Swish Appeal - Missouri Valley Conference ChampionshipsBasketball is basketball.https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/community_logos/49391/swish-fave.png2015-03-16T01:02:00-04:00http://www.swishappeal.com/rss/stream/79697642015-03-16T01:02:00-04:002015-03-16T01:02:00-04:00Wichita State wins MVC over Missouri State
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<figcaption><a href='https://twitter.com/W_Connor_Photo'>William Connor Photo</a></figcaption>
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<p>Alex Harden, your tournament MVP had 27 points on 11-of-21 shooting, six rebounds, four assists and seven steals.</p> <p>They say legacies weren't built over night. For the <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/college-basketball/teams/wichita-st-shockers" class="sbn-auto-link">Wichita State Shockers</a> (29-4) the program they're building at Wichita State has taken four year journey to this point. Wichita State punctuated their triple to the <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/march-madness" class="sbn-auto-link">NCAA tournament</a> with a 85-71 win over the <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/college-basketball/teams/missouri-st-bears" class="sbn-auto-link">Missouri State Bears</a> (18-14) Lady Bears on Sunday afternoon.</p>
<p>"This our our goal," said Alex Harden. "We were so close to Penn State Nittany Lions last season. We weren't going to do anything less than we did before. Now we have a chance to."</p>
<p>The Shockers advance to their third consecutive NCAA Tournament with the victory.</p>
<p>It's a very special moment," said Wichita State head coach Jody Adams. " Their ability to dig deep and to take themselves to another is simply amazing."</p>
<p>Wichita State kept the Lady Bears at arms length for much of the first half. Many times the Shockers, led by Michaela Dapprich, a junior, to a six or 7-point lead every time the Missouri State tried to gather some momentum. Wichita State led by as many as nine in the opening frame.</p>
<p>The Lady Bears were able to close the Shocker gap to three on eight different occasions led by Kenzie Williams eight first half points, but Alex Harden showed why she is the MVP of the Valley. Her aggressive led to six first half steals and many breakaway opportunities.</p>
<p>Wichita State led 38-35 after Tyonna Snow hit a layup with one second left in the half.</p>
<p>"We were really on our heels coming out of halftime," said Harper. They made their run coming out of the game and a lot of turnovers led to easy baskets."</p>
<p>With their veteran ballclub and championship aspirations on their mind, the Shockers came out roaring into the second half. They opened the half scoring the first six points. They would increase their lead to double digits at the 13:44 mark when Michaela Dapprich nailed the 3-pointer, putting Wichita State up 54-43.</p>
<p>The defense that <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/college-basketball/teams/northern-iowa-panthers" class="sbn-auto-link">UNI</a> head coach Tanya Warren touted as the best in the history of the league came out on fire. They held the Lady Bears under 40 percent shooting for most of the second half. They limited their opportunities and every shot attempt in the second half that came from the Lady Bears was contested, forcing them into tough situations.</p>
<p>"I think every turnover we had was a big lead for them [Wichita State]," said Tyonna Snow. "When we turned it over they ended up capitalizing on everything we did."</p>
<p>Harden had seven steals, the second most in the Valley tournament.</p>
<p>Turnovers and fouling handicapped the Lady Bears from gaining any sort of momentum. Whenever they would get a basket or two, the Lady Bears would commit a costly error that would led to a Wichita State run off.</p>
<p>On a breakaway layup, Dapprich gave herself a new career of 24 points on 10-of-14 shooting. Wichita State grabbed their largest lead of the game at 19 points late in the contest.</p>
<p>Tyonna Snow led the Lady Bears with 19 points on 6-of-14 shooting. Kenzie Williams had 17 points, seven assists for the Lady Bears.</p>
<p>Missouri State's wild run of 11 straight wins ends with this defeat. The Lady Bears, (18-14) will set their sights on a potential postseason bid in the CBI. The NIT seems unlikely as they're just four games over .500.</p>
