LADY BEARCATS FALL SHORT AGAIN

February 24, 2004

Box

Alicia Mercer had her 7th double-double of the season in her final game at Davison Field House. She had 10 points and 11 rebounds.

BOLIVAR, MO . ... For the fourth time in the last three weeks, the Southwest Baptist University Lady Bearcats (14-12/6-11) lost a game by less than four points, as they fell to Central Missouri State (15-11/8-9), 66-62. SBU cut the lead to two with 00:07 left to play, but did not get a chance to send the game to overtime.

Amber Wheeler led all scorers with 29 points while Gwyn Smith added 13. Alicia Mercer recorded her seventh double-double. Jena Shackleford had 20 points for CMSU.

In the first two minutes, SBU jumped out to a 5-1 lead on a layup from Mercer and a three-pointer from Wheeler. CMSU shot right back to tie the game at five at the 16:45 mark for the first tie of the first half. With 16:02 to go, SBU took their last lead, 7-6, on a Mercer jumper. SBU tied the score five more times over the remaining half, but could not take the lead. At the 4:47 mark, Jen Turpin nailed a shot to tie the game for the sixth time, 25-25. CMSU went on a 6-2 run to finish the half for a four-point half time lead, 31-27.

SBU tied the game at 34 with 16:46 to go in the game when Turpin canned another jumper but CMSU scored the next six points and then pushed their lead to 11, 51-40, by the 13:22 mark. SBU responded on a 13-2 run to tie the game for the eighth time at 53 with 7:06 to play. At the 5:34 mark, Wheeler hit a three-pointer to put SBU up by one, 56-55, but could not hold onto the lead as CMSU answered right back with their own three-pointer that sparked a 7-0 run for a six-point lead, 62-56. SBU cut the lead to two with 1:03 remaining but could not get the breaks to go their way in the final minute as they went on to fall to CMSU, 66-62.

SBU shot 36% from the floor and 29% from three-point range while CMSU hit 41% of their shots and nailed 10-19 three-pointers for 52%. The Lady Bearcats did outrebound CMSU, 42-38. SBU only lost the ball nine times to CMSU's six.

The Lady Bearcats will travel to Emporia, Kansas for their final regular season game against Emporia State on Saturday, February 28th at 5:30 p.m.