Dec. 7, 2000

Box Score

Columbia, Mo. - The Saint Louis University women's basketball team dropped its first game of the season 73-63 to Missouri at Hearnes Center on Thursday evening. The Tigers scored the first 16 points of the game to grab the early lead and held off repeated Billiken rallies.

The Billikens cameback to tie the game at 41-41 with 15:04 left to play, but never was able to assume to lead. Down nine points, the Billikens came back but after a scramble underneath the Missouri basket, the ball bounced to Amanda Lassiter who drained a fallaway jumper as the shot clock was dying for a 68-61 MU lead. The Tigers kept the Bills at bay the last two minutes of the game.

"It was great to see our kids battle back from the early deficit," said Billiken head coach Jill Pizzotti. "I thought we started the game a little tentative. Down the stretch, Missouri did a great job of going high-low on us. It is disappointing anytime you lose, but I think we can take a lot of positive lessons from this game and it was a great learning experience."

The Billikens missed their first seven shots and turned the ball over four times in the first four minutes of the game LaKia Jones hit a short jumper to put the Billikens on the board and Melissa Oliver followed with two free throws.

Star Jackson hit two free throws and after a Jones blocked shot, the Bills scored a fast break lay-up by Oliver. Another Missouri miss led to two free throws by Oliver as the Billikens completed a 12-2 run to pull to within six at 18-12 at the 11:56 mark.

The Billikens pulled to within five at 32-27 with 2:10 remaining in the first half. Two free throws by Bridget Beckmann pulled the Billikens to 35-31 but Wannette Smith hit a jumper just before halftime to give Missouri a 37-31 edge at intermission. The Billikens scored just seven baskets but helped themselves by hitting 17-of-18 free throws. The Tigers hurt the Bills with 11 offensive boards in the first half.

Beckmann hit a lay-up two minutes into the second half to pull SLU to 39-35 and Christan Shelton drained a jumper to pull the Bills within two at 39-37. The teams traded baskets and the Billikens had a chance to tie the game but came up empty on two trips. However, Angie Lewis made a short jumper with 15 minutes left to tie the game for the first time.

MU hit a trey and Amanda Lassiter converted a lay-up to push the Tigers up by five. Two free throws by McKinney pulled the Billikens to with in three but MU scored six consecutive points to take a 51-42 lead. The Billikens scored two consecutive baskets to close to 51-46 with just under 10 minutes left to play.

MU led 57-51 with 6:36 left to play and edged out to a 62-53 lead at the five minute mark. Oliver hit a jumper for SLU but MU answered on its next trip.

Up 64-59, MU converted with the shot clock winding down but Oliver answered for SLU for a 66-61 Missouri lead at the 1:52 mark. After a scramble under the MU basket, the ball bounced to Lassiter who nailed a key jumper with the shot clock again winding down to hand the Tigers a 68-61 lead. The Tigers iced the game with three free throws and a layup up in the final minute.

Melissa Oliver led the Billikens with 14 points while Christan Shelton added 10. April McKinney led SLU with 11 rebounds. The Billikens shot a season-high 85.2 percent from the free throw line, including hitting 17-of-18 in the first half. Amanda Lassiter had a game-high 20 points and Tracy Franklin grabbed 11 boards for MU.

Saint Louis suffered its first loss and fell to 5-1, while Missouri improves to 6-1 on the season. The Billikens welcome Minnesota to Bauman-Eberhardt Athletic Center this Sunday at 2 p.m.