<p>"I've told them how much fun I've had coaching them this year," said Missouri State head coach Kellie Taylor. "I don't want them to look back on this run we've had and how much fun we've had and think this was a failure. We just played a really good basketball team today."</p>
<p>The Lady Bears will return all but Nijay Gaines, a senior. That bodes well heading into 2015-16.</p>
<p>"I think Wichita State has a real chance to win some games," said Harper. "With the right matchup, I think they could be a Sweet 16 team."</p>
<p>The Shockers carry their three straight Valley championships and a big 12-game winning streak that started against the Lady Bears on Feb. 8 into the big dance. Charlie Creme has the Shockers either a 13-seed heading into the NCAA Tournament.</p>
<p>"If we're a 13-seed, then they don't know our team, said Adams. "They haven't done their homework. No, we're not a 13-seed, we're better than that. If they choose to put us a 13-seed then that's their choices. We have to go in and do our work."</p>
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<p>Missouri Valley All-Tournament Team</p>
<p> </p>
<ul>
<li><span><b>Alex Harden - Wichita State -</b> Most Valuable Player</span></li>
<li><span>Jamilah Bonner - Wichita State</span></li>
<li><span>Mallory Ladd - Evansville</span></li>
<li><span>Tyonna Snow - Missouri State</span></li>
<li><span>Michaela Dapprich - Wichita State</span></li>
</ul>
https://www.swishappeal.com/2015/3/15/8219463/wichita-state-wins-missouri-valley-over-missouri-stateChuck Chaney2015-03-14T19:43:38-04:002015-03-14T19:43:38-04:00Missouri State strong arms Evansville 75-66
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<figcaption><a href='https://twitter.com/W_Connor_Photo/'>William Connor Photo</a></figcaption>
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<p>Missouri State had four players in double figures as the Lady Bears advance to the Valley championship for the first time since 2011.</p> <p>When you go on a 10-game winning streak, you typically need everything to go your way. For the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/college-basketball/teams/missouri-st-bears">Missouri State Bears</a> (18-13), everything went their way Saturday afternoon in the Valley semifinals enroute to a 75-66 win over seventh-seeded <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/college-basketball/teams/evansville-aces">Evansville Purple Aces</a>.</p>
<p>"We are really excited to be playing on Sunday," said Missouri State head coach Kellie Harper. "That was our goal when we got here. We beat the hot team today."</p>
<p>Evansville had been the darlings of the tournament, knocking off second-seeded <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/college-basketball/teams/drake-bulldogs">Drake Bulldogs</a> on Friday evening 84-79 in overtime. They set a tournament record in made 3-pointers, but everything must have been used up against Drake. Despite setting the record, the Aces hit 10 on Saturday, but wasn't nearly enough as they all came too late.</p>
<p>Missouri State's defense was tenacious. They forced 18 Ace turnovers, leading to 14 first half Lady Bears points. They would finish with 26 points off turnovers. They also held the Aces to zero point for the first four minutes of the ball game. After a made Mallory Ladd three, the Lady Bears then held them for another three minutes without a field goal. It would be the 10:05 mark in the first half before the Aces would get their third field goal. They were already trailing 18-8 at that point.</p>
<p>Fatigue was a factor for Evansville. They played a thrilling, fast paced overtime against Drake last night. Sara Dickey, the team's leading scorer admitted they might have been a little tired and did not push through the fatigue until it was too late.</p>
<p>"Fatigue factored into it some," said Dickey. "We didn't push through and not think about it."</p>
<p>The Lady Bears rode the back of Tyonna Snow on Friday night, against Evansville, it became a team affair. Six different Lady Bears scored at least seven points.</p>
<p>Tyonna Snow scored 19 points on 5-of-9 shooting for Missouri State. Kenzie Williams scored 14 points. Hillary Chvatal had 10 points and eight rebounds. Liza Fruendt scored 10 points as well.</p>
<p>Another scoring drought led to the biggest lead of the half for the Lady Bears. Williams who finished with 14 points, led Missouri State to a 32-16 lead at halftime.</p>
