March 14, 2001
BOWLING GREEN, Ky. - In a game marked by a near record-setting barrage of three-pointers, it was free throw shooting that proved to be the difference, as Western Kentucky pulled out a 95-92 victory over Southeastern Conference member Mississippi Wednesday night in the first round of the Women's National Invitation Tournament (WNIT) at E.A. Diddle Arena.
Junior guard Natalie Powers (Owensboro, Ky./Apollo HS) scored a game-high 28 points, but it was her four free throws in the final 22 seconds that preserved the Lady Toppers' first postseason win at home in nearly six years. Powers nailed all 11 of her charity tosses in the contest, allowing her to set a new WKU and Sun Belt Conference record with 210 free throws made this season, breaking Lillie Mason's mark of 209 charities in 1985-86.
Senior All-America forward ShaRae Mansfield (Louisville, Ky./Manual HS) poured in 26 points on 11-of-13 shooting, and freshman guard Jamie Truitt (Owensboro, Ky./Apollo HS) erupted for a career-high 19 points, including 6-of-7 three-pointers, in the victory. Both players were instrumental in helping Western shoot a season-high 61.5 percent from the floor, including an amazing 75 percent (12-16) from three-point range. The 12 treys are also a season best and just one off the school record.
Ole Miss (17-13) got a career-high 23 points from Von Kirk, and Becky Myatt added 19 points in a losing effort. The Lady Rebels drained a WNIT-record 14 three-pointers in the game, and the 26 treys hit by both teams were only five away from the NCAA standard for combined triples in a single contest.
Western Kentucky (18-13) came out with guns blazing from the opening tip, shooting 66.7 percent in the opening half. Powers canned a three-pointer to open the scoring and the Lady Toppers did not trail for the remainder of the period. WKU put some distance between itself and Ole Miss with an 11-2 run early in the first half, opening up a 19-7 lead with 14:04 remaining in the stanza.
The lead hung around the 10-point mark for the next three minutes before the Lady Rebels mounted a 7-0 charge, pulling within 26-23 on a pair of free throws by Tywanna Inmon at the 8:41 mark. Western countered with a 7-1 spurt to rebuild a nine-point lead, but Ole Miss got back within 33-31 with 2:41 left in the frame. But, the visitors would get no closer as the Lady Toppers took a 42-37 lead at halftime.
Western seemed to have the game under control midway through the second half, taking its largest lead of the night at 69-55 on Mansfield's layup with 9:02 to go. The lead was still in double digits with just over four minutes left, when Ole Miss knocked down a trio of three-pointers in a 70-second span to pull within 81-77 at the 3:05 mark. A layup by Sherika Wright got the Lady Rebels to 85-83 with 1:19 left, before the teams traded baskets over the next minute.
After two free throws by Powers with :22 to go built a 91-87 lead for WKU, Kayla Madewell knocked down a trey to slice the lead to one. Following two more Lady Topper free throws, Kirk was fouled by Mansfield while attempting a three-pointer with eight seconds left. However, Kirk, who came into the game as the Lady Rebels' top foul shooter, missed the second of her three charities, leaving Ole Miss down by one. After Powers drilled a pair of free throws with :04 left, Kirk had a chance to tie the game, but her three-point try was off the mark just before the horn sounded.
With the win, Western Kentucky advances to the second round of the WNIT, where it will take on Indiana Saturday at 4 p.m. (CST) at Diddle Arena. The Hoosiers moved into the second round with a 66-63 victory over Western's Sun Belt sister, Middle Tennessee Wednesday night in Bloomington, Ind. Tickets for the WKU-IU game will go on sale Thursday and may be purchased through the WKU Athletic Ticket Office in Diddle Arena (270-745-5222 or 1-800-5-BIG RED).
-- WKU --
