Jan. 13, 2000
COLUMBIA, Mo. - The Missouri Tigers (11-2, 1-1) will head south this weekend to take on the Texas Longhorns (10-5, 2-1) in a showdown in Austin, Texas on Saturday afternoon at 2:00 p.m. The Tigers are coming off of a 78-44 blowout victory over Baylor last Saturday in Columbia. The Tigers recorded Big 12 records with 68 rebounds and shots attempted with 91.
The Longhorns suffered their first conference loss on Wednesday night, losing 71-69 to Oklahoma State in Stillwater, Okla. A jumper by OSU's Jennifer Crow with 4.5 seconds lifted the Cowgirls to victory.
Missouri will be looking for it's second conference win of the season, but it won't by easy, as Texas has an all-time record of 288-41 at the Frank Erwin Center. The Longhorns are 7-0 thus far at home in 1999-00.
Last year in Columbia, Missouri blew a nine-point halftime lead and fell 64-59 to the Longhorns. The Tigers wasted a 24 point, 19 rebound performance by Kesha Bonds. Texas shot just .219 percent from the floor in the first half, but answered with a .531 percent performance from the floor in the second half. Edwina Brown led Texas down the stretch. She netted 12 points while collecting 11 rebounds and 8 assists. She put theTigers away with four free throws down the stretch.
TIP-OFF: 2:00 p.m. CST.
RADIO/TV: KWWC 90.5 FM (David Lile, Sally Albers)
INTERNET: www.mutigers.com (LIVE)
ARENA: Frank Erwin Center (16,175)
SERIES: Texas holds a 6-0 advantage all-time vs. Missouri
COACHES: Missouri - Cindy Stein (89-42 overall, 24-17 at MU), UT - Jody Conradt (735-227 overall, 618-165 at Texas)
PROBABLE MISSOURI STARTERS
| No. | Name | Pos. | Ht. | Cl. | PPG. | RPG. | OTHER |
| 24 | Amanda Lassiter | F | 6'1 | Jr. | 13.5 | 5.2 | 38 blocks |
| 5 | Amy Monsees | F | 6'0 | Sr. | 10.2 | 4.5 | .538% FG |
| 55 | Marlena Williams | C | 6'0 | Jr. | 12.1 | 5.0 | .536% FG |
| 32 | Natalie Bright | G | 5'8 | So. | 7.4 | 3.8 | 1.3 TO/gm. |
| 44 | Julie Helm | G | 5'11 | Sr. | 13.6 | 4.5 | .400 3PT% |
OFF THE BENCH
| No. | Name | Pos. | Ht. | Cl. | PPG. | RPG. | OTHER |
| 22 | Tracy Franklin | G/F | 5'10 | Jr. | 5.4 | 2.1 | 6 blocks |
| 45 | Ekpe Akpaffiong | F/C | 6'0 | Sr. | 7.4 | 3.8 | .554% FG |
| 15 | Kerensa Barr | G | 5'10 | Fr. | 5.2 | 2.8 | 2.6 asp. |
| 52 | Melissa Statham | C | 6'2 | Fr. | 1.5 | 1.5 | 9.0 min/g |
Scouting Texas
After putting together a four-game winning streak midway through December, the Longhorns have split their last six games. Texas has defeated the likes of Arizona State, Kansas State and Nebraska (in Lincoln), while falling to No. 16 Rutgers, No. 2 Tennessee and most recently, Oklahoma State.
The Longhorns are coached by the winningest head coach in women's basketball history, Jody Conradt. In her 31st season, Conradt owns an all-time record of 735-227. She is 618-165 as the head coach at Texas.
The Longhorns are led by All-American candidate Edwina Brown, who entered the week as the seventh leading scorer in the country. Brown is averaging 22.7 ppg. and 8.1 rebounds, both team-high's. She also leads Texas in assists with 83.
Texas has also had solid play from sophomore Asha Hill (10.7 ppg., 43 assists) and freshman reserve guard Alisha Sare, the Horns' second leading scorer (10.8 ppg.).