<p>Evansville struggled to shoot the long ball and penetrate all game long. The abcense due to foul trouble from Ladd became too big of a hurdle to overcome. The One night showing of Khristian Hart didn't return, nor has the Valley seen the Sara Dickey that was third in scoring. She shot just 13-of-43, 30.2 percent, for the tournament.</p>
<p>When the Aces made their run to get back into the game, it was too late. There was less than two minutes left and a deficit just too large for Evansville. Peyton Langston and Ladd hit back-to-back 3-pointers for the Aces to cut the lead to within 73-64 with 57 seconds remaining.</p>
<p>Missouri State would nail their free throws sealing up the 75-66 victory.</p>
<p>Missouri State advances to the Valley championship game for the first time since 2011, when they fell to <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/college-basketball/teams/northern-iowa-panthers">Northern Iowa </a>69-41. They'll play the top seed <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/college-basketball/teams/wichita-st-shockers">Wichita State Shockers</a> (28-4) at 2 p.m. That game can be seen on ESPN3.</p>
<p>The Aces valiant run came to an end with the 75-66 loss to Missouri State. For a team two starters and seven other players to a team that won 13 games. It's the first time Evansville has won two games at the Valley tournament since 2009.</p>
https://www.swishappeal.com/2015/3/14/8216691/missouri-state-strong-arms-evansville-75-66Chuck Chaney2015-03-14T17:12:10-04:002015-03-14T17:12:10-04:00Wichita State blitzes No. Iowa 56-42 in MVC Semis
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<p>Wichita State held Northern Iowa to just 25 percent shooting for the game. </p> <p>They say defense wins championships. For the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/college-basketball/teams/wichita-st-shockers">Wichita State Shockers</a> (28-4) it also won them a game today. Through a suffocating defense that crushed any <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/college-basketball/teams/northern-iowa-panthers">Northern Iowa Panthers</a> (17-14) spirits before they really began, the Shockers moved onto the Valley Championship with a 56-42 win on Saturday.</p>
<p>"I thought we played very stingy on defense," said Wichita State head coach Jody Adams. "Our team came with a relentless attitude and an unbelievable fight. We wanted to play and win with our style and I thought our guys did that."</p>
<p>"Wichita State's defense is probably the best defense in the history of the Valley," said UNI head coach Tanya Warren.</p>
<p>In the first four minutes of the game, the Shockers had forced five turnovers, turning them into eight points. The 3-point deficit that Wichita witnessed early on was obliterated by a blistering turnover-transition game that you see you in someone like <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.theuconnblog.com/">UConn</a> or the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.rockytoptalk.com/">Tennessee Lady Vols</a>.</p>
<p>"I would think yes," said Alex Harden. "Besides a half against Northern Iowa earlier this season, yes."</p>
<p>A 10-0 put the Shockers out in front for good as they built their first half lead to as many as 12 in the opening half.</p>
<p>Shocker head coach Jody Adams picked up a technical foul with 3:41 after being very articulate with the officials on a disagreement with the call. Madison Weekly nailed the technicals shots, bringing the Panthers to within 23-15.</p>
<p>"I got out of my coaches box I thought I could get out and get warned, but I didn't. I gambled a little bit. I didn't cuss. I just stomped my foot. I think I have a fracture heel," from a laughing coach Adams.</p>
<p>Alex Harden, the Valley's MVP, came out and played very well against the Panthers today. Her 10 points in the first half came rather easily. She got to the line and pulled down rebounds. The second half was no different. She finished with 16 points on 7-of-14 shooting and pulled down nine rebounds.</p>
<p>Northern Iowa pulled within 36-25 with 12:41 but the Wichita State defense continued to be too much for the Panthers. Wichita State held the Northern Iowa to just 2-of-10 over the next four seven minutes.</p>
<p>When Harden checked back in the game with about nine minutes go, the Shockers would extend their lead, putting the game out of reach. The Shockers led by as many as 21 with 6:07 remaining in the game.</p>
<p>Kelsey Jacobs had 12 points, eight rebounds and six assists for Wichita State. Jaleesa Chapel added 10 points on 5-of-10 shooting and pulled down five rebounds.</p>
