Ahh…the rematch. The first was hard to beat when it came to grit and fight. Perhaps the best game I’ve seen from two teams in a long time. What would happen tonight in the rematch?
KSU would draw first and second blood before Ryan would drive and score. The sister's offense showed a wee bit of nerves initially. After a free throw KSU led 6-2. ISU was just out of sync on offense. Another KSU trey after an ISU turnover made it 9-2. The sisters were just forcing things and it wasn’t pretty. The ladies started out 1-7 before Belanger would score. The officials weren’t calling anything. After a couple of KSU non-called fouls they would hit yet another trey. 12-6 after a Natabou lay in, but the cats hit another trey to make it 15-6. One of the worst three point shooting teams in the conference of course hits five out of the gate to lead 18-8. AJ would start our move back as she drove for two. Brown would hit a two as KSU finally started missing and it was 18-12. Belanger hit a rare trey (rare because we rarely score on hold plays) at the first quarter buzzer to close within three 18-15. Sisters closed on a 7-0 run.
The second started with Crooks being persistent, getting blocked, missed and on the third try finally scored. Bristow then forced a nice turnover. Brown nailed a trey and ISU led 20-18. The run would hit 12-0. Lee finally scored and ISU stood around on offense before turning it over. Lee would score again to give KSU the lead. Lee was beating Crooks inside for her third straight score, but the sisters just kept answering. After a couple of KSU misses Belanger would score and ISU led 27-24. Crooks nailed a nice hook shot over Lee to maintain the lead. Lee answered and it was 29-28 ISU. After an ISU turnover the sisters fouled on a so called continuation play. Sundell would give KSU the lead on free throws. The sisters started to miss on offense and had four straight empty possessions. But the score remained 30-29 KSU until the cats hit another trey. Crooks would answer and then would score again to tie it once again at 33. KSU held for the final shot and missed. Solid first half for both teams.
The second half started with a Ryan trey for the sisters. Lee answered to make it 36-35. Crooks would hit a pair of free throws to give ISU the lead, but Crooks would pick up her third foul with 8 min to go. The resulting free throw tied it up. Both teams would start to miss until KSU hit yet another trey. Bristow would turn it over on a bad pass, but no damage. Brown would make a nice hook shot to pull ISU within one 41-40. After being fouled, Natabou would miss both free throws. After a stop on the other end, Bristow would hit a trey to get the lead back 43-42. After stretching to a three point lead KSU would answer with a foul shot and another trey to retake the lead 48-47. Brown would score again to get the lead right back. KSU was in the bonus early in the quarter. Lee would hit one free throw and ISU would promptly turn it over. Fortunately, KSU missed and Bristow would hit a jumper and force Lee's third foul. What a chess match this was! Brown would nail a trey after stealing the ball. ISU would hold for the last shot and Ryan would hit Natabou for the lay in and a four point lead after three 56-52.
ISU started the fourth with a turnover. KSU hit a pair of free throws, scored after a turnover and then ISU turned it over again as KSU tied game at 56. Crooks would score and Brown would hit yet again. Sundell scored after an offensive board, but Brown would answer right back. After a Ryan score the lead was five 66-61. Ryan then drove the lane on Lee and scored stretching the lead to seven 68-61. Crooks then ran over Lee for her fourth foul. Time to head to the bench again for a couple of minutes. KSU hit yet another trey and it was a four point game. Brown would answer right back. Lee would then pick up her fourth foul. Belanger hit a jumper to extend the lead to five 72-67. Natabou scored and was fouled. She hit the free throw and the lead was four 75-71 with two minutes to go. Both teams would have empty possessions before Ryan fed Crooks for two to make it 77-71 with less than a minute to go. Belanger fouled and KSU would hit a pair of free throws. Thirty seven tics to go and a four point lead. Brown would get fouled and hit one free throw for a five point lead. KSU would miss and Brown was fouled with 21 to go. She would hit two to make it a three possession game 80-73. KSU would hit a contested trey to make it a four point game with 16 left. Belanger was fouled on the inbound pass. She would hit both. KSU would miss, Brown would get the board and the game was ours.