Missouri's Last Time Out
The Tigers bounced back from a tough loss to Iowa State with a 78-44 pounding of Baylor last Saturday at the Hearnes Center. Missouri, who's weakness heading into the contest had been rebounding, collected a Big 12 single-game record 68 rebounds, 32 of them on the offensive end. Point guard Natalie Bright led Mizzou with 10 boards.
Missouri also broke a Big 12 record with 91 shot attempts in the game. Amanda Lassiter led the Tigers with 14 points, 9 rebounds, 5 steals and 3 blocked shots. Julie Helm also netted 14 points for Mizzou while Marlena Williams and Ekpe Akpaffiong added 10 points each.
The Tigers, ranked among the nation's top 10 in field goal defense, held the Lady Bears to just 27.9 percent shooting.
Lassiter Tabbed Big 12's Top Rookie for the Second Time
Junior forward Amanda Lassiter has been everything the Tigers could have hoped for when she transfered to Mizzou from Central Arizona Junior College. For the second time this season, Lassiter was tabbed the Big 12 Rookie-of-the-Week following two more stellar performances against Iowa State and Baylor.
Lassiter, who received very little notice when the pre-season votes were tallied for the Big 12 Newcomer-of-the-Year, has done it all for the Tigers in her first 13 games. She is Missouri's leader in assists (50), blocks (38) and steals (39). She also leads Mizzou in rebounding (5.2 rpg.) and is the Tigers' second leading scorer. She has already broken a Big 12 record for steals in a game (11) and has set a new Missouri record for blocks in a game (7).
Lassiter entered this week ranked sixth in the country in blocked shots at 2.9 per game.
Coach Stein Rewarded Contract Extension
Cindy Stein was rewarded with a two-year contract extension by Director of Athletics Mike Alden. Her new contract will carry her through the 2004 season.
Alden said that "the University was not taking this step just because of the success on the court, but because of the total success of her program." Alden stated that Stein's student-athletes "were doing well in school and the community, as well as on the basketball court."
Fans Are Taking Notice at MU
The University of Missouri began selling season tickets for women's basketball for the first time this season. Over 300 season tickets have been sold. But it has been more than the season ticket holders that are taking notice of the turnaround at the University of Missouri in women's basektball.
The Tigers drew over 1,000 fans seven times at the Hearnes Center last season. So far in 1999-00, the Tigers have played five home games and have drawn an average of 1,605 fans.
Missouri used "Pokemon Night" on Dec. 30 to draw 2,242 fans against Wisconsin-Milwaukee. That was followed by an attendance of 2,463 for the conference opener against Iowa State.
Tigers Turn the Tables in the Turnover Department
She calls it 'Organized Chaos.' Cindy Stein's style of basketball is in full effect in 1999-00. Many basketball followers might compare it to the Arkansas men's "40 Minutes of Hell." In 13 games, Missouri has forced an average of 25.9 turnovers per game. The Tigers have 194 steals as a team so far, an average of 14.9 per game. Missouri averaged just over 8 steals per contest last year.
Missouri was tied for the bottom in the Big 12 Conference in assist/turnover ratio last season at 0.74. How things have changed this season. The Tigers were at the top of the Big 12 with a ratio of 1.31 headed into the week.
Dare We Say "Spurtability?"
So this SID is a Clark Kellogg fan.
Missouri has been a team that has been able to literally bury it's opponents with one big spurt.
Just ask the San Diego State Aztecs as to how devastating Mizzou's full court press can be. The Tigers took a 2-1 lead just 47 seconds into the game. In just five minutes, 11 seconds and 10 turnovers later, Missouri's lead was 25-1. The Aztecs were forced to call three of their five timeouts during that span.
Centenary also provides a sample of the Tigers disruptive press. The Ladies led Missouri 6-4. The next thing they knew, the Tigers had gone on a 34-0 run to take a 38-6 lead.
