Dec. 20, 2010
Box Score
PLAYA DEL CARMEN, Mexico -
Illinois State (5-3) erased a 13-point deficit late in the second half, but couldn't hold on in the final minutes, losing to Nevada (8-2), 87-78, in the first game of the Caribbean Classic. ISU led in the final three minutes, but Nevada closed the game with a 12-2 run.
Emily Hanley led the Redbirds with 19 points, shooting a career-best 9-for-9 from the free throw line, and had eight rebounds. Katie Broadway made four three-pointers for the second-consecutive game and finished with 16 points. Amanda Clifton scored a career-high 14 points, the second double-digit scoring effort of her career, and had three assists.
Tahnee Robinson led all scorers with 27 points, shooting 6-for-9 from three-point range, and Kate Kevorken added 21 for the Wolfpack. Nevada made nine three-pointers, held a 46-38 advantage in rebounds and scored 20 second-chance points.
"We made too many mistakes down the stretch, especially at key points when we had the lead," said head coach Stephanie Glance. "We allowed Nevada to get second chances and make open three-pointers. Nevada is a very good team and we simply can't make mistakes like we did late in the game and expect to win.
Nevada made its first two three-pointers of the game to build a 14-9 lead. ISU pulled within a point three times and a three-pointer by Candace Sykes gave the Redbirds their first lead, 20-18, at the 9:05 mark.
Kate Kevorken scored 10 points during a 13-0 run that gave Nevada a double-digit lead for the first time, 35-24. A Shelton layup snapped an ISU scoring drought of nearly three minutes, but Nevada answered with two more three-pointers to take its biggest lead of the half, 41-28. Kevorken score 13 of Nevada's 19 points during the three-minute stretch.
ISU scored six points in the final two minutes to cut the halftime deficit to 42-34. Kevorken and Robinson combined for 23 of Nevada's 42 points in the half.
The teams traded two six-point runs each in the early part of the second half, with Nevada maintaining a 10-point edge, 59-49, with 12:13 remaining. Illinois State went on a 14-3 run, which started and ended with Broadway three-pointers, to take its second lead of the game, 63-62, at the 8:53 mark.
A Clifton fastbreak layup continued the run and gave ISU a three-point edge, but a two more Kevorken layups and a Robinson three-pointer put Nevada back on top, 69-65. Broadway scored seven points during a 10-4 run, including a three-pointer to regain the lead, 75-73, but Nevada tied it on the next possession. After a free throw by Alexis Jenkins, Robinson made her sixth three-pointer to give Nevada the decisive edge. The Wolfpack made five free throws in the final 35 seconds to seal the victory.
Illinois State takes on Alabama-Birmingham in the second day of the Caribbean Classic Tuesday at 3:30 p.m.
