April 1, 2009
Box Score |
Quotes
LAWRENCE, Kan. -
Despite a valiant second-half effort that nearly erased a double-digit deficit, Illinois State (27-8) lost to Kansas (22-13), 75-72, in the semifinals of the Women's National Invitation Tournament. The loss ends ISU's season after its deepest postseason run ever.
Kristi Cirone led the Redbirds with 24 points and four assists. She broke both the ISU single-season records for scoring (657) and assists (203), surpassing former Redbirds Cathy Boswell (649) and Denise Norton (200). She ends her illustrious ISU career with 2,139 points, 681 assists and 262 steals.
Ashleen Bracey had 15 points, five rebounds, four assists and two steals. Maggie Krick and Nicolle Lewis each chipped in 10 points After missing all six of their three-point attempts in the first half, ISU was 3-for-7 from long range in the second half; two by Krick and one by Bracey.
ISU trailed by 17 points with 13:22 remaining in the second half, but used a 26-12 run to make it a single-possession game.
Danielle McCary led all scorers with 31 points, keeping up her average for the WNIT. Krysten Boogaard added 18 points and seven rebounds for Kansas.
Just like the first two games of the WNIT, the first half was a back-and-forth affair featuring three ties and nine lead changes. Kenyatta Shelton nailed a jumper and then drew a charge on the ensuing play to give the ball right back to the `Birds. Bracey then found Cirone underneath for a reverse layup that gave ISU a three-point lead, 17-14.
Kansas outscored ISU 17-11 in the final 10 minutes of the half. After an 11-2 Jayhawk run, the Redbirds pulled back within a basket, but six-straight KU points brought the lead back up to eight, 31-23.
Kansas opened the second half with a 13-3 run before the first media timeout to extend its lead to double-digits, 44-28. The Jayhawks made four of their first five shots in the half and hit five free throws. McCray and Boogaard each had three point plays on contested layups.
Krick made ISU's first three-pointer of the game at the 10:20 mark and a pair of Cirone free throws pulled the Redbirds back within single-digits, 51-42.
Bracey converted a three-point play and then drew a charge on the other end that set up Krick's second three-pointer to cut the lead down to four points, 57-53. The Redbirds continued to trim down the deficit and a leaning jumper by Amanda Clifton pulled them within three, 60-57, with 3:44 remaining.
Kansas extended its lead to as many as six points, but Bracey kept the Redbirds alive with a three-pointer to cut the lead down, 65-62, with 1:01 on the clock. McCray answered with a three-point play and KU was back up by two scores. Cirone completed a three-point play as she was fouled on a driving layup, which broke the scoring record, and ISU was down three again, 70-67, with 15 seconds left.
Cirone was fouled shooting a three-pointer and made all three to make it a one-point game. McCray hit two more free throws giving ISU a chance to tie with a last-second three with 2.9 seconds on the clock. A long inbounds pass from the far end line was too strong and the Redbirds didn't get a chance to take the decisive shot.