Illinois State also fell victim to the Tigers relentless press. Missouri jumped out to a 34-1 lead against the Redbirds and held ISU without a field goal for the first 13 minutes, 37 seconds of the contest. The Tigers led 3-1 and went on a 31-0 run forcing 13 turnovers in the process. At one point, ISU had 14 turnovers and had attempted just 12 shots.
And most recently, Wisconsin-Milwaukee, who trailed the Tigers just 30-27 at halftime, and tied the game 34-34 before getting hit with a 37-5 run, and more impressive, a 30-0 run. Missouri found themselves up 71-39.
MISSOURI'S LONGEST SPURTS
34-0 vs. Centenary
31-0 vs. Illinois State
30-0 vs. Wisconsin-Milwaukee
23-1 at San Diego State
Missouri Among the Nation's Statistical Leaders
Coach Cindy Stein wants her team to score and score a lot. The Tigers averaged 66.4 points a game last season, a number that Coach Stein wanted to see increase this season. That number has increased a lot.
Missouri is averaging 82.8 points per game, a figure that ranks among the nation's top 10. The Tigers have four players averaging double-figures and nine players averaging at least five points a game.
Missouri also came into the week ranked sixth nationally in scoring margin (25.5) and sixth in free-throw percentage (76.7).
Defensively, the Tigers were ranked 5th in the country in field goal defense. Mizzou's opponents are shooting .35.2 percent from the floor.
Back at the Helm
Senior Julie Helm continues to re-write the Missouri record books with every game she plays. Her numbers were expected to decrease a little bit this season with the additions of such scoring threats as Amanda Lassiter and Marlena Williams.
After a rough start to the season, Helm is back on a roll offensively, and is back on top of the team's scoring chart at 13.6 points per game. She busted out of a huge shooting slump against Eastern Illinois with 30 points in 21 minutes of play. She answered that performance by leading the Tigers with 16 points in 19 minutes of action against Illinois State. Helm led Mizzou for the third straight time with a 19 point peformance against Wisconsin-Milwaukee.
Helm moved into fourth place on Missouri's all-time scoring list at Saint Louis on Dec 11. She passed Nancy Rutter by scoring her 1,642nd point in the first half in MU's 78-65 victory. She now has 1,740 points for her career. Next up for Helm is Sharon Farrah, who owns third place with 1,820 points.
She is currently the career leader in free throw percentage at 81.2 percent. She is on her way to becoming the career leader in three-point field goals. Helm currently has 107 treys and is 10 away from all-time leader Stacy Williams.
Helm is averaging 17.2 ppg. for her career. She just passed 600 made FG plateau and the 400 rebound mark and is averaging over four boards per game for her career. Helm also passed the 400 free throw mark and just recorded her 200th assist and passed the 100 steals mark. She also eclipsed the 3,000 minutes played mark for her career. Helm played in her 100th career game against Iowa State on Jan. 5.
The Future at Point Guard is Bright and Secure with Barr
Sophomore point guard Natalie Bright has been one of the biggest factors in the vast improvement of the Missouri Tigers women's basketball team. Bright played in every game as a freshman last year and gained valuable experience, although struggling at times with turnovers.
Things have changed so far this season as Bright is playing with much more confidence and a better feel for the game. In 13 games, Bright has turned the ball over just 18 times in 23.9 minutes per game. She has 36 assists and is averaging 3.8 rebounds per contest. Bright is also scoring 7.0 points per game.
Freshman Kerensa Barr, the Missouri state High School Player-of-the-Year, has helped the point guard spot as well, especially at the defensive end. Barr is second on the team in steals behind Amanda Lassiter with 29 and is averaging 2.8 rebounds from the point guard spot.
Offensively, Barr is improving with every game. She went the first two exhibition games and the first regular season game against Bradley without a turnover. Since, she has turned it over 22 times, but she does have 35 assists. Barr is averaging 5.2 ppg. and has connected on five 3-point field goals.
Last year, Missouri's point guards turned the ball over 122 times and recorded just 97 assists. Those numbers have changed dramatically this season. The Bright/Barr combination has 71 assists to just 40 turnovers thus far.