Observations
POG - nice to say it’s Brown. The young lady we were used to seeing through the first half of the season was back. What an amazing game for her. She was efficient in every sense of the word. Nine out of thirteen shots for 24 points, 11 boards, 3 steals, 2 boards. She’s baaaackkkk…
Ryan - If I didn’t give POG to Brown it would go here. This was the near perfect game from the ISU floor general. Yes, five turnovers. BUT…11 points. 7 boards. NINE assists. 2 steals. I’ll take it.
Crooks - things don’t look quite as big with the foul trouble she had, but when she was in she was nearly unstoppable again. Still had 14 points and 7 boards. I had to shake my head when things were getting critical and she was laughing and smiling on the court. Have to love this girl!
AJ - 4 points, 2 boards and 1 assist. Still fouls too much, but she’s a scrapper in there. Her defense is salty.
Belanger - She is starting to round back into the player we need. Thirteen points with most of the damage being short jumpers. She’s definitely become another threat.
Bristow - I said in the game thread that this lady is going to become a good one. Still making some mistakes, but her upside is very high. Seven points tonight along with five boards and a steal. I’ll take that every game. She length really causes problems for the opponent.
Diew - nice to see her back after a three game absence. Two points in limited minutes.
Joens - Two boards in limited minutes.
Natabou - I saved her for last for a reason. She really had to put in some time tonight with the foul trouble Crooks had. Missed some bunnies, but when it counted she cashed in. Kudos to her.
Free throws - 11 of 16. Hit them down the stretch when it counted the most.
Threes - strangely we were in this game despite only hitting five. KSU meanwhile stayed in the game because they hit an unimaginable eleven.
Rebounds - when this team out rebounds their opponent it means good things. The ladies DOMINATED the boards tonight to the tune of 47-30.
Wow. A sweep of a highly rated team. With WVU’s loss this week this moves ISU into fifth in the conference. It is a HUGE road win in the eyes of the committee. ISU is also playing well at the end of the season and that plays big in their eyes. I read somewhere that a pair of wins this week would likely move ISU up to an 8 seed. When you consider we weren’t sure they would make the dance a couple of weeks ago this is big. The team is literally back to firing on all cylinders again. If…if Diew can find her mojo again…I dare to think just how dangerous this team will be moving forward. Let’s pack Hilton for the last home game for this fun team! See you there!
KSU would draw first and second blood before Ryan would drive and score. The sister's offense showed a wee bit of nerves initially. After a free throw KSU led 6-2. ISU was just out of sync on offense. Another KSU trey after an ISU turnover made it 9-2. The sisters were just forcing things and it wasn’t pretty. The ladies started out 1-7 before Belanger would score. The officials weren’t calling anything. After a couple of KSU non-called fouls they would hit yet another trey. 12-6 after a Natabou lay in, but the cats hit another trey to make it 15-6. One of the worst three point shooting teams in the conference of course hits five out of the gate to lead 18-8. AJ would start our move back as she drove for two. Brown would hit a two as KSU finally started missing and it was 18-12. Belanger hit a rare trey (rare because we rarely score on hold plays) at the first quarter buzzer to close within three 18-15. Sisters closed on a 7-0 run.
The second started with Crooks being persistent, getting blocked, missed and on the third try finally scored. Bristow then forced a nice turnover. Brown nailed a trey and ISU led 20-18. The run would hit 12-0. Lee finally scored and ISU stood around on offense before turning it over. Lee would score again to give KSU the lead. Lee was beating Crooks inside for her third straight score, but the sisters just kept answering. After a couple of KSU misses Belanger would score and ISU led 27-24. Crooks nailed a nice hook shot over Lee to maintain the lead. Lee answered and it was 29-28 ISU. After an ISU turnover the sisters fouled on a so called continuation play. Sundell would give KSU the lead on free throws. The sisters started to miss on offense and had four straight empty possessions. But the score remained 30-29 KSU until the cats hit another trey. Crooks would answer and then would score again to tie it once again at 33. KSU held for the final shot and missed. Solid first half for both teams.