<p>For the Shockers, it's their third consecutive championship appearance. They'll be doing what no one has done in the Valley since 1994 when <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/college-basketball/teams/missouri-st-bears">Missouri State Bears</a>, then Southwest Missouri State, won four straight Valley tournament championships. They'll play either No. 3 Missouri State (17-13) or seventh-seeded <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/college-basketball/teams/evansville-aces">Evansville Purple Aces</a> (13-18). That game will at 2:05 p.m. CST on ESPN3.</p>
<p>"The best part about this team is they know what it's like to lose," said coach Adams. "They also know what it's like to win. It's in their DNA. They're winners."</p>
<p>"It's do or die time. It's a totally different mindset in March." said Harden.</p>
<p>Northern Iowa's season is probably over at 17-14. A season decimated by injuries and a youthful return, the Panthers are looking forward to a bright 2015-16 season. They will return four starters, along with five other role players.</p>
https://www.swishappeal.com/2015/3/14/8216177/wichita-state-blitzes-no-iowa-56-42-in-mvc-semisChuck Chaney2015-03-14T00:21:26-04:002015-03-14T00:21:26-04:00Missouri State runs away late over Indiana State
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<figcaption><a href=' http:/www.missouristatebears.com/'>Missouri State Athletics</a></figcaption>
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<p>Tyonna Snow had 26 points on 7-of-16 shooting to lead the Bears to the Valley Semi-finals</p> <p>Time and time again the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/college-basketball/teams/indiana-st-sycamores">Indiana State Sycamores</a> made a run and time and time again, the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/college-basketball/teams/missouri-st-bears">Missouri State Bears</a> (17-13) had an answer.</p>
<p>Missouri State closed the game on a 20-6 run to advance to the Valley semifinals with a 75-57 win. It caps off a 9-game winning streak for the Bears.</p>
<p>A quick blitz by the Sycamores to jump up 14-6 with 12:05 left in the first half awoke a sleeping bear, figuratively and literally. Missouri State used a 12-2 run to crawl back into it, tying the game at 16-all with 9:55 left until halftime.</p>
<p>Tyonna Snow led all scores with 26 points on 7-of-16 shooting. She had 15 points in the second half.</p>
<p>The Bears then used another 9-2 run that took them from a 2-point deficit into a 35-28 lead wtih 1:19 until halftime.</p>
<p>Missouri State held a slim 35-32 lead at halftime.</p>
<p>Indiana State came out of halftime, and tied the game at 36-all with 17:39 remaining in the game. The Bears responded every time. This time it was the defense that stood tall. They held the Sycamores to just a single basket over the six minutes, outscoring them 12-3 in the process.</p>
<p>After Missouri State had gained a 49-42 lead with 8:38 left in the game, Indiana State made one last ditch effort to get back into the contest. Led by Cierra Ceazer and Co. combined their powers, cutting the lead to 55-51 with 4:42 remaining.</p>
<p>Liza Fruendt drained a Missouri State money ball, pushing the lead to seven. Then, Snow took over. She six of the next 10 points, butting the game out of reach and securing a spot in the semifinals.</p>
<p>Free throws and staunch defense became the catalyst to end any hope of an Indiana State win tonight. Snow showed why all evening she was the best player on the court. It was the second highest scoring total of the Valley tournament throughout the quarterfinals.</p>
<p>Indiana State season comes to a halt at 17-13. They'll have to hope and pray that <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/nit-tournament">the NIT</a> takes a good look at them. However, if they're going dancing at all in the post season, it'll be in the CBI. They lose seven seniors, but head coach Joey Wells talked about how the three early commitments should help their guard play going forward.</p>
<p>Missouri State clinches their first Valley semifinal appearance since 2011 when they would eventually lose to <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/college-basketball/teams/northern-iowa-panthers">Northern Iowa Panthers</a> in the Championship game 69-41. They were a 3-seed then, too. Now, they'll get a chance to take on seventh-seeded <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/college-basketball/teams/evansville-aces">Evansville Purple Aces</a> (13-18) at 4 p.m. CST tomorrow on ESPN3.</p>
