The Missouri State Lady Bears (5-11 overall, 3-2 MVC) will be shooting for their first four-game win streak since the 2005-06 season Saturday (Jan. 19) when they take on the Bradley Braves (7-8 Overall, 1-3 MVC) at Robertson Field House in Peoria, Ill.
The Lady Bears ended a 15-game road losing streak that included nine losses in-a-row in regular-season conference play with a 78-55 victory over UNI Thursday (Jan. 17) in Cedar Falls, Iowa. Bradley was also victorious in its first MVC game of the week, knocking off Wichita State, 66-54, Thursday in Peoria.
Saturday’s game will be broadcast locally in Springfield on KTXR 101.3 FM.
Last Time Out: The Lady Bears used a 16-0 second-half scoring run to take control of a tight ballgame and run away with a 78-55 victory over UNI Thursday evening to improve to 3-2 in the Valley.
MSU got key second-half performances from senior guard Tahnee Balerio and freshman guard Marisha Brown to snap a 15-game road losing streak and earn its third consecutive win. Brown scored all 11 of her points after intermission and Balerio matched that effort to lead a Lady Bear offense that shot 60 percent (18-of-30) from the floor, including 5-of-8 from beyond the three-point line in the second period.
After UNI scored on a Nicole Clausen jumper to cut the MSU lead to 32-30, the Lady Bears scored the next 16 points to take control of the game. Balerio knocked down a pair of free throws to start the run and extended the lead to 41-30 with her third three-pointer of the game at the 17:25 mark. Maggie Dwyer’s layup with 15:33 to play capped the scoring run and gave MSU an 18-point lead.
The Panthers briefly cut into the Lady Bear lead, getting three-pointers from Jacqui Kalin and Traci Ollendieck to key a 10-2 scoring burst that made it a 10-point game. But Missouri State responded by reeling off nine unanswered points to build a 59-40 advantage, and the Lady Bears never looked back.
UNI jumped out to a 12-4 lead at the onset of the game behind the shooting of Clausen, whose second three-pointer of the ballgame with 12:50 left in the half gave the Panthers their biggest lead of the contest. The Lady Bears would score 13 of the game’s next 15 points and go on to outscore the Panthers 28-16 over the final 12:05 of the half.
Balerio registered her second double-double of the season and matched a career high with five three-pointers to finish with a game-high 19 points to go along with 10 assists. Junior forward Maggie Dwyer also finished in double figures with 14 points, while sophomore guard Melissa Busby totaled 10 points for MSU.
The Coaches: Nyla Milleson (Kansas State, ’85) is 5-11 in her first season as the head coach at Missouri State and 190-47 overall. The Goodland, Kan., native led Drury University to a 185-36 mark in seven seasons, highlighted by a national runner-up finish in 2003-04. In all, the Lady Panthers made five NCAA Division II Tournament appearances and advanced to the Sweet 16 in four of those years. Milleson was honored as Heartland Conference Coach of the Year four times, as Drury won five conference titles in all.
Paula Buscher (Missouri State, 86) is in her eighth season at Bradley and her 11th season overall as a collegiate head coach. The Peoria, Ill., native has compiled a 134-160 career record, including an 91-122 mark as head coach of the Braves.
The former Lady Bear guard (1983-85) wrapped up her Missouri State playing career near the top of MSU’s all-time assists, steals and free throw percentage leaderboards before beginning her coaching career under Illinois State head coach Jill Hutchison. Buscher made head coaching stops at Minnesota State-Mankato and Nebraska-Omaha before accepting the Bradley job in 2000.
In 16 games against Missouri State, Buscher’s Braves are 6-10, including a 3-4 mark in Peoria.
Series Record: The Lady Bears hold a 38-17 advantage in the series with the Braves, with the two teams splitting their last 10 meetings.
Last year, the Braves won all three contests between the two schools to earn their first season sweep in the series with Missouri State since the 1988-89 season.
In the first meeting of the season between MSU and BU, Devyn Flanagan scored 25 points to help the Braves turn back the Lady Bears’ late rally and escape Hammons Student Center with a 76-68 victory.
Bradley survived a late Missouri State scoring run to come away with a 78-75 victory on Feb. 15 in Peoria. The Braves led by as many as 19 points in the second half before Tahnee Balerio led a late MSU charge to pull the Lady Bears to within one point in the final minute. Balerio finished with 35 points- her third of four 30-point games this season.
Bradley would end the Lady Bears’ season with a 65-56 victory in the opening round of the State Farm MVC Tournament in Des Moines to give the Braves their first three-game win streak in the series with Missouri State.