The second half started with a Ryan trey for the sisters. Lee answered to make it 36-35. Crooks would hit a pair of free throws to give ISU the lead, but Crooks would pick up her third foul with 8 min to go. The resulting free throw tied it up. Both teams would start to miss until KSU hit yet another trey. Bristow would turn it over on a bad pass, but no damage. Brown would make a nice hook shot to pull ISU within one 41-40. After being fouled, Natabou would miss both free throws. After a stop on the other end, Bristow would hit a trey to get the lead back 43-42. After stretching to a three point lead KSU would answer with a foul shot and another trey to retake the lead 48-47. Brown would score again to get the lead right back. KSU was in the bonus early in the quarter. Lee would hit one free throw and ISU would promptly turn it over. Fortunately, KSU missed and Bristow would hit a jumper and force Lee's third foul. What a chess match this was! Brown would nail a trey after stealing the ball. ISU would hold for the last shot and Ryan would hit Natabou for the lay in and a four point lead after three 56-52.
ISU started the fourth with a turnover. KSU hit a pair of free throws, scored after a turnover and then ISU turned it over again as KSU tied game at 56. Crooks would score and Brown would hit yet again. Sundell scored after an offensive board, but Brown would answer right back. After a Ryan score the lead was five 66-61. Ryan then drove the lane on Lee and scored stretching the lead to seven 68-61. Crooks then ran over Lee for her fourth foul. Time to head to the bench again for a couple of minutes. KSU hit yet another trey and it was a four point game. Brown would answer right back. Lee would then pick up her fourth foul. Belanger hit a jumper to extend the lead to five 72-67. Natabou scored and was fouled. She hit the free throw and the lead was four 75-71 with two minutes to go. Both teams would have empty possessions before Ryan fed Crooks for two to make it 77-71 with less than a minute to go. Belanger fouled and KSU would hit a pair of free throws. Thirty seven tics to go and a four point lead. Brown would get fouled and hit one free throw for a five point lead. KSU would miss and Brown was fouled with 21 to go. She would hit two to make it a three possession game 80-73. KSU would hit a contested trey to make it a four point game with 16 left. Belanger was fouled on the inbound pass. She would hit both. KSU would miss, Brown would get the board and the game was ours.
Observations
POG - nice to say it’s Brown. The young lady we were used to seeing through the first half of the season was back. What an amazing game for her. She was efficient in every sense of the word. Nine out of thirteen shots for 24 points, 11 boards, 3 steals, 2 boards. She’s baaaackkkk…
Ryan - If I didn’t give POG to Brown it would go here. This was the near perfect game from the ISU floor general. Yes, five turnovers. BUT…11 points. 7 boards. NINE assists. 2 steals. I’ll take it.
Crooks - things don’t look quite as big with the foul trouble she had, but when she was in she was nearly unstoppable again. Still had 14 points and 7 boards. I had to shake my head when things were getting critical and she was laughing and smiling on the court. Have to love this girl!
AJ - 4 points, 2 boards and 1 assist. Still fouls too much, but she’s a scrapper in there. Her defense is salty.
Belanger - She is starting to round back into the player we need. Thirteen points with most of the damage being short jumpers. She’s definitely become another threat.
Bristow - I said in the game thread that this lady is going to become a good one. Still making some mistakes, but her upside is very high. Seven points tonight along with five boards and a steal. I’ll take that every game. She length really causes problems for the opponent.
Diew - nice to see her back after a three game absence. Two points in limited minutes.
Joens - Two boards in limited minutes.
Natabou - I saved her for last for a reason. She really had to put in some time tonight with the foul trouble Crooks had. Missed some bunnies, but when it counted she cashed in. Kudos to her.
Free throws - 11 of 16. Hit them down the stretch when it counted the most.
Threes - strangely we were in this game despite only hitting five. KSU meanwhile stayed in the game because they hit an unimaginable eleven.
Rebounds - when this team out rebounds their opponent it means good things. The ladies DOMINATED the boards tonight to the tune of 47-30.
Wow. A sweep of a highly rated team. With WVU’s loss this week this moves ISU into fifth in the conference. It is a HUGE road win in the eyes of the committee. ISU is also playing well at the end of the season and that plays big in their eyes. I read somewhere that a pair of wins this week would likely move ISU up to an 8 seed. When you consider we weren’t sure they would make the dance a couple of weeks ago this is big. The team is literally back to firing on all cylinders again. If…if Diew can find her mojo again…I dare to think just how dangerous this team will be moving forward. Let’s pack Hilton for the last home game for this fun team! See you there!