https://www.swishappeal.com/2015/3/14/8213419/missouri-state-runs-away-late-over-indiana-state-75-57Chuck Chaney2015-03-13T22:06:07-04:002015-03-13T22:06:07-04:00Evansville stuns Drake in OT
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<figcaption><a href='https://twitter.com/W_Connor_Photo'>William Connor</a></figcaption>
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<p>Evansville set a new Missouri Valley Tournament record with 17 made 3-pointers and 38 3-point attempts. </p> <p>The <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/college-basketball/teams/evansville-aces">Evansville Purple Aces</a> (13-18) set the Missouri Valley on fire with a 84-79 upset of the No. 2 seed <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/college-basketball/teams/drake-bulldogs">Drake Bulldogs</a> (20-10) on Friday night at Family Arena. It send the Aces into the semifinals for the first time since 2009. They won it that year, too.</p>
<p>"I'm really proud of my girls," said head coach Oties Epps. "They're resilient and they executed our game plan to a 'T' and they stayed consistent."</p>
<p>Khristian Hart led all scorers with a career high of 29 points on 9-of-13 shooting. Mallory Ladd had 22 points and seven rebounds as well for Evansville.</p>
<p>"When I felt like I was open," said Hart. "I took my time and patients and shot the ball. You see the ball go through the net and your confidence builds."</p>
<p>"Khristian [Hart] was challenged in the locker room after last game to step up and help us," said Epps. "She did that tonight.</p>
<p>The Aces made 17-of-38 from 3-point range, keying the upset. Both were new Valley tournament single game records. Previously held by Drake from 2010 on the attempted and Illinois State in 2004 on the made.</p>
<p>Caitlin Ingle hit a jumper and was fouled with 55 seconds left in regulation, hitting the free throw gave Drake the 63-61 lead. However, Sara Dickey, the sophomore leading scorer for Evansville cut into the lane, tossed up a floater to send the game into overtime with 28.2 seconds remaining.</p>
<p>Sasha Robinson and Kat Taylor came out in overtime, nailing back-to-back jumpers, putting Drake on their heels and Evansville up 70-65 with 4:00 remaining in overtime.</p>
<p>"It obviously took us too long to get into rhythm," said Drake's Becca Jones. "We got it going but that doesn't matter when you can't get stops on the other end. It's a tough pill to swallow."</p>
<p>The full court press continued to be a problem all game long, causing fatigue down the stretch. Careless turnovers led to more and more Aces possessions. It was almost as if the Bulldogs didn't want to win the game.</p>
<p>"We just kept our composure," said Ladd. "It was our game and were taking it."</p>
<p>A plethora of 3-point shooting Evansville found a way to equalize the uptempo, high scoring offense that is Drake. The Bulldogs came into the game, ranked 17th in the nation at 76.3 points per game, were forced out by a collapsing 2-3 zone.</p>
<p>Anytime the Bulldogs would try to feed it into the post, the defense of the Purple Aces were able to collapse or step into the passing lane, forcing the turnover. Evansville forced 17 turnovers in the first half, contributing to 16 points off turnovers.</p>
<p>After almost six minutes of no scoring, the Evansville Purple Aces finally found the stroke behind Mallory Ladd's 3-pointer. Immediately after, Khristian Hart nailed one of her own to give the Aces a 26-25 lead.</p>
<p>Evansville took a 28-25 lead off the 8-0 to end the half.</p>
<p>The Purple Aces will get read to take on the winner of <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/college-basketball/teams/missouri-st-bears">Missouri State Bears</a> and the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/college-basketball/teams/indiana-st-sycamores">Indiana State Sycamores</a> tomorrow afternoon, at approximately 4 p.m. CST in the Valley semifinals.</p>
<p>Drake's season is most likely going to be relegated to <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/nit-tournament">the NIT</a> or the CBI. with 20 wins overall, it's going to be hard sell to keep the Bulldogs out of the NIT this season. They haven't been to the NIT since 2012 when they lost to South Dakota in the first round.</p>
