After picking up their first two road wins of the season last weekend, the Missouri State Lady Bears (6-11 overall, 4-2 MVC) return home Friday (Jan. 25) evening to take on the Illinois State Redbirds, who sit atop the Missouri Valley Conference standings with a perfect 5-0 league mark and a 15-1 overall record.
Missouri State enters Friday’s contest tied with Evansville for third in the Valley race after earning its fourth consecutive conference win Saturday at Bradley. Illinois State won its 11th game in-a-row Saturday with a 77-70 victory over Indiana State in Normal.
Friday’s game will be broadcast locally in Springfield on KTXR 101.3 FM. It will also be the featured game of the week on the Valley’s television network and will be carried live locally on FSN Midwest.
Last Time Out: Missouri State continued a pattern of strong second-half performances Saturday (Jan. 19) afternoon in Peoria, limiting the Bradley Braves to 29 percent shooting after intermission to earn a 70-55 win, their fourth consecutive MVC victory. Maggie Dwyer scored 12 of her game-high 19 points in the second half, including eight during a 10-2 scoring run midway through the second period that gave the Lady Bears the lead for good.
Dwyer and sophomore guard Roxy Stiles accounted for 15 of MSU’s 17 points during a critical run that saw the Lady Bears hold Bradley without a field goal for over six minutes to take control of the game. Senior forward Tiff Terwelp grabbed a game-high 14 rebounds and came up big for the Lady Bears on the offensive end of the court in the second half, totaling 12 of her 14 points in the period to record her fourth double-double of the season.
The Lady Bears’ defense held the Braves to just six points over a 13-minute span that allowed MSU to take control of the ballgame.
MSU struggled to find the bottom of the net at the onset of the second stanza, connecting on just five of its first 17 tries from the field. But with the score even at 42-42, Dwyer scored six straight points for the Lady Bears, kicking off what would become a 28-10 run with a three-point play at the 13:00 mark. She buried a trey with 10:15 to play and followed a Stiles putback with a layup at the 7:48 mark to stretch the advantage to 52-44.
Stiles reeled off five straight points for MSU, hitting a three-pointer from the left wing with 5:35 to go, then connecting on another jumper with 4:14 to play to make it a 59-48 ballgame. From there, MSU extended its lead to as many as 18 points in the closing minutes before settling for a 15-point victory to register its first four-game win streak since March 2006.
The Coaches: Nyla Milleson (Kansas State, ’85) is 6-11 in her first season as the head coach at Missouri State and 191-47 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.
Robin Pingeton (St. Ambrose, ’90) is in her fifth season as head coach of the Redbirds, having compiled a 78-59 record at Illinois State. Prior to taking over in Normal, Pingeton served as head coach at her alma mater, St. Ambrose, where she went 194-76 in eight seasons. She then moved on to Iowa State, where she assisted head coach Bill Fennelly for three seasons before accepting the Illinois State job in 2003. In 10 games against Missouri State, Pingeton’s teams have gone 4-6, including a 1-4 mark in Springfield vs. MSU.
Series Record: Saturday’s match-up will be the 53rd meeting between the Lady Bears and Redbirds, with Missouri State currently holding a 30-22 edge. MSU has won 17 of the previous 25 meetings in Springfield.
Missouri State has taken six of the last 10 meetings between the two clubs, but have dropped four of the last five. Last year the Redbirds swept the season series with the Lady Bears, running away with a 76-47 victory in Normal (Jan. 13) before claiming a 65-48 win in Springfield (Feb. 10).
Scouting Illinois State: Illinois State has won its last 11 ballgames and is 8-0 on the road this season en route to its best start ever in women’s basketball. The Redbirds lone setback came on Nov. 25 in an 80-75 home loss to nationally-ranked DePaul, a team that routed the Lady Bears, 80-48, in Chicago the following week.
ISU’s deep and talented rotation features six players averaging nine points or better, led by reigning conference MVP Kristi Cirone. A junior guard, Cirone (16.9 ppg./6.3 apg.) ranks in the top 10 in all of Division I in assists and assist/turnover ratio (2.97), while ranking second in the MVC in scoring. Guards Maggie Krick and Tiffany Hudson average 11.3 and 11.0 points per contest, respectively, and have combined to shoot just under 36 percent from three-point range. The Redbirds’ sophomore duo of Ashleen Bracey (9.6 ppg./8.0 rpg.) and Nicolle Lewis (9.1 ppg./5.3 rpg.) give ISU a strong inside presence. Bracey leads the Valley in field goal percentage (.563) and ranks second in the conference in rebounding, trailing only Tiff Terwelp (8.8 rpg.). Lewis, whose .543 field goal percentage is the fourth-best mark in the league, also ranks second in blocks per game (1.3). Freshman Sha’la Jackson is Illinois State’s top option off the bench, entering Friday’s game with averages of 9.1 points and 4.3 rebounds per outing.
As a team the Redbirds rank among the nation’s leaders in scoring offense (78.1 ppg.), field goal accuracy (.482), assists (19.5 apg.) and assist/turnover ratio (1.37). ISU also leads the conference in scoring (+15.1) and rebound (+6.8) margins, as well as three-point field goal percentage (.378), while ranking second in scoring defense (63.1 ppg.), field goal percentage defense (.396) and blocks per game (3.1).