Scouting Bradley: After halting a three-game losing streak with their win over Wichita State Thursday, the Braves are 7-8 on the season and 1-3 in MVC play. BU lost the services of leading scorer Monica Rogers earlier in the week due to injury, and will rely on a deep rotation to pick up the offensive slack. Senior guard Devyn Flanagan (8.1 ppg./3.5 rpg.) tallied a career-high 25 points against the Lady Bears last year in Springfield and she is one of two returning starters from last season’s 12-19 squad that finished seventh in the conference. Sophomore guard Skye Johnson (8.7 ppg./2.8 apg.) is shooting .471 from the field and leads the club in steals with 32. On the interior, sophomore Jenny Van Kirk and junior Kelly Krumwiede combine to average over 14 points and eight boards per contest while shooting 50 percent from the floor. Senior guard Rachel Merriman (5.4 ppg./4.9 apg.) is second in the conference in assists, averages a team-high 28.9 minutes per game and is one of three Braves (alsong with Flanagan and Johnson) to have started all 15 contests so far in 2007-08. Sophomore guard Renee Frericks (5.6 ppg./43.1 3FG%) is the Valley’s third-leading three-point shooter.
As a team, BU averages 63.9 points per outing and has the MVC’s third-best scoring defense (62.9). Led by Frericks’ .431 shooting percentage, the Braves also rank third in three-point field goal percentage. Bradley leads the conference in steals per game, averaging 10 per ballgame.
Streak’s Over: MSU’s 78-55 win over UNI Thursday put the brakes on a school-record 15-game road losing streak that included nine road losses in-a-row in regular season conference play, dating back to January of last season. The Lady Bears’ current three-game MVC win streak is their first during regular-season conference play since the 2004-05 season.
Getting Offensive: Missouri State has scored 70 points or more in each of its last four contests. The last time the Lady Bears accomplished that feat was during a six-game winning streak in February 2005.
In the Crunch: The Lady Bears’ came away with victories over Evansville (1/10) and Southern Illinois (1/12) thanks in large part to big second-half efforts in each contest. As a team Missouri State shot just under 52 percent from the floor (27-of-52) in the combined second periods of the two games to outscore the Purple Aces and Salukis by a +12.5 margin. MSU also came through with solid defensive efforts in each game, holding its two opponents to identical 8-of-29 (.276) shooting performances from three-point range that included a combined second-half showing of 7-of-30 (.233) from beyond the arc.
Big Three Getting it Done: Missouri State’s top three scorers, seniors Tahnee Balerio and Tiff Terwelp, along with junior Maggie Dwyer, accounted for just under 61 percent of the Lady Bears’ offense in its two wins last week.
The second-half breakdown is even more pronounced, with the trio totaling 59 of MSU’s 85 points, or just over 69 percent of its offense. Additionally, Balerio, Terwelp and Dwyer combined to shoot 50 percent (34-of-68) from the field, hit 21-of-25 (.840) free throw attempts and recorded 18 of the team’s 23 assists in the second half vs. UE and SIU.
Windex Woman: Terwelp has been the Lady Bears top rebounder in each of the past two seasons, and currently leads the Valley in rebounding with an average of 8.4 boards per game.
Earlier this season, Terwelp cleaned the glass to the tune of 18 rebounds in the loss at ASU. That effort matched single-game performances by Lynn Strubberg (1/28/83 at Northwest Missouri St.) and Roshonda Reed (1/16/99 at Indiana St.) for the third-highest rebound total in MSU history. Terwelp’s previous career-high of 16 boards came in a 70-51 loss at Tulsa last December.
The Quincy, Ill., product nearly equaled that effort at Creighton (Jan. 6) when she pulled down 17 rebounds, her fifth double-digit rebounding game of the season.
Dwyer Honored Again: After helping MSU to back-to-back conference wins for the first time since February 2006, junior forward Maggie Dwyer picked up her third Missouri Valley Conference Newcomer of the Week honor for 2007-08.
Dwyer led Missouri State in scoring with a 16.5 ppg. average while pulling down 6.0 rebounds and playing a team-high 35.0 minutes per outing in the wins over Evansville and Southern Illinois. Against the Purple Aces, Dwyer converted 5-of-12 field goal attempts and 6-of-8 foul shots to total a team-high 17 points. She also grabbed six boards and recorded a game-high three steals and a pair of assists in the Lady Bears’ 76-65 win on Thursday.
The Michigan State transfer followed up that effort with a 16-point, six rebound performance Saturday against Southern Illinois to help the Lady Bears notch their fourth win of the season with a come-from-behind 77-67 decision over the Salukis.
Dwyer, who was also tabbed for the honor on both Dec. 10 and Dec. 26, is averaging a team-high 14.0 points per game, good for seventh in the Valley. She becomes the first Lady Bear to earn three weekly awards in a single season since Jenni Lingor was named MVC Player of the Week three times in 2004-05 en route to the picking up the league’s MVP award.
