When Beth Cunningham took over the Lady Bears basketball program last March, she knew she had her work cut out for her. However, making a postseason run a year later wasn’t out of the question.
And that’s exactly where Mo-State found itself Wednesday. Facing Nebraska in the first round of the Women’s NIT.
Fourth meeting all-time between the two teams. Lady Bears won the last back in 1993.
From the jump, Aniya Thomas was locked in. She took three shots from the field, all three were worth three. Thomas scored 9 of MSU’s first 10 points.
But so was Jaz Shelly, knocked down the stepback triple. Cornhuskers closed the quarter on a 7-0 to run lead 22-15.
In the second, Shelly can’t hit from the corner, but Izzy Born had a double-double to help put Nebraska back up seven.
Inside three minutes, super senior Sydney Wilson, ringing the bell from the wing. Part of a 9-0 run for the Lady Bears to lead 32-30.
But with two seconds left in the half, Shelly from midcourt, you gotta be kidding me! Nebraska takes momentum and a 6-point lead to the break.
In the third, neither team stomped on the gas, but with under a minute to go, Kelly, gets jazzy on it. Her third trey ball of the night gives Nebraska a 10-point edge heading into the fourth.
Less than 5:00 to play in regulation, Kennedy Taylor, she’s too strong! Basket and the foul, but she missed the free throw so it’s a five-point game.
But the Cornhuskers just kept answering the call when they had to. Lady Bears season ends with a 20-12 record as they fall 74-65 to Nebraska.
