Tough Loss at the End
03/16/10
Late Shot Beats IWU Women's Basketball in
NAIA Semifinal
SIOUX CITY, Iowa -- Freshman center Catrice
Mitchell scored the game-winning basket with 5.8
seconds left as Shawnee State (Ohio) University
stunned the Indiana Wesleyan University women's
basketball team 55-54 on Monday night in the NAIA
National Championship Semifinals.
The winning shot came after Wildcat junior forward Elaine Hessel scored in the paint with 33 seconds left to give IWU a one point lead at 54-53. Shawnee State attempted a winning 3-point basket with eight seconds on the clock but hit the rim to the left. The ball was loose and Shawnee St. recovered along the baseline and passed it inside to Mitchell who scored her first two points of the game and was fouled.
Mitchell missed the free throw and Indiana Wesleyan raced the ball up the court and called timeout with 1.8 seconds on the clock.
The inbounds pass was to the top of the key but the ball came free and the Wildcats never got a shot attempt off as the Bears celebrated the semifinal victory.
Indiana Wesleyan led most of the second half and turned a six point halftime lead quickly into a 10 point (34-24) advantage just two minutes into the second half. But just as quick, Shawnee St. roared back with eight straight points in the next three and a half minutes.
The IWU lead remained between one and four points over the next seven minutes until a bucket in the paint by sophomore center Krystal Stoneking extended the advantage to 48-43 with 7:44 remaining.
Hessel hit one of two free throws at 5:19 as Indiana Wesleyan held a 49-45 advantage. But less than a minute later Shawnee St. ran off five unanswered points to capture a 50-49 lead.
Wildcat sophomore guard Stephanie Burtch would answer for IWU with a 3-point bucket in the next possession as the Wildcats regained a lead at 52-50.
Neither team would score for over three minutes until the Bears hit a huge 3-pointer to take the lead at 53-52 and 49 seconds left to play. But on the next Wildcat possession Hessel scored leading to the dramatic game-winning play for the Bears.
"We missed some easy shots and free throws. Those mistakes allowed Shawnee St. to stay close and do what they did," said Indiana Wesleyan head coach Steve Brooks.
The Indiana Wesleyan defense continued to shine during the national tournament.
Shawnee St. was limited to 36.2-percent (17 of
47) shooting and 33.3-percent (5 of 15) from 3-point
range.
"I thought we played really well defensively tonight," added Brooks. "But their girls never gave up and continued to play hard."
Indiana Wesleyan was led by their two junior post players in LeAnn Douglas with 13 points and Hessel with 12.
The Wildcats hit eight 3-pointers (34.8-percent) on the night and shot 37.5-percent (18 of 48) overall.
"Hopefully the girls will use this next year and be hungry," continued Brooks on having four starters returning next year after the near miss this season.
Indiana Wesleyan finishes the season 29-7 overall. IWU won the program's seventh Mid-Central College Conference regular season championship en route to their eighth consecutive trip to the NAIA National Championship. The Final Four appearance is the second in program history as IWU won the 2007 national championship.
The senior class of Lindsay Waggoner and BreAnne Miller will leave a legacy behind that will never be forgotten. The pair of seniors witnessed a 119-23 overall record, one NAIA national championship, two MCC regular season championships and one MCC Tournament championship.
The winning shot came after Wildcat junior forward Elaine Hessel scored in the paint with 33 seconds left to give IWU a one point lead at 54-53. Shawnee State attempted a winning 3-point basket with eight seconds on the clock but hit the rim to the left. The ball was loose and Shawnee St. recovered along the baseline and passed it inside to Mitchell who scored her first two points of the game and was fouled.
Mitchell missed the free throw and Indiana Wesleyan raced the ball up the court and called timeout with 1.8 seconds on the clock.
The inbounds pass was to the top of the key but the ball came free and the Wildcats never got a shot attempt off as the Bears celebrated the semifinal victory.
Indiana Wesleyan led most of the second half and turned a six point halftime lead quickly into a 10 point (34-24) advantage just two minutes into the second half. But just as quick, Shawnee St. roared back with eight straight points in the next three and a half minutes.
The IWU lead remained between one and four points over the next seven minutes until a bucket in the paint by sophomore center Krystal Stoneking extended the advantage to 48-43 with 7:44 remaining.
Hessel hit one of two free throws at 5:19 as Indiana Wesleyan held a 49-45 advantage. But less than a minute later Shawnee St. ran off five unanswered points to capture a 50-49 lead.
Wildcat sophomore guard Stephanie Burtch would answer for IWU with a 3-point bucket in the next possession as the Wildcats regained a lead at 52-50.
Neither team would score for over three minutes until the Bears hit a huge 3-pointer to take the lead at 53-52 and 49 seconds left to play. But on the next Wildcat possession Hessel scored leading to the dramatic game-winning play for the Bears.
"We missed some easy shots and free throws. Those mistakes allowed Shawnee St. to stay close and do what they did," said Indiana Wesleyan head coach Steve Brooks.
The Indiana Wesleyan defense continued to shine during the national tournament.
"I thought we played really well defensively tonight," added Brooks. "But their girls never gave up and continued to play hard."
Indiana Wesleyan was led by their two junior post players in LeAnn Douglas with 13 points and Hessel with 12.
The Wildcats hit eight 3-pointers (34.8-percent) on the night and shot 37.5-percent (18 of 48) overall.
"Hopefully the girls will use this next year and be hungry," continued Brooks on having four starters returning next year after the near miss this season.
Indiana Wesleyan finishes the season 29-7 overall. IWU won the program's seventh Mid-Central College Conference regular season championship en route to their eighth consecutive trip to the NAIA National Championship. The Final Four appearance is the second in program history as IWU won the 2007 national championship.
The senior class of Lindsay Waggoner and BreAnne Miller will leave a legacy behind that will never be forgotten. The pair of seniors witnessed a 119-23 overall record, one NAIA national championship, two MCC regular season championships and one MCC Tournament championship.