Balerio Tops 1,000-Point Plateau: Senior guard Tahnee Balerio became the 19th player in school history to join the 1,000-point club with her 16-point performance Jan. 12 vs. Southern Illinois, knocking down a pair of free throws with 9:26 left in the game to reach the 1,000 career scoring mark. Sarah Klaassen was the last Lady Bear to accomplish the feat, surpassing the mark in MSU’s win over Drake in the quarterfinal round of the 2006 State Farm MVC Tournament.
Holding Aces: Missouri State’s first Missouri Valley Conference win of the season, a 76-65 victory over Evansville on Jan. 10, snapped a streak of five straight losses in MVC regular season play and six in a row against Valley opponents, including last season’s loss to Bradley in the State Farm MVC Tournament.
The victory over the Purple Aces gave head coach Nyla Milleson her first career MVC win and was the Lady Bears’ first victory in an MVC home opener since defeating Evansville (1/6/05) at the start of the 2004-05 conference season. It also prevented the third straight 0-3 start to an MVC season for Missouri State.
Climbing the Charts: Balerio moved by Gail Beck into the 19th spot on Missouri State’s career scoring chart with her 966th career point in a 79-73 loss at Creighton on Jan. 6. With her 17-point effort versus UTSA (Nov. 29), Balerio topped the 900 career point mark and moved up to the No. 20 spot on the Lady Bears’ career scoring chart. Balerio’s first field goal of the night against the Roadrunners with 17:04 to play in the first half pushed her past Lynne Miller and Kimberly Scoggin, who previously shared the 20th spot at 891 career points. She currently needs 19 more points to catch Sarah Klaassen (1,045) for the No. 18 spot.
Senior forward Tiff Terwelp also broke into the top 30 when she scored her 731st career point vs. DePaul (Dec. 2) to move past Meg Tierney for the 30th spot. Terwelp surpassed the 800-point mark for her MSU career in the Lady Bears’ win over Southern Illinois (Jan. 12) and caught Jessie McVay for the 29th spot with her eight-point effort vs. UNI (Jan. 17). She enters Saturday’s game just one point short of Patty Porter at No. 28 on the list.
More Charting: Terwelp broke into MSU’s career rebounding top 10 with her 14-board effort in MSU’s Jan. 4 loss at Drake. She passed LaTanya Davis (648) for the No. 10 spot on the chart, then climbed all the way to No. 8 with her 17-rebound performance in a 79-73 overtime loss at Creighton (Jan. 6), passing both Sandy Meyer (661) and Karen Rapier (666). She needs two more rebounds to catch Kelly Mago (696) in the seventh position and six more to reach 700 career rebounds, thus becoming just the sixth Lady Bear to score 800 points and grab 700 rebounds.
Valley Openers: With their loss at Drake on Jan. 4, the Lady Bears are now 11-5 in Missouri Valley Conference openers and 18-7 overall in conference openers since formal competition began in the Gateway in 1983. The defeat was MSU’s largest loss in MVC regular-season play since an 84-47 setback at Creighton six years ago (1/6/02).With its Jan. 6 overtime loss at Creighton, MSU started conference play 0-2 for the third consecutive season.
On this Date in Lady Bears History: January 19, 1986 - Missouri State 78, Indiana State 77 (OT) - Just two days after suffering a 35-point defeat at Illinois State, the Lady Bears stopped a 10-game road losing streak with a one-point overtime win in Terre Haute. MSU recorded a season-high 16 steals against the Sycamores, as senior forward Jeanette Tendai’s 22 points led the Lady Bears. Junior guard Nel Patton added 20 points, while junior center Sarah Stohs posted a double-double with a 14-point, 11-rebound effort.
Preseason Picks: Missouri State was picked to finish seventh in the Missouri Valley Conference preseason poll of coaches, media and sports information directors. The Lady Bears received 136 points, while preseason favorite Drake received 24 of 40 first-place votes and 348 total points.
MSU Peaks in The Valley: The Lady Bears are 198-73 all-time against Valley opponents with a 115-20 home record against league foes. Since joining the MVC in 1992, the Lady Bears have won at least a share of eight regular-season titles and seven conference tournaments. Missouri State has played in 10 of the 15 Valley tournament championship games.
Instant O: After averaging just 57.8 points per game in their first eight contests of the season, the Lady Bears scored 176 points combined against Oral Roberts (Dec. 15) and Canisius (Dec. 21). That figure represents the best two-game scoring total for MSU since December 2004, when the Lady Bears knocked off Saint Louis (86-56) and Eastern Kentucky (91-81) in succession. Additionally, MSU’s 97 points vs. Canisius represented the highest point total by a Lady Bear club since a 107-53 win over Evansville on March 8, 2003.
