Ariy-El Boynton

Six percent is not a good percentage at any level in basketball, but a win manages to erases all stats.

The Jackrabbit women’s basketball team went 1-of-16 from behind the 3-point arc, but beat the Missouri Tigers, 55-50, at Mizzou Arena on Nov. 14 in Columbia, MO.

“Their pressure was really good,” head Jackrabbits coach Aaron Johnston said. The ninth year coach also said the Jacks did not make the extra pass necessary for good 3-point looks.

The Jacks erased the bad shooting from the 3-points line to shot 58(15-26) percent in the second half and 72 percent from the free throw line overall in the season opener for both teams.

With the score tied at 43-all, and more than five minutes left, freshman Jennie Sunnarborg scored six straight points for SDSU. The three clutch baskets moved the Jacks in to the lead for good.

In her college career, Sunnarborg has never missed a shot from the field as she went 4-4 from the paint and went 3-4 from the free-throw line. The Osseo, Minn., bench player had 11 points, but was modest of her first ever collegiate game.

“I was a little nervous when I got first in there,” Sunnarborg said. “I was only taking lay-ups in the post and my teammates got me the ball in good position.”

She did make an unimpressive post-up move and put back on her offensive own rebound, at the end of the game.

“(She) really gave us a big spark,” Johnston said.

Last year’s youngest team in the nation got off to a good start as sophomore Shakara Jones lead the Tigers to a 16-8 lead in the first half with less than eight minutes remaining.

With SDSU needing a spark, the Jacks’ leading scorer Jennifer Warkenthien – who had 15 points in 23 minutes – made the first and only shot behind the arc in the game for both teams, to bring the game within five.

Jones, who lead all scorers with 16 points, was held to a limited amount of free-throws and two points in the second half. The Jacks outscored Missouri 31-21 in the second half.

The Tigers’ lone senior, Alyssa Hollins, had 13 points despite having the flu and being hooked up to an IV before the game. MU’s career leading 3-point shooter missed all three shots she took from behind the arc.

“It’s a hard first game to have something like that happen to your leader,” MU coach Cindy Stein said.

In the first half, the Tigers appeared to be in the driver’s seat as UM lead by as many as nine points as the Jacks shot a horrid 16 percent, 4-of-25, from the field. Even though Missouri was up by seven (24-17), the lead could have been more. Missouri only made 2-of-7 free throws.

The Tigers started the second half with two turnovers and the Jacks had six points in the first minute of the half.

Missouri made less than half of their free-throws (10-21) in the game.

Shooting from the free-throw line was the main difference in the game, according to Stein, who is in her ninth year coaching the Tigers.

SDSU starters Ketty Cornemann and co-leading minute earner Macie Michelson made two clutch free-throws each in the last 65 seconds.

“A win is a win, but we got plenty to work on,” Michelson said.

Next up for the Jacks is Wisconsin(Madison) on Nov. 17 at Frost Arena at 7 p.m. in the annual Shrine game and SDSU’s home opener.

“We definitely want a win, and it’s at our place, so we want to show up for our fans,” Sunnarborg said.