March 13, 2010
Box Score
ST. CHARLES, Mo. -
Illinois State (24-7) erased an 11-point deficit and fought Northern Iowa (16-15) to the end, but a late three-pointer lifted the Panthers to a 61-59 win the State Farm Missouri Valley Conference Tournament semifinals Saturday night. The Redbirds had two chances to score in the final seconds, but couldn't convert on either.
Nicolle Lewis led all scorers with 20 points, a personal-best in Valley Tournament play. She scored 16 points in the second half, making all seven of her field goal attempts. Amanda Clifton tied her career-high with 10 points and five assists, and grabbed five rebounds. Ashleen Bracey scored 14 and Maggie Krick added 11 to give ISU four players in double-figures.
Northern Iowa's Lizzie Boeck (16) and Erin Brocka (14) combined for 30 of the Panther's 61 points and scored the final four points of the game. The duo also had seven rebounds each.
Early in the first half, after a three-point play by Bracey, UNI went on a 14-4 run to double up the Redbirds, 22-11. UNI made seven of its 11 shots during that run, while the Redbirds went 6:25 with only one field goal - a three-pointer by Clifton.
Northern Iowa maintained the 11-point cushion until the final three minutes of the half. Krick and Bracey each knocked down a three-pointer to pull the Redbirds within five, but Boeck answered with a three of her own at the end of the half to give the Panthers a 35-27 lead.
Krick scored seven of the final 10 Redbird points in the half. ISU kept UNI from scoring on five of its final six possessions of the half, but could only score on two of the ensuing possessions. Northern Iowa shot 50 percent (16-32) in the opening half.
Three-pointers by Clifton and Bracey to open the second half pulled the Redbirds within two, 35-33. Northern Iowa missed its first seven shots and had only five points in the first seven minutes of action.
The Redbirds went inside to Lewis, who scored six-straight points to give ISU its first lead since the opening minutes, 43-42. A jumper by Katie Broadway pushed the lead the three with 10:18 remaining; ISU's biggest at that point of the game. Illinois State erased the 11-point deficit with a 26-12 run that spanned 15:09.
The next three minutes featured three ties and two lead changes, with UNI making a jumper and a three-pointer to pull ahead by five, 54-49. With two more Lewis layups and a Krick jumper, ISU regained the lead, 55-54, but a Boeck free throw tied the score again at 3:53.
Two more Boeck free throws a minute later gave UNI the lead, but Bracey put back a missed jumper and was fouled on the ensuing ISU possession. She missed the free throw, leaving the score tied at 57 with 2:08 remaining. After a moving pick foul was called on Boeck, Lewis hit a jumper from the elbow to give ISU the lead once again. Boeck answered with a three-pointer on the next UNI possession and the Panthers led, 60-59, with just over a minute remaining.
After a missed jumper by Krick, Northern Iowa had a shot clock violation, setting up ISU with the possession and 16.8 seconds on the clock. Off the inbounds play, Bracey found Shala Jackson underneath for a layup, but Brocka came from behind for the block and grabbed the loose ball.
Brocka was fouled immediately, made her first free throw and then missed her second. With no timeouts left, Clifton grabbed the rebound, raced the length of the floor and her layup just rolled off the rim at the buzzer.