Century Mark for Terwelp, Balerio: Tiff Terwelp played in her 100th career contest for Missouri State in the loss at Oral Roberts (Dec. 15), becoming the 34th Lady Bear to top the century mark in games played. Fellow senior Tahnee Balerio also reached the 100-game plateau for her MSU career in the Lady Bears’ Jan. 6 loss at Creighton.
Balerio Back in Gear: Balerio was a driving force in the Lady Bears’ offensive in their last three non-conference games. After totaling just 14 assists in MSU’s first eight games, the Buhler, Kan., native registered a career-high 12 against Oral Roberts, then handed out 10 in both the win over Canisius and an 82-64 loss at Western Kentucky (Dec. 29). Balerio also tallied 17 points in the victory over Canisius, matching her best scoring effort since a 20-point performance in the Lady Bears’ season-opener at Texas (Nov. 11).
Busby Makes Her Mark: Sophomore guard Melissa Busby has made the most of her return to the Missouri State starting lineup, totaling 68 points in the Lady Bears’ last three non-conference contests.
In her first start of the season Busby connected on 6-of-11 three-point tries and led the Lady Bears with a career-high 24 points in a 96-79 loss at Oral Roberts (Dec. 15). She followed that up with another strong offensive showing in the Lady Bears’ win over Canisius (Dec. 21). Busby knocked down six three-pointers in the first half and finished with 23 points for the game on 7-of-12 shooting from beyond the arc. She matched that shooting performance with a 7-of-11 effort against Western Kentucky. The Edmond, Okla., native hit six treys in the second half versus the Lady Toppers to finish with 21 points, her third 20+ point performance in a row.
Mags to Riches: Junior forward Maggie Dwyer found her shooting stroke over the Lady Bears’ last six non-conference contests. While averaging a team-high 17.8 points per game over that stretch, Dwyer shot .430 from the field, including .429 from three-point range after connecting on just 28.6 percent of her field-goal attempts in Missouri State’s first five games of the season. She averaged team highs of 32.0 minutes and 6.8 boards per contest in the Lady Bears final six games leading up to the conference season.
No Cupcakes Here: Missouri State’s 11 non-conference opponents have combined to go 115-70 (.622) in 2007-08 (through games of Jan. 17). The Lady Bears’ schedule has produced two games against ranked opponents (#22 Texas and #17 DePaul), and all but Tulsa (7-10), Saint Louis (7-10) and Canisius (8-9) are at the .500 mark or above.
For the Record Books: The Lady Bears’ 96-79 loss at Oral Roberts (Dec. 15) will be remembered for several significant individual performances that left their mark on the Missouri State record book. Busby’s six treys matched seven other performances by a Lady Bear for the 10th-most three-point field goals made in a single game. Melody Howard (twice), Tina Robbins (12/5/93 at Iowa), Jackie Stiles (twice) and Kari Koch (twice) also buried six triples in a game for MSU.
Balerio’s seven steals marked a new career high for the senior point guard and equaled the single-game efforts of 13 other Lady Bears for the seventh-best all-time performance in school history. Additionally, Balerio’s 12 assists matched her career best in that category (2/23/06 vs. Creighton) and ranks as the No. 10 single-game total, along with 11 other such performances by MSU players.
Double Trouble: A Lady Bear has finished in double figures in rebounding in 11 of MSU’s last 14 contests. Four different players have posted double-digit rebound games in that span, and three of those have registered point-rebound double-doubles, including Tiff Terwelp (vs. Arkansas State, Creighton and Southern Illinois), Jacque Griggs (vs. UALR) and Maggie Dwyer (vs. Tulsa and Western Kentucky). In all, nine Lady Bears have established new single-game rebounding highs so far in 2007-08.
Adams Arrives: The Lady Bears received a boost with the addition of Jamie Adams, a two-year MSU volleyball starter who began practicing with the Lady Bears the week of Dec. 10. Adams scored four points, grabbed a team-high seven rebounds and recorded two blocks in her Lady Bear debut vs. Oral Roberts (Dec. 15).
Adams, who will have two years of basketball eligibility, earned second-team All-MVC honors in 2006 and 2007 and helped the volleyball Bears to three-straight NCAA Tournament appearances.
Balerio on Lowe’s Senior CLASS Award Watch List: In recognition of her accomplishments both on and off the court, senior guard Tahnee Balerio has been selected as one of 30 initial candidates for the 2007-08 Lowe’s Senior CLASS Award for women’s basketball.
Lowe’s Senior CLASS (an acronym for Celebrating Loyalty and Achievement for Staying in School) Award recognizes college senior athletes who remain committed to their university and pursue the many rewards that a senior season can bring.
Balerio is one of 30 candidates in the running for the 2008 women’s basketball award, for which 10 finalists will be selected in early February. The winner will be announced at the Women’s Final Four in Tampa, Fla., during the weekend of April 5-6.
