Feb. 16, 2008

Box Score

            SPRINGFIELD, Mo. -- An early 17-0 run by Missouri State proved to be too much for the University of Northern Iowa women's basketball team to overcome in a 73-56 loss in the Hammons Student Center Saturday afternoon.

            Nicole Clausen led UNI (10-14, 6-7) with 18 points. Lizzie Boeck finished with 10 points and eight rebounds.

            Four Lady Bears scored in double digits, led by Tahnee Balerio with 18 points. Tiffany Coppage added 15 for MSU (9-15, 7-6).

                        Jacqui Kalin hit a short jumper to put UNI on the board first, but the Lady Bears used five threes over in a span of four minutes to go on a 17-0 run and take a 17-2 lead with 14:05 to play in the half.

            Danielle Wubbens made one of two free throws at 11:27 to end a seven-minute scoring drought by UNI. MSU scored the game's next four points, extending its lead to 21-3 with 10:17 on the clock.

            Lizzie Boeck scored on the block for the Panthers, and Kalin found Nicole Clausen ahead of the pack on a fast break, and the basket brought the score to 21-7.

            Trailing 23-9, Boeck converted a three-point play to pull the Panthers within 11, 23-12. Tiffany Coppage hit a three for the Bears, however, to keep the MSU lead at 14.

            The Panthers were able to climb back within 12, but Coppage connected twice from behind the arc to extend the Lady Bear lead to 36-17 with 2:40 left in the period.

            Wubbens made a pair of free throws, and Clausen hit the Panthers' first three of the game to bring the score to 36-22 in favor of MSU. Clausen knocked down a baseline jumper with six seconds left in the period to end the half on a 7-0 UNI run and send the Panthers into the locker room trailing, 36-24.

            Clausen connected on a pair of free throws to make it a 10-point game, 36-26, but a three-point play from Balerio and a three from Marisha Brown stretched the MSU lead back to 16, 42-26 with 18:49 to play.

            Clausen and Alexa Mennen each scored on the block to pull the Panthers back within a dozen, 42-28, with 16 minutes left. The MSU lead stayed between 12 and 16 points until a jump shot in the lane by Balerio put the Lady Bears in front, 55-38 with 8:36 remaining.

             A free throw from Jamie Adams followed by a three from Brown gave the Lady Bears a 59-38 lead with 6:40 to play. The Lady Bears led by at least 15 the rest of the way.

             The Panthers shot 18-of-52 (35 percent) from the floor, including 3-of-19 (16 percent) from three-point range. UNI finished 17-of-21 (81 percent) from the free-throw line.

            Missouri State shot 23-of-49 (47 percent) from the floor, including 13-of-24 (54.2 percent) from behind the arc. The Lady Bears were 14-of-19 (74 percent) from the free-throw line.

            The Panthers return to action on Thursday when they host Creighton.