Postseason WNIT | 3/31/2005 8:44:17 PM

Springfield, MO – Missouri State grabbed the title of the 2005 Sportsview.tv Postseason Women’s National Invitation Tournament with another hot shooting night on Thursday, March 31.

Missouri State (25-8) defeated West Virginia 78-70 before an overflow crowd of 8,871 at Hammons Student Center in Springfield, Mo. Missouri State hit 11 3-pointers on its way to finishing its season with an NCAA Division I single-season record of 305 3-pointers.

The Lady Bears' Jenny Lingor scored a WNIT record 116 points for the tournament (20 vs. West Virginia) and was named MVP. Yolanda Paige led West Virginia (21-13) with 22 points and also earned a spot on the All-Tournament Team. Other all-tourney members were Missouri State's Kari Koch, Meg Bulger of West Virginia, Crystal Smith of Iowa, and Sara Potts of Kentucky.

West Virginia led 36-35 at halftime and the teams were tied 40-40 with 15:52 left in the second half before Missouri State(which competed as Southwest Missouri State and then changed its name to Missouri State in the summer of 2005) went on a 22-6 run to clinch the victory.

Missouri State, winner of the Missouri Valley Conference regular-season title, won all five of its games at home in the Sportsview.tv WNIT. The Lady Bears defeated SMU, Gonzaga, Texas A&M, and Iowa on their way to the championship. West Virginia downed Maine, St. John's and Wake Forest before beating Kentucky on the road in double overtime to set up the final with Missouri State.