<p>"This was a tough one for us," said Drake's head coach Jennie Baranczyk. "They had a ton of energy. I think it took us a little bit too long to get started in overtime. We didn't have our team prepared and that comes back to coaching."</p>
<p>Evansville is trying to do the unthinkable once again. In 2009, they shocked the Valley and the NCAA when they swept through the tournament, winning the whole thing 47-45 over Creighton. They would fall to Texas A&M Aggies in the first round of the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/march-madness">NCAA tournament</a> that season.</p>
https://www.swishappeal.com/2015/3/13/8213071/evansville-stuns-drake-in-otChuck Chaney2015-03-13T18:32:38-04:002015-03-13T18:32:38-04:00Late surge leads No. Iowa over Southern Illinois
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<figcaption><a href='https://twitter.com/W_Connor_Photo'>William Connor</a></figcaption>
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<p>A 13-2 run in the final three minutes of the game became the difference in this one.</p> <p>Amber Sorenson's three moneyballs in the final 3:57 of the game gave <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/college-basketball/teams/northern-iowa-panthers" class="sbn-auto-link">Northern Iowa Panthers</a> (17-13) lead for good. The Panthers advance to the Valley semifinals with the 59-50 win over <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/college-basketball/teams/southern-illinois-salukis" class="sbn-auto-link">Southern Illinois Salukis</a> (17-13).</p>
<p>"It wasn't pretty but we'll take it," said Northern Iowa head coach. "We gutted out another one. This team has been doing this all season long and I couldn't be more proud of them."</p>
<p>Sorenson finished with 12 points on 4-of-11 from deep. Brooke Brown led the Panthers with 16 points.</p>
<p>"The first one felt really good," said Sorenson. "You know you just have those shots that feel good."</p>
<p>A sloppy first half, mirrored by turnovers, neither team found rhythm as it felt like a track meet through the early part of the contest.</p>
<p>The game was tied 12-12 at the second media timeout, but two quick baskets from Dyana Pierre and Mercedes Griffin put the Salukis up 16-12 with 6:30 remaining until half.</p>
<p>Northern Iowa closed the first half on a 14-7 run, much contributed to Brittani Donaldson's back-to-back 3-pointers.</p>
<p>The Panthers led 26-23 at halftime.</p>
<p>A 10-0 run out of halftime brought the Salukis in the front 33-26, Southern Illinois largest lead of the game. They would hold the lead over the Panthers for the next seven minutes before Northern Iowa would take a 42-41 lead with 8:18 remaining.</p>
<p>After heading into the final media timeout knotted at 44-all, junior Amber Sorenson took over. She nailed three consecutive 3-pointers over the span of just 90 seconds to put the Panthers up 53-44 with 1:42 remaining in regulation.</p>
<p>Before that, the Panthers were just 3-of-19 from deep, Sorenson was 1-of-8 as well then, too.</p>
<p>"There's urgency in the tournament," said Brown of UNI. "There is a lot of energy and no matter what year it is for me, every single possession could be my last. It was more going out there and making reads and being aggressive and confident."</p>
<p>Southern Illinois didn't do what was needed down the stretch. They finished just 2-of-19 from the field and a combined 2-of-18 from 3-point range. Those two game in the final moments, as the game had already been decided.</p>
<p>For the Salukis, they were so close to a program changing win. With just one tournament victory since 1997, the Salukis seemed armed and ready. However a 13-1 run over the final three minutes just did them in.</p>
<p>Pierre finished with 21 rebounds and 18 points but wasn't enough for the Salukis. Azia Washington contributed 14 points for Southern Illinois.</p>
<p>Southern Illinois attempted 80 field goal attempts in the contest, a new Missouri Valley tournament record.</p>
<p>There's a chance for the Salukis to be playing post season basketball. The CBI and <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/nit-tournament" class="sbn-auto-link">the NIT</a> will be looking for teams over the next week or so.</p>
<p>"I'm always excited," said Pierre. "There's always room for improvement. I'm excited for the entire team. I'm excited to see what coach Stein has in store for us."</p>