One Down: MSU’s 72-61 victory over Tulsa on Dec. 4 allowed the Lady Bears to cross a number of items off their to do list, including:
►posting their first win of the 2007-08 season after six straight losses to begin the campaign;
►giving new head coach Nyla Milleson her first win at MSU and as a Division I head coach;
►halting a school record-tying 10-game losing streak dating back to February of 2007;
►ending a four-game home losing streak, their longest since the 1985-86 season;
Welcome Wagon: Milleson and her staff have received four commitments to join the Lady Bears in 2008 during the November early signing period. Local products Lacey Boshe (Marshfield, Mo.) and Casey Garrison (Bolivar, Mo.) will be joined by a pair of Texas prep standouts, Jasmine Malone (San Antonio) and Regan Soldner (Southlake) in the class of 2008.
Balerio Cracks Career Top 10 Lists: Senior guard Tahnee Balerio passed Jamie Bartlett for the No. 6 spot on MSU’s career top 10 chart for three-point field-goal attempts with her only attempt of the night against Saint Louis (Dec. 7). She enters Saturday’s game needing 21 more tries to reach the fifth spot on the chart, currently held by Sarah Klaassen.
Balerio also moved past current Lady Bear assistant coach Carly (Deer) Stubblefield for the No. 9 slot on MSU’s all-time three-point field goals list last season with her 72nd career trey in a 68-65 loss at Wichita State (2/3/07). Balerio now has 115 career threes, which is five shy of Bartlett in the eighth spot on the chart.
The Buhler, Kan., native is eighth all-time in free throw percentage (.817) and 10th in free throws made (277) at MSU.
For Openers: With their 92-55 loss at #22 Texas, the Lady Bears are now 20-19 all-time in season openers and have dropped their last four contests on opening night. The 37-point setback is the largest margin of defeat in a MSU season opener since the Lady Bears lost a 43-point decision (94-51) at Arkansas to start the 1985-86 season. It is also MSU’s worst loss since Jan. 6, 2002, when it fell by an 84-47 score at Creighton.
This season marks the fifth year in a row Missouri State has played its first game away from Hammons Student Center. Last year, MSU lost to Iowa, 79-70, in its season opener in Kansas City after dropping the first game of 2005-06 at Arkansas State and its 2004-05 opener at Richmond.
MSU vs. Ranked Opponents: With its 80-48 loss at #17 DePaul on Dec. 2, Missouri State dropped to 0-2 vs. ranked opponents on the season. The Lady Bears are now 19-36 all-time versus ranked opponents and have lost 10 straight against top 25 teams.
Missouri State’s last win over a ranked foe came against Gail Goestenkors’ fifth-ranked Duke Blue Devils in the 2001 NCAA West Regional semifinal (3/24/01).
MSU’s season opener at #22 Texas was the Lady Bears’ first opener versus a ranked opponent since the 2000-01 season when they defeated #10 LSU, 85-75. MSU is 2-2 all-time versus ranked teams in season openers.
Missouri State Postseason Run: One or both of the MSU basketball teams have made postseason appearances in each of the last 22 years.
With last year’s 7-21 finish, the Lady Bears missed the postseason for the first time since the 1996-97 season. The MSU women have seen postseason action in nine of the past 10 years and in 15 out of the last 17 seasons, dating back to the 1990-91 campaign.
Lady Bear Captains: Senior Tahnee Balerio, senior Tiff Terwelp and junior Tiffany Coppage will serve as tri-captains for the 2007-08 season. This marks the second year in a row Balerio and Terwelp have been selected Lady Bear captains.
If You Build It They Will Come: The Lady Bears are playing their 32nd and final season in Hammons Student Center in 2007-08. Missouri State broke ground on the $67 million JQH Arena on Dec. 21, 2006 in the east parking lot adjacent to Hammons. The new 11,000-seat arena is slated for completion in time for the start of the 2008-09 basketball season. Last year the Lady Bears drew 81,349 fans, or an average of 5,424 per contest, good for 18th in the nation. Missouri State has ranked in the top 20 nationally in average attendance in each of the last 17 seasons, including 1992-93 when the Lady Bears led all of Division I in that category.
Home Sweet Hammons: The Lady Bears are 323-105 (.755) at home since HSC opened in 1976-77. MSU has had 24 winning seasons, four losing campaigns and three seasons at .500 at HSC. The Lady Bears have gone undefeated at HSC six times (1989-90, 1991-92, 1993-94, 1995-96, 2000-01, 2003-04). From Dec. 18, 1990 to Dec. 27, 1992 the Lady Bears won 30 consecutive games at Hammons Student Center. MSU also had a 24-game winning streak dating from Feb. 15, 2003 before falling at home to #1 LSU in December of 2004. Over the last 18 seasons, Missouri State has averaged more than 13 wins per season and fewer than three losses in that same time. Missouri State has ranked in the top 15 nationally in attendance for 15 of the last 17 seasons and has been in the top 10 in 11 of those years.
