2008 Woodie Awards
SectionsLady Bears gain momentum
MSU grabs pair of Valley wins
Alex Robichaud
Issue date: 1/15/08 Section: Sports
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The Lady Bears (4-11, 2-2) started the conference season 0-2, but head coach Nyla Milleson said the wins on Thursday and Saturday put the Lady Bears back in the mix.
"We're right in the thick of things now," Milleson said in her postgame radio show. "We're obviously not one of the top two or three teams yet, but we're back in contention."
Missouri State used 46 percent shooting from the field and 9-of-18 shooting from three to beat Evansville 76-65 on Thursday.
Tahnee Balerio had 16 points and six assists, and Maggie Dwyer kept pace with 17 points and six rebounds.
Sophomore Melissa Busby also provided a lift, starting for the Lady Bears for the sixth time this season.
She had 13 points including 4-for-7 shooting from behind the arc. She grabbed five rebounds and never turned the ball over.
The Lady Bears edged Southern Illinois, the defending Missouri Valley champions, 77-67 on Saturday. A 10-0 run with seven minutes left helped the Lady Bears put Southern Illinois away.
"(This win) was about a team effort and staying together as a team," Milleson said.
The first half was neck-and-neck until Southern Illinois pushed their lead to seven at halftime with a buzzer beating shot from senior Erin Pauk.
The Salukis pushed their lead to 10 just 10 seconds into the second half with a three-point play by freshman Ellen Young. Milleson said the response from the Lady Bears showed their growth as a team.
"Three weeks ago, this team would have folded and never recovered from that," Milleson said.
Senior Tiff Terwelp lead the way for the Lady Bears with 19 points, 10 rebounds and three assists. Balerio and Dwyer chipped in with 16 points each.
Southern Illinois' second half lead was biggest at the 19:50 mark. The Lady Bears trailed until Marisha Brown made a pair of free throws with 8:39 remaining to tie the game at 58.
The Lady Bears went on a 14-3 run to lead by 11 with only 2:48 left, a deficit SIU could not overcome.
Missouri State took advantage of its size in the second half, scoring 12 more points in the paint than Southern Illinois.
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