind of game doesn't happen in the tournament.