Missouri State All-Time: Missouri State is in its 39th season of women’s collegiate basketball and has an all-time record of 658-447 (.595) for a total of 1,105 games. MSU began formal competition in 1969 and has now posted 26 winning seasons and made 13 NCAA Tournament appearances. The Lady Bears advanced to the Final Four in 1992 and 2001 and the Sweet Sixteen in 1993.
Player Notes...
1 Maggie Dwyer becomes eligible for the 2007-08 season after sitting out last year following her transfer from Michigan State...scored 16 points, connecting on 3-of-6 from three-point range and 5-of-6 free-throw attempts in MSU’s 92-55 season-opening loss at #22 Texas (11/11)...led the Lady Bears with three steals and three assists in their 78-68 loss to Green Bay (11/17)...posted her second double-digit scoring effort of the season at Arkansas State (11/20) with a 10-point performance in a 74-54 loss...led the Lady Bears in scoring with 15 points on 5-of-12 shooting in an 80-48 loss at #17 DePaul (12/2)...recorded her first double-double as a Lady Bear with a 12-point, 10-rebound effort in MSU’s 72-61 win over Tulsa (12/4)...led MSU with 18 points in the Lady Bears’ 69-51 loss to Saint Louis (12/7)...named Missouri Valley Conference Newcomer of the Week (12/10) after averaging 15.0 points and 6.0 rebounds in two games vs. Tulsa and SLU...scored 23 points and matched personal bests for steals (three) and three-point field goals (three) in a 96-79 loss at Oral Roberts (12/15)...went 10-of-21 from the field and scored a career-high 29 points in MSU’s 97-89 win over Canisius (12/21) en route to picking up her second MVC Newcomer of the Week honor (12/26)...notched her second double-double of the year, scoring 10 points and grabbing 11 rebounds in the Lady Bears’ loss at Western Kentucky (12/29)...posted her third double-digit rebound effort of the year and her second in a row with a 10-board night in MSU’s 72-42 loss at Drake (1/4)...led the Lady Bears with 17 points to go along with six rebounds and career highs of three steals and one block in a 76-65 win over Evansville (1/10)...scored 10 of her 16 points in the second half of a 77-67 win over Southern Illinois (1/12), helping the Lady Bears overcome a 10-point deficit...scored 14 points on 6-of-8 shooting in MSU’s 78-55 victory at UNI (1/17).
2 Tiffany Coppage became the first player to commit to new MSU head coach Nyla Milleson last April, joining her former head coach at Fort Scott and current Lady Bear assistant Kristy Guffey in making the move to Springfield...was MSU’s third-leading scorer with five points in the Lady Bears’ loss at Texas...was 3-of-5 from three-point range in the first half of an eventual 63-59 loss to UTSA (11/29), sparking a 13-2 MSU run...ignited a 34-13 scoring run by scoring 11 points off the Lady Bears’ bench in the win over Tulsa (12/4)...made her first career start as a Lady Bear in the loss to Saint Louis (12/7), scoring three points and grabbing three boards...scored nine points off the bench on 3-of-7 shooting from three-point range at Oral Roberts (12/15).
3 Melissa Busby averaged 6.6 points and 3.2 rebounds while leading the Lady Bears in three-point shooting percentage (.351) as a freshman in 2006-07...saw action in 21 contests as a freshman, starting six and averaging just under 22 minutes of playing time per game...finished third on the team with 24 steals, 23 of which came during MVC play...went 5-of-9 from three-point range and averaged 9.5 points and 3.5 boards in MSU’s two exhibition wins to start the 2007-08 season...scored a season-high six points while handing out three assists in MSU’s win over Tulsa (12/4)...scored a career-high 24 points on 6-of-11 shooting from three-point range in the loss at Oral Roberts (12/15)...connected on a career-best seven three-point field goals (7-of-12) and totaled 23 points in the Lady Bears’ win over Canisius (12/21)...went 7-of-11 from three-point range, including 6-of-7 in the second half, to finish with a team-high 21 points in the loss at WKU (12/29); her seven treys was good for the sixth-best single-game performance in school history...scored 10 of her 13 points in the second half of MSU’s win over Evansville (1/10), including three-pointers on back-to-back possessions with just over six minutes left to play that gave the Lady Bears a double-digit lead...scored 10 points, recored two steals and a block and matched a career high with seven boards in the win at UNI (1/17).
12 Roxy Stiles was the Lady Bears’ fourth-leading scorer with an 8.4 ppg. average as a freshman in 2006-07...was one of seven Missouri State freshmen to see regular playing time last season...started 26 games and logged 872 minutes, both the second-highest totals on the squad last season...finished her initial collegiate campaign as the third-leading freshman scorer in the Missouri Valley Conference...saw her streak of 26 consecutive games started come to an end in the Lady Bears’ season-opening loss at Texas...scored 14 points on 6-of-7 shooting from the field in the loss to Green Bay (11/17)...notched her second double-figure scoring night of the year with a 10-point effort against Saint Louis (12/7).
