Morehead State’s Terrice Robinson hit her final two free throws with 2.4 seconds left as the Eagles edged Southern Illoinois University Edwardsville women’s basketball 57-53 Monday at the Vadalabene Center.
SIUE was upended in a back-and-forth contest that featured four ties and nine lead changes. The two teams were tied at halftime 22-22, but a 9-2 run by the Eagles midway through the second half proved to be the difference.
Tierny Austin / Photo by SIUE Sports Information
“This was a frustrating weekend for us because we dropped two games we could’ve taken,” said SIUE Head Coach Paula Buscher. “We need to take better care of the little things.”
The Cougars, 4-11 overall and 1-2 in the Ohio Valley Conference, picked up a game-high 16 points from Tierny Austin. She notched her third double-double of the season by adding 12 rebounds.
“Tierny plays her tail off, and she ended up with another double-double tonight,” said Buscher. “She’s coming off an ankle injury, but she’s still playing well for us.”
SIUE dominated the boards 48-27 against the visiting Eagles, which benefitted from 11 3-pointers.
The Eagles, now 8-7 overall and 2-0 in the OVC, took more than 60 percent of its field goals from beyond the 3-point arc.
SIUE was aggressive on the offensive end and drew 28 fouls from Morehead State. That put the Cougars on the line, but SIUE converted only 23 of 40 from the charity stripe.
“I thought we did a great job of attacking the basket and getting to the free throw line,” said Buscher. “But you can’t just get to the line, you have to make your free throws as well.”
Robinson and Shanice Parker led the Eagles in scoring with 14 points each. Parker hit four 3-pointers, and five different Morehead State players made a 3-pointer.
SIUE now heads to the road for the first time in OVC play. The Cougars travel to Tennessee Tech Saturday and Jacksonville State Monday.
“We’re getting to where we need to be,” said Buscher. “We’re very young, and these high-pressure games will pay off in the long run for our young players.”
