 Sports News Search Classifieds MU women face a tough road testBy JOSÉ ALFREDO FLORES, Missourian staffJanuary 17, 2001 
The last time MU women’s basketball Tigers traveled to Ames, Iowa they returned with their tails between their legs. Missouri was victimized in a 101-66 loss, which included the Cyclones hitting an NCAA-record 18 3-pointers.This year No. 7 Iowa State has another strong team and will again be tough to beat at home when Missouri visits tonight at 7 p.m. Missouri guard Natalie Bright, a native of Des Moines, knows firsthand just how tough the home crowd of the Cyclones (13-3, 4-0 Big 12 Conference) can be. “Iowa State is a special place,” said the senior point guard. “The crowd likes to yell at you and taunt you.” But the Tigers (11-4, 2-2), who are 0-2 in conference road games, will have a lot more to worry about than rowdy fans. Iowa State features the preseason conference player of the year in junior Angie Welle. The 6-foot-4 center is coming off a All-Big 12 second team season. She is averaging a double-double this year with 17.6 points and 10.1 rebounds a game and is shooting 66.9 percent from the field, good for No. 2 in the nation and up from her nation-leading 64.7 percent shooting of a year ago. Chantelle Anderson of Vanderbilt at 76.3 percent from the field is No. 1 in the nation this year. “She’s a tremendous post player,” Missouri coach Cindy Stein said of Welle. “She shows why she’s deserving of preseason conference player of the year honors. Welle can go to her left and to her right, she can take it inside and can even hit the three. She’ll be tough to guard.” Missouri will also have to handle the top team in the conference in the following categories:
Iowa State distributes the offense through several players, including four starters averaging double figures, something Stein wishes her team could do. “We try to spread out our scoring during practice but it doesn’t necessarily translate into games,” Stein said. Missouri is led by its starting front court (42.6 points per game) scoring more than half of the Tigers’ points. “Sometimes our guards pass up open looks and sometimes we don’t make good shot selections,” Stein said. “(Starting guard Tracy) Franklin can create her own shot and can score a lot more for the team. She’s been in a shooting slump this season and the only way to break out of it is to keep shooting.” The Tigers are coming off a tough 98-90 loss to Colorado in Boulder on Sunday. Missouri came back from 12 down at the half and tied the game with 2:26 remaining before the Buffaloes went on an 11-1 run. “It’s a game we learned from,” Stein said. “Down the stretch we got the shots we wanted but we put too much pressure on ourselves. It’s tough to play on the road in the Big 12. We have five teams in the top 25 in the conference. We need to be able to hang around in these games and knock down shots down the stretch. Iowa State is a tough team but they are beatable. Our kids are up for the challenge.” Adds Bright, “Playing teams like Texas Tech and Texas will definitely help some of our newcomers. I know I’ll have some supporters at the game, but I’m now used to that. They’re just like any other fan.” Tracking the Tigers WHO: Missouri at Iowa State WHAT: Women’s college basketball WHEN: Tonight at 7 p.m. WHERE: Hilton Coliseum, Ames, Iowa TV: AT&T Cable, RADIO: KFRU/AM 1400
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