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 four-game MVC win streak is their first during regular-season conference play since the 2004-05 season. Also, MSU’s two-game road win streak is its first in conference play since winning at Creighton and Drake in February 2005.
Getting Offensive: Missouri State has scored 70 points or more in each of its last five contests. The last time the Lady Bears accomplished that feat was during a seven-game win streak in January 2005. Over the last four games, the Lady Bears have shot just under 47 percent from the field and 41 percent from three-point range while averaging 75.2 points per contest. MSU has outscored its opponents from the foul line by a 57-25 margin, connecting on 79.2 percent of their attempts in the second half.
Course Correction: While the Lady Bears’ offensive turnaround has been nothing short of remarkable, MSU’s defensive numbers over its four-game win streak have been impressive as well. Prior to their win over Evansville (Jan. 10) that started the streak, the Lady Bears were giving up 77.2 points per contest and allowing their opponents to shoot .438 from the field and .374 from three-point range. In their four victories since that time, the Lady Bears are allowing just 60.5 points per outing and .364 shooting, including just a .248 mark from beyond the arc. More impressive is the fact that MSU has outscored its opponents by an average of 15.3 points in the second half alone over the four-game stretch.
Big Three Getting it Done: Missouri State’s top three scorers, seniors Tahnee Balerio and Tiff Terwelp, along with junior Maggie Dwyer, have been the driving force behind the Lady Bears’ offensive turnaround over the last two weeks. Over MSU’s last five contests, Dwyer and Balerio have scored in double figures each time out, while Terwelp has posted three double-doubles.
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 8.8 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 leading the Missouri State Lady Bears to back-to-back road victories last week, junior forward Maggie Dwyer has earned her second consecutive Missouri Valley Conference Newcomer of the Week honor and her fourth overall in 2007-08, the league office announced Monday (Jan. 21).
A 6-1 forward from Grand Haven, Mich., Dwyer played a pivotal role in Missouri State wins over UNI and Bradley last week, converting 69 percent of her second-half field goal attempts and shooting .538 from the field in all, while averaging 16.5 points to help the Lady Bears pick up their first two road victories of the season. Against UNI on Thursday (Jan. 17), the Grand Haven, Mich., native went 4-of-4 from the floor in the second half and totaled 14 points, three rebounds and two assists in a 78-55 MSU win that snapped a 15-game road losing streak.
With the score knotted at 42-42 Saturday (Jan. 19) at Bradley, Dwyer scored eight of the next 10 MSU points to help spark a 28-10 scoring run that ultimately netted the Lady Bears’ fourth win in-a-row. She scored 12 of her game-high 19 points in the second half, grabbed two boards and handed out a pair of assists in the 70-55 victory.
Dwyer, who was also tabbed for the same honor on Dec. 10, Dec. 26 and Jan. 14, is averaging a team-high 14.3 points per game, good for seventh in the Valley. She becomes the first Lady Bear to earn four weekly awards in a single season since Jackie Stiles was named MVC Player of the Week a conference-record seven times in 2000-01.
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), Baleriomoved up to the No. 20 spot on the Lady Bears’ career scoring chart. Her 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 seven 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 moved past Patty Porter and Tonya Baucom into the No. 27 position on the list with her 14-point game against Bradley (Jan. 19). She enters Friday’s game 37 points shy of Cindy Hauter at No. 26 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 , 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). With her 14 rebounds at Bradley Saturday, Terwelp passed Kelly Mago (696) and Jenni Lingor (699) to become just the sixth Lady Bear to score 800 points and grab 700 rebounds. With her lone block of the game, she also moved up to eighth on MSU’s career blocked shot list, tying Ann Cavey with 45.
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 25, 1998 - #20 Missouri State 63, Illinois State 56 - The Lady Bears ended a three-game losing streak by overcoming a nine-point deficit to escape Normal with a victory. MSU dominated in the paint behind Roshonda Reed’s 22-point, 11-rebound night. Lisa Davies added 21 points and five boards, as the Lady Bears shot 50 percent from the floor and outrebounded the Redbirds 36-25.
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 199-73 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 119-78 (.604) in 2007-08 (through games of Jan. 21). The Lady Bears’ schedule has produced two games against ranked opponents (#22 Texas and #17 DePaul), and all but Tulsa (7-11), Saint Louis (7-11) and Canisius (8-10) 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 12 of MSU’s last 15 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, Southern Illinois and Bradley), 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.
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 659-447 (.596) for a total of 1,106 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 en route to earning her third MVC Newcomer of the Week honor...scored 14 points on 6-of-8 shooting in MSU’s 78-55 victory at UNI (1/17)...tallied 12 of her game-high 19 points in the second half of the Lady Bears’ 70-55 win at Bradley (1/19).
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)...pulled down seven more rebounds in MSU’s win at Bradley (1/19).
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)...totaled 12 points on 5-of-7 shooting and a season-high four rebounds in MSU’s 70-55 win at Bradley (1/19).
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...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. 27 on Missouri State’s career scoring list with a 14-point, 14-rebound game at Bradley, her fourth double-double of the season.