20 Jasmyne Watson was a four-year starter at Houston’s Clear Brook High School, helping the Wolverines to three district titles and four state playoff appearances...averaged 15.5 points, 4.1 rebounds, 2.1 blocks, 3.4 assists and 2.4 steals en route to earning district MVP honors and her third straight first-team all-district selection as a senior in 2006-07...directed Clear Brook to a 45-3 mark in district play and brought home District 24-5A titles in each of her first three years at the school...scored one point, grabbed three rebounds and handed out an assist in her MSU debut vs. Texas...scored four points in seven minutes of playing time in the loss to Green Bay (11/17)...tallied five points and two assists in MSU’s loss at Arkansas State (11/20)...totaled 12 points on 5-of-10 shooting in MSU’s 68-55 loss at UALR (11/25)...recorded a career-best 13 points on 6-of-9 shooting from the field in the Lady Bears’ loss to UTSA (11/29)...scored nine points and posted career highs in rebounds (five) and assists (three) in a 72-61 win over Tulsa (12/4)...totaled seven points, tying a career high with five free throws, in MSU’s 76-65 win over Evansville (1/10).
22 Marisha Brown wrapped up a standout prep career by averaging 19.4 points, 8.3 rebounds and 3.5 steals per contest as a senior at Kansas City’s Center High in 2006-07...was a four-year starter for the Yellowjackets and a first team all-conference pick in each of her four seasons at CHS...earned first team all-district honors twice and second team all-metro recognition as a senior... set the school’s single-game scoring record (43 points) and led Center to a fourth-place Class 4 finish in 2004 as a freshman...scored one point, grabbed two boards and blocked one shot in her first game as a Lady Bear against Texas...posted her first double-figure scoring game with a 10-point, five-rebound effort in the Lady Bears’ 78-68 loss to Green Bay (11/17)...grabbed a career-high 16 boards, which tied a Lady Bear freshman record for rebounds in a single game, in MSU’s loss at #17 DePaul (12/2)...was 5-of-5 from the field, including 3-of-3 from three-point range to total a career-high 14 points in the Lady Bears’ win over Tulsa (12/4); blocked two shots vs. the Golden Hurricane, also a career best...matched her career scoring high with 14 points on 6-of-7 shooting in just 21 minutes of playing time in MSU’s win over Canisius (12/21)...scored 12 points on 5-of-12 shooting against Western Kentucky (12/29)...tallied 13 points on 5-of-10 shooting to go along with six boards and two steals in a 79-73 overtime loss at Creighton (1/6)...was one of four Lady Bears to finish in double figures, totaling 10 points on 4-of-6 shooting, to go along with seven rebounds vs. Southern Illinois (1/12)...scored in double figures for the second consecutive game with an 11-point night in the win at UNI (1/17).
23 Tahnee Balerio led the Missouri Valley Conference in scoring with an 18.5 ppg. average en route to earning first-team all-conference honors in 2006-07...ranks eighth all-time at Missouri State in free-throw percentage (.816), sixth in three-point field-goal attempts (374), ninth in three-point field-goals made (115) and 10th in free throws made (277)...needs just one more assist to reach the career top 10 chart in that category...became the 19th player in school history to reach the career 1,000-point mark with her 16-point effort vs. Southern Illinois (1/12)...hit her 100th career three-point field goal and grabbed five rebounds to surpass the 200-rebound plateau for her MSU career in the Lady Bears’ season-opening loss at Texas (11/11)...became just the ninth Lady Bear to record 800 points, 200 rebounds and 200 assists...shared team-high scoring honors with Roxy Stiles by tallying 14 points in the loss to Green Bay (11/17)...moved to No. 20 on MSU’s all-time scoring list with her 17-point effort against UTSA (11/29), passing Lynne Miller and Kimberly Scoggin at 891 career points...one of 30 initial candidates for the Lowe’s Senior CLASS Award in 2007-08...set a new career high with seven steals and matched another with 12 assists in the loss at Oral Roberts (12/15)...notched her first double-double (point-assist) of the season with a 17-point, 10-assist effort in the Lady Bears’ 97-89 win over Canisius (12/21)...posted her third double-digit assist (10) game in a row vs. Western Kentucky (12/29)...passed Gail Beck for the 19th spot on MSU’s career scoring list with her 14-point effort in the loss at Creighton (1/6)...handed out a game-high six assists and scored 13 of her 16 points in the second half of MSU’s 76-65 win over Evansville (1/10); converted 6-of-6 free throw attempts in the final 1:02 to help seal the Lady Bears’ first MVC win of the season...totaled 14 of her 16 points in the second half of a come-from-behind victory over Southern Illinois (1/12); also recorded a game-high three steals and four assists in the 77-67 win over the Salukis...notched her second point-assist double-double of the season with a 19-point, 10-assist effort to key a 78-55 Lady Bear win at UNI (1/17).
