Bama Women's Basketball Defeats Missouri in WNIT First Round
5/16/2002 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
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The University of Alabama women’s basketball team won 68-67 over the Missouri Tigers in the first round of the WNIT in Columbia, Missouri, on Wednesday.
The win moves the Crimson Tide to 18-11 on the season as Missouri’s season comes to an end at 14-15.
Alabama’s Shondra Johnson scored the first two points of the game on a lay-up with 18:53 left in the first half. Bama did not trail in the first half until 8:43 to go in the first half when Missouri’s Natalie Bright made a bucket to put the Tigers up 19-17. Bright then hit a three-pointer on Missouri’s next possession to increase Bama’s deficit to five points. Alabama fought back and took a one point lead at 25-24 with 5:47 left in the half on a basket from Beth Vice. Missouri got the lead back and pushed it out to a five point lead again on a lay-up from Amy Loftus with 55 seconds left in the half. Donyel Wheeler then hit a trey for Alabama to cut Missouri’s lead to two at 36-34. Missouri would cling to that 36-34 lead going into halftime.
Missouri’s Kerensa Barr hit a three-pointer to open up the second half to give Missouri another five point lead. The Crimson Tide scored the next ten points of the game to claim a five point lead of their own at 44-39 with 17:31 left in the game. Alabama’s LaNisha Cartwell scored six of Bama’s ten points during that run. The Crimson Tide would not lose the lead until 6:46 left in the game when Missouri’s Evan Unrau made a two point shot to put the Tigers up 61-59. Bama trailed by three with five minutes to go in the game before Cartwell and Vice each scored a bucket to put the Crimson Tide up 66-65 with 4:03 to go in the game. After three minutes and nineteen seconds of scoreless basketball from both teams, Missouri’s Barr made a two pointer putting the Tigers up one at 67-66 with 44 seconds left in the game. Bama’s Vice missed a shot with seven seconds left in the game, the shot was rebounded by Alabama’s Shun Hunter. Hunter missed the put-back, but Cartwell was there for the tip-in to put Alabama up by one with five seconds left. Hunter then blocked Missouri’s three point attempt at the end of the game to preserve the Crimson Tide’s 68-67 victory.
“I just happened to be there at the right time,” Cartwell said. “Our team really crashed the boards hard. I just got the chance to tip it in.”
“It was a great game,” UA head coach Rick Moody said. “I think both teams played very well. I do think we were a little rusty after two weeks off of competition. I’m really proud of how the kids played, especially in the second half.”
Cartwell and Vice led Alabama in scoring and rebounding with 15 points and eight rebounds apiece. Johnson added 13 for the Crimson Tide. Missouri had five players score in double figures led by Barr with 15 points.
Alabama advances on to play Eastern Kentucky in the second round of the WNIT. Eastern Kentucky won 72-65 in overtime over Southwest Missouri State in their first round game. Alabama will face Eastern Kentucky on Sunday in Richmond, Kentucky at 2 p.m. (ET)
