 |
| |
|
 |
 |
||
 |
 |
||
 |
|||
|
EVENTS
CNNSI.com GROUP
COMMERCE
|
PISCATAWAY, New Jersey (Ticker) -- Jackie Stiles converted all six of her free-throw attempts in the final minute and scored 32 points as Southwest Missouri State surprised Rutgers, 60-53, in an NCAA Tournament West Region second-round matchup. Southwest Missouri State (27-5) recorded its eighth straight win and will face top-seeded Duke in the "Sweet 16" on Saturday in Spokane, Washington. Rutgers (23-8) pulled within one point on three occasions in the final 73 seconds. But Stiles made a pair from the line for a 52-49 lead with 53 seconds left. After a basket by Tasha Pointer got the Scarlet Knights within 52-51, Erica Vicente sank two free throws for the Bears with 40 seconds to go. Linda Miles' layup 10 seconds later cut Rutgers' deficit to 54-53, but Stiles was 4-of-4 from the line to clinch her first trip to the "Sweet 16." Showing no ill effects from a possible concussion suffered in Saturday's first-round win, Stiles -- the leading scorer in NCAA women's Division I history -- made 8-of-16 shots and 16-of-19 free throws to go with six rebounds. Carly Deer and Ann Cavey each added seven points for Southwest Missouri State, which shot 46 percent (19-of-41). Pointer had 15 points and Washington 12 for Rutgers, which had a 13-game home winning streak stopped. Davayln Cunningham chipped in 11 points and Miles added 10 and seven rebounds. Stiles' jumper capped a 9-1 run that gave the Bears a 45-41 lead with just under five minutes to go. A layup by Karlita Washington got the Scarlet Knights even for the final time at 45-45 with 3:46 to play. Two free throws by Deer put Southwest Missouri State ahead for good 26 seconds later. Tara Mitchem, who exploded for a career-high 40 points in the Saturday's first-round victory over Toledo, was held to two on 1-of-6 shooting for the Bears. |
|||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||||
