CMSU OVERTIME RUN DOOMS SBU

January 6, 2005

Senior Gwyn Smith became only the sixth ever Lady Bearcat to reach the 1,000 point plateau. Smith knocked down her seventh double-double of the year with 10 points and 16 rebounds.

[Final Stats]

BOLIVAR, MO. … Taking a four-point lead in the first 1:51 of overtime, 74-70, the Southwest Baptist University Lady Bearcats had the game slip through their fingers as Central Missouri State put together a 14-0 run in the final 3:39 for an 84-74 win. Amber Wheeler tied the game at 70 with on 19 seconds left in the game to send it to overtime.

For the third straight game, Jennifer Clymore has had 18 or more points as she netted 20 vs. the Jennies while Wheeler threw in 15 points. Gwyn Smith hit a scoring milestone for SBU as she picked up her 1,000 th point. She only needed one point to reach 1,000 and is the sixth Lady Bearcat to reach 1,000 points. Jenny Miller also had 10 points. Lindsey Maple led the Jennies with 19 points.

It was a battle the first five minutes of the first half as there were three ties. SBU’s Smith broke the Lady Bearcats away from the tie with her 1,000 th and 1,001 points on free throws as SBU took a two-point advantage, 8-6. Her free throws started an 11-3 run after that third tie in 4:10 to take an eight-point lead, 17-9. CMSU cut the lead to three in less than three minutes, 17-14, but SBU ran the their lead back up to eight, 27-19 on a 10-2 run. CMSU ended the last 3:49 on a 17-5 run to take the momentum into the half, 36-32.

In the first four minutes of the second half, CMSU pushed their lead to eight, twice, before SBU made a stand. Down eight, 44-36, the Lady Bearcats had a 15-6 run to regain the lead, 51-50. Freshman Trisha Lyons gave SBU the one-point lead when she had an offensive put back after a rebound at the 10:32 mark. An 8-2 run in just two minutes put the Jennies up by five, 58-53.

SBU fought back to cut the lead to one on two different occasions in the next three minutes but could not record the bucket to take the lead. CMSU kept their one-point lead all the way until the 00:53 mark when SBU’s Gwyn Smith sailed in a layup on a fast break from Wheeler to make it, 68-67.

CMSU’s Lisa Millham answered Smith’s layup with one of her own with 42 seconds left and turned it into a three-point play on an Ashley Bland foul. CMSU’s two-point lead lasted until the 00:19 mark when Wheeler tied the game. CMSU’s Ashley Millham missed a final shot for the win with four seconds left.

The Jennies then ran away in overtime for the 10-point win. This was the second time in the last three games that SBU lost in overtime. In the first MIAA game of the year, SBU fell to NWMSU, 96-89.

Overall, SBU shot 40% from the floor but only 26% from three-point range and 11% in overtime. CMSU came away hitting 50% of their shots and nailed 45% from beyond the arc. The Jennies also out rebounded SBU, 35-31. SBU forced 21 turnovers and had 10 steals.