24 Jacque Griggs was a four-year starter in high school and capped her career by averaging 17 points and eight rebounds per contest en route to picking up second-team all-state honors as a senior at Kansas City’s Hickman Mills High School...led the Cougars to a 25-2 season in 2006-07, which culminated in a Missouri Class 5 quarterfinal appearance...is the daughter of former Lady Bear Kimberly Scoggin-Bush, who was a three-year starter and team captain during her Missouri State career...averaged 13.0 points and 8.0 rebounds, 4.0 steals and 2.0 assists in MSU’s two exhibition wins to start the 2007-08 season...scored two points and grabbed a team-high five rebounds in her first game, a 92-55 loss at #22 Texas...scored six points and grabbed six rebounds in the loss to Green Bay (11/11)...posted her first double-double as a Lady Bear with a 13-point, 12-rebound performance at UALR (11/25); hit 7-of-8 free-throw attempts just one game removed from a 1-of-6 effort from the charity stripe vs. Arkansas State (11/20)...had an eight-rebound night in the loss to UTSA (11/29), and followed that effort by grabbing seven boards in the loss at #17 DePaul (12/2).
32 Jamie Adams was a two-year volleyball starter and four-year letterwinner for Missouri State...began practicing with the Lady Bears the week of Dec. 10...will have two years of basketball eligibility remaining...earned second-team All-MVC honors in 2006 and 2007 and helped the volleyball Bears to three straight NCAA Tournament appearances, including their first-ever tournament win in 2006...scored four points and grabbed a team-high seven boards to go along with a pair of blocks in her Lady Bear debut vs. Oral Roberts (12/15)...hit two of her three field goal attempts in the Lady Bears’ loss at Western Kentucky (12/29)...posted career highs of five points and four blocks in the longest outing (20 minutes) of her MSU career, a 76-65 win over Evansville (1/10)...had four points, six boards, one assist and one block in just 14 minutes of playing time in MSU’s win at UNI (1/17).
54 Tiff Terwelp is the Valley’s top returning rebounder after averaging 8.6 caroms per contest as a junior in 2006-07... posted eight double-doubles and led MSU in rebounding 16 times last year en route to becoming just the 16th player in Missouri State history to record both 500 career points and 500 career rebounds...needs just six more rebounds to become the sixth all-time leading rebounder at MSU and just the sixth Lady Bear to score 800 points and grab 700 rebounds...needs to play in 16 more contests to crack the school’s top 10 list in games played...was the Lady Bears’ third-leading scorer (10.2 ppg.) and second-leading shooter from the field (.444) in 2006-07...posted double-doubles in four of MSU’s first five contests and matched or exceeded her previous single-game rebounding high in four straight games...totaled 57 boards over that same four-game period, which represented the best four-game rebounding total for a Lady Bear since the 1974-75 season...named to the 2004-05 MVC All-Freshman Team...was named to the MVC Scholar-Athlete second team in 2006-07...averaged 6.5 points and 6.0 rebounds in MSU’s two exhibition wins in 2007-08...topped the 700-point mark for her MSU career with a nine-point effort vs. Green Bay (11/17)...pulled down a career-high 18 rebounds in a 74-54 loss at Arkansas State (11/20), which ranks as the third-best rebounding effort in MSU history, matching the 18-rebound games of Lynn Strubberg (1/28/83 at Northwest Missouri St.) and Roshonda Reed (1/16/99 at Indiana St.)...became the 12th Lady Bear to reach the career 600-rebound mark with a 10-board night vs. UTSA (11/29), and moved into the No. 30 spot on MSU’s career scoring chart with a six-point outing vs. #17 DePaul (12/2)...recorded a game-high 11 rebounds in MSU’s 69-51 loss to Saint Louis (12/7)...played in her 100th career game at Missouri State in the loss at Oral Roberts (12/15), and moved into the No. 10 spot on MSU’s career rebounding chart in the loss at Drake (1/4)...turned in her best all-around game of the season with a 17-point, 17-rebound effort in the Lady Bears’ 79-73 overtime loss at Creighton (1/6), surpassing Sandy Meyer and Karen Rapier to move into the No. 8 spot on Missouri State’s all-time rebounding chart...recorded her third double-double of the season with a 19-point, 10-rebound effort to help MSU defeat SIU (1/12); surpassed the 800-point mark for her MSU career in the 77-67 victory...moved up to No. 29 on Missouri State’s career scoring list with an eight-point night at UNI (1/17).