<p>Northern Iowa now will take on No. 1 overall seed <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/college-basketball/teams/wichita-st-shockers" class="sbn-auto-link">Wichita State Shockers</a> tomorrow afternoon at 1:35 p.m. CST. That game can be seen live on ESPN3.</p>
<p>It's also the first time Northern Iowa advances to the semifinals since 2013. It'll be a rematch of that 2013 semifinal, as they'll get their shot at Wichita State.</p>
https://www.swishappeal.com/2015/3/13/8212257/late-surge-leads-no-iowa-over-southern-illinoisChuck Chaney2015-03-13T15:40:57-04:002015-03-13T15:40:57-04:00Wichita State dominates Loyola-Chicago 59-42
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<figcaption><a href='https://twitter.com/W_Connor_Photo'>William Conner Photo</a></figcaption>
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<p>Missouri Valley MVP, Alex Harden, finished with 16 points</p> <p><a href="http://www.sbnation.com/college-basketball/teams/wichita-st-shockers" class="sbn-auto-link">Wichita State Shockers</a> (27-4) used a 19-2 run early in the first half to take a double digit lead over <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/college-basketball/teams/loyola-of-chicago-rambers" class="sbn-auto-link">Loyola Ramblers</a> (6-25) and never looked back. The Shockers advanced to the Missouri Valley Championships with the victory.</p>
<p>Alex Harden, the MVC's Most Valuable Player, led all scores with 16 points on 7-of-11 shooting. She also had three rebounds and three assists.</p>
<p>Wichita State's defense has been the pride and joy held the Ramblers to just 37.1 percent shooting. Of the 35 shots taken by Loyola on Friday, 28 were contested.</p>
<p>"We're really excited about going onto round two," said Wichita State head coach Jody Adams. "We just need to take care of business. These guys know that as much as anybody because this is their team and they run it."</p>
<p>Loyola grabbed their only lead early at 5-4 with 14:52 off a Bailey Farley 3-pointer. That's about the only real contest we'd have the rest of the way. Wichita State used that 19-2 run, spanning 10 minutes, and created the cushion that would give them the control for the rest of the contest.</p>
<p>Over the run for Wichita State, the defense created five turnovers and held the Ramblers to just 1-of-10 shooting over those 10 minutes.</p>
<p>Wichita State led 26-13 at halftime.</p>
<p>Harden came out strong, scoring the first basket. Then, Jamillah Bonner complimented her output by scoring back-to-back buckets of her own, forcing a Loyola timeout.</p>
<p>Bonner finished with 14 points and six rebounds.</p>
<p>The Ramblers would crawl to within 33-22 with 11:22 to go in the game, but an 8-2 run helped put the Shockers back at a comfortable lead.</p>
<p>Loyola's sophomore, Taylor Manuel, led the Ramblers with eight points and pulled down 12 rebounds. She as averaged 11.5 points and 10.5 rebounds over the two games for Loyola.</p>
<p>Loyola's season ends at 6-25 on the season but there Sheryl Swoopes' team has a lot to look forward to next season. They have nine underclassmen returning next season, along with one junior. There is some real positives for Loyola.</p>
<p>"Taylor is without a doubt a very special player," said Swoopes. "I think she's the best big woman in our conference."</p>
<p>Harden became the Wichita State all-time leading scorer in the second half, breaking Allison Daniel's record of 1,638 points that stood since 1986.</p>
<p>"I had no idea," said Harden. "I kind of figured it out after the stands went crazy."</p>
<p>"I'm excited for her reaching that milestone and being our all-time leading scorer in the history of the women's basketball program," said Adams.</p>
<p>It's the sixth straight year Wichita State has advanced to the MVC Championship semifinals. Last time they did not advance? The 2009 tournament, where they were eliminated in the quarterfinals. They'll take on the winner of <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/college-basketball/teams/southern-illinois-salukis" class="sbn-auto-link">Southern Illinois Salukis</a> and <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/college-basketball/teams/northern-iowa-panthers" class="sbn-auto-link">Northern Iowa Panthers</a>. That game is scheduled for 1:35 p.m. CST on Saturday March 14. That game can be seen on ESPN3.</p>
https://www.swishappeal.com/2015/3/13/8210643/wichita-state-dominates-loyola-chicago-59-42Chuck Chaney2015-03-12T23:00:54-04:002015-03-12T23:00:54-04:00Evansville advances with 55-51 win over Ill. St.
