Southern Illinois University
3-22, 2-14MVC
Northern Iowa*
9-16, 5-11MVC
Women's Basketball Slips Against Northern Iowa, 70-68
02/29/2004 | 12:00:00 | Women's Basketball
Feb. 29, 2004
By Josh Magill
www.SIUSalukis.com
CARBONDALE, Ill. - The Southern Illinois University women's basketball team's final home game of the 2003-04 season was bittersweet. It was a game full of ups and downs, twists and turns, as SIU (3-22, 2-14 MVC) lost to the Panthers, 70-68, on a buzzer beater by Northern Iowa's (9-16, 5-11 MVC) Amy Swisher on Senior Day at the SIU Arena.
The first half of play was back and forth between the two squads, with no team gaining an advantage over the other by more than seven points. UNI took an early 5-0 lead in the game as the Panthers jumped ahead after two free throws by Jessie Biggs and a three-point shot from Swisher. After six possessions and a three-point blast by junior Danette Jones, SIU tied the game at 7-7.
The Panthers moved the lead to seven in the first half, making the score 16-9 after Cassie Hager hit two jumpers and made two free throws in one minute, 26 seconds.
The rest of the first half was bucket for bucket. Neither team lead by more than three points all the way to the halftime horn, but it was Hager's lay-up with four seconds remaining that sent SIU to the locker room down by one, 25-24.
When the second half started, fans saw two seniors, Dana Pinkston and Katie Berwanger, begin to almost score at will. The duo scored 16 points between them in just seven minutes, pushing the score to 42-37 at the 12:12 mark.
UNI would not go away.
The Salukis continued to score, hoping the Panthers would lose their poise and wear down.
With 8:33 left in the second half, Berwanger hit the first of three straight buckets that pushed the SIU lead to five, for a score of 57-52. Pinkston led the charge next as the point guard scored eight points in three minutes, five seconds.
Berwanger had scored 12 points in the second half for a total of 16. Pinkston posted a total of 26 points, blasting the Panthers with 20 in the second half. With 53 seconds to go in the Salukis home finale, the score was 68-65.
UNI would not go away.
Swisher made three free throws and two jumpers for the UNI, including the buzzer beater, in the last 43 seconds of play, to help the Panthers slip past SIU by a score of 70-68. Swisher led UNI in scoring with 26, as well as 10 rebounds, while Hager posted 20 points.
The SIU loss dashed all chances for the Salukis to make the Missouri Valley Conference tournament.
The Salukis hit the road to face Drake (Mar. 4) and Creighton (Mar. 6) for their final regular season games of the season. Results of the game can be found at www.SIUSalukis.com.
