University of Missouri
19-9, 9-5
South Carolina
22-4, 12-2
@MizzouWBB Takes Down No. 6 South Carolina, 62-60
2/19/2017 6:44:00 PM | Women's Basketball
Sophie Cunningham scored 26 points including the game-winner to fuel Mizzou
COLUMBIA, Mo. – Mizzou Women's Basketball (19-9, 9-5) knocked off No. 6 South Carolina, 62-60, on Sunday afternoon at Mizzou Arena with a game-winning layup by sophomore guard Sophie Cunningham (Columbia, Mo.). The thrilling win for the Tigers was their ninth conference victory this season which is the most since the 2005-2006 campaign. With the win, Mizzou has now downed five straight ranked opponents at Mizzou Arena.
The last time Mizzou earned a victory over an opponent ranked in the top 10 was its 66-54 win over No. 6 Mississippi State on Jan. 14, 2016. The Tigers sealed a winning record in conference play with the victory for the fifth time in 27 years and the first time since 2005-06.
Cunningham paved the way for the Tigers, scoring 26 points (10-16 FG, 5-6 FT) and hauling in seven rebounds. Cunningham has now scored 20 or more points in eight games this season. Sophomore forward Cierra Porter (Columbia, Mo.) also made an impact as she recorded her 11th double-double, dropping in 10 points and grabbing 10 rebounds. Senior guard Sierra Michaelis (Mercer, Mo.) added 11 points.
The Tigers got on the board quickly as Cunningham knocked home a fadeaway jumper to beat the shotclock on Mizzou's first possession. Minutes later, the Tigers forced two turnovers in the Gamecocks' backcourt which led to a Porter layup off of a smooth feed from Cunningham. With 4:46 left in the first frame, senior guard Lianna Doty (St. Louis, Mo.) drilled a triple to give the Tigers a 7-6 lead. Following a Gamecock timeout, freshmen Amber Smith (Shreveport, La.) and Hannah Schuchts (Tallahassee, Fla.) added three-pointers to pad the Mizzou advantage. Meanwhile, the Tigers stifled the South Carolina offense, holding the Gamecocks to 0-for-7 shooting from behind the arc. At the end of one, the Tigers led 15-10. South Carolina's 10 points were lowest the Gamecocks have scored in a first quarter in conference play this season.
After the Gamecocks scored the first eight points of the second quarter, Michaelis responded for the Tigers going on a personal 5-0 run. Michaelis knocked down a jumper then drained a three to give Mizzou a 20-18 advantage with 7:44 left in the half. South Carolina answered with a handful of free throws and a layup and held a 30-26 lead at the half.
South Carolina extended its lead to 10 with 6:06 left in the third quarter. However, Mizzou caught fire and began cutting into the lead when Porter converted a three-point play and Michaelis scored inside. Following a Gamecock basket, Cunningham created space in the lane and dropped in a layup to trim the South Carolina lead to five. After a timeout, the Tigers stayed on the attack as Cunningham converted a three-point play of her own. After Cunningham knocked in the free throw, Michaelis forced a steal and went coast to coast to give the Tigers a two-point lead. Mizzou made seven straight field goals during the run and led 44-42 with just over two minutes left in the third. The Gamecocks answered with a pair of jumpers and Mizzou trailed 48-44 at the end of three.
To begin the fourth, Porter and Cunningham both drilled triples and with 7:30 remaining, the Tigers trailed by one. Shortly after, Doty scored on a baseline drive and Porter knocked in a pair of free throws, giving the Tigers a 54-51 lead with 5:57 left. The two teams traded buckets as the score was tied at 58-58 with 1:24 left. After two South Carolina free throws, Cunningham grabbed an offensive rebound and scored in the paint to tie the game at 60-60 with 35 seconds left. On the ensuing Gamecock possession, Doty took a crucial charge which gave the ball back to the Tigers with 23 seconds on the clock. With time winding down, Cunningham drove inside from the left wing and laid in a cold-blooded game winner to knock off the sixth-ranked Gamecocks.
Following the victory, the Tigers have now beaten five Top-40 RPI opponents this season.
Next up on the slate for the Tigers is a home Senior Night matchup against the Ole Miss Rebels on Thursday, with tip set for 7 p.m. at Mizzou Arena.
For all the latest on Mizzou Women's Basketball, stay tuned to MUTigers.com and follow the team on Twitter (@MizzouWBB) and like the team on Facebook (Mizzou Women's Basketball) and Instagram (MizzouWBB).