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<figcaption>Jamie Rhodes-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>The senior Mallory Ladd finished with 27 points and 14 rebounds, including 5-of-7 from 3-point range.</p> <p>When faced with adversity, you rely on your seniors to lead you through the woods. Evansville purple aces (12-18) did just that on the opening night of the Missouri Valley Conference tournament.</p>
<p>"I'm really excited, said Evansville head coach Oties Epps. "It's my first win in the tournament as a headcoach. This lady next to me, Mallory Ladd, has to be one of the best performances in MVC history. She willed us tonight."</p>
<p>Ladd finished with 27 points on 8-of-15 shooting and grabbed 14 rebounds, leading the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/college-basketball/teams/evansville-aces">Evansville </a>to a 55-51 win over <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/college-basketball/teams/illinois-st-redbirds">Illinois State Redbirds</a> (2-28).</p>
<p>"I had an attack mentality," said the Evansville senior Ladd. "I had a little more confidence. I had a great week of practice. "This is my last go-round, I didn't want to end on a bad note."</p>
<p>Though, a defensive affair, Ladd provided just enough spark on offense all evening, being the primary ballhandler and scorer throughout the first half. She dropped 16 points and Evansville led by as many as eight in the half.</p>
<p>The game was limited was rampant with poor shot selectioin and missed opportunities. Evansville was able to capitizlie a little more than Illinois State to help be the difference.</p>
<p>The Redbirds never quit, despite falling behind by eight in the first half at 25-17 with 2:53 left.</p>
<p>Evansville led 25-19 at halftime.</p>
<p>After trailing for basically the entire contest, sans the opening possession, the Redbirds finally found the positive side of the scoreboard from a Mary Sims 3-pointer with 10:17 left in the game.</p>
<p>Evansville would secure the lead for good minutes later, taking the 37-35 lead off a Ladd 3-pointer. Ladd has been held scoreless in the second half up until that point. It was the key to a 10-0 run for the Purple Aces.</p>
<p>"They got a couple of better looks than they did first half, said Ladd. "We were going back and forth. Once we got stops and knocked our free throws down we were able to pull away."</p>
<p>Lindsay Smith finally ended the Evansville run with a jumper at the 5:16 mark, bringing the Redbirds within seven. Back-to-back buckets from Octavia Crump helped bring Illinois State within three once again, but more turnovers and fouls became an issue, handicapping the comeback.</p>
<p>Sara Dickey stole the inbound with 1:26 to go and laid it up, putting Evansville up 48-41 and icing the game.</p>
<p>A rough season comes to an end for Illinois State. Just two seasons after winning 24 games, they finish with just two victories. There's enough youth on the team, four sophomores, that there could be a light at the end of the tunnel.</p>
<p>Katy Winge led the Redbirds with 17 points tonight in her final collegiate game.</p>
<p>With the victory, Evansville seasons continues against the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/college-basketball/teams/drake-bulldogs">Drake Bulldogs</a> tomorrow night at 6 p.m. The game will be televised on ESPN3 and @OKCChuck will continue to have your coverage on twitter.</p>
<p>"This is why you practice so hard," said coach Epps. "To prepare for these opportunities. We took care of our business tonight."</p>
https://www.swishappeal.com/2015/3/12/8206383/evansville-advances-with-55-51-win-over-illinois-stChuck Chaney