Just Call Her 'Pep' and Enjoy
If you love basketball, you love to watch Marlena "Pep" Williams play. The 6-0 junior college Kodak All-American plays hard and wants to win worse than the average player. She is what Cindy Stein calls a perfectionist, and anything less than perfection irritates 'Pep.'
Williams played her first career game for the Tigers in her own backyard in Peoria, Ill. at Bradley. Williams scored 13 points in 18 minutes and had tears in her eyes as she left the floor after fouling out.
In her Hearnes Center debut against Arkansas, some 1,300 Missouri fans got to see what 'Pep' is all about. Williams picked up her second foul less than four minutes into the game and sat out the rest of the half with 0 points and 1 rebound. Those who know 'Pep' knew what to expect in the second half.
Williams scored 21 points in the second period, 7 of them in the first 4:14 of the half. She staggered Arkansas with points in the post as well as several one-on-one moves from the top of the key.
Williams is third on the club in scoring with 12.1 ppg., despite playing with chronic shin splints that may nag her the entire season. What is eye-popping about that figure is that she is only playing 19.8 minutes per game because of foul trouble, shin splints and Mizzou blowouts.
Where does this all come from? Basketball talent runs through the blood of the Williams family. Most notible is her brother Frank, a McDonald's All-American and the starting point guard for the University of Illinois.
Monsees a Consistant Threat for Tigers
Senior forward Amy Monsees had a breakthrough season as a junior. Now a senior tri-captain, Monsees continues to quietly go about her business.
Monsees is fourth on the club in scoring at 10.2 ppg. The 6-0 Kansas City native has been money in the bank when she has had a chance to score. She is shooting .538 percent from the floor and .811 from the free throw line. Monsees has also hit 4-of-8 three-pointers this season.
Monsees led the Tigers with 17 points on against Portland State and added nine more against San Diego State and was named to the All-Tournament Team at the Pacific Bell/San Diego State Tournament.
New Roles for Tiger Vets Ekpe and Franklin
Senior Ekpe Akpaffiong and junior Tracy Franklin started a combined 38 games last year for the Tigers. In Akpaffiong's case, she has started 59 games in the last three seasons.
Akpaffiong and Franklin are now coming off the bench for the Tigers with the additions of Amanda Lassiter and Marlena Williams. The outcome of the moves? So far, so good.
Akpaffiong's reaction was a 13 point, 5 rebound performance in 14 minutes of action in Missouri's 92-49 win over Bradley in the season opener. Akpaffiong has been huge off the bench for the Tigers thus far. She is Missouri's fifth leading rebounder at 3.8 per game and is averaging 7.4 points per game in 16.5 minutes per contest.
Franklin has shown a new aggressive side to her game that has not been there the last two years. The Mexico, Mo. native is averaging 5.4 ppg. and has come up with several key rebounds and steals for the Tigers.
In 17.2 minutes per game, Franklin has collected 19 assists, 13 steals and has blocked six shots.
Franklin was the key to Missouri's victory at Southern Illinois. She matched her career high with 13 points, 9 of them in the second half. Franklin also came up with two key steals and a big blocked shot.
Tigers Ink Three in Early Signing Period
Missouri has already signed three blue-chip recruits in the early signing period. The Tigers inked Missouri high school standout Terianne Wolford of Nixa, Mo., Evan Unrau of Ft. Collins, Colo., and Tracy Lozier of Blue Valley North High School in Overland Park, Kan.
Wolford, a 6-0 forward, enters her senior season at Nixa High as a three-year starter. A second team All-State selection last season, Wolford is averaging 18 points per game and is shooting over 59 percent for her career. She is also averaging over seven rebounds for her career. Wolford is a three-time, first team All-Conference pick and was named the AAU Missouri Player-of-the-Year as a sophomore. She has also been selected as an honorable mention AAU All-American.
Unrau will enter Missouri as one of the top high school players out of the state of Colorado. The 6-1 post player is a three-year starter for Rocky Mountain High School and is a two-time All-Conference performer. Unrau averaged 16.2 ppg. last year to along with 9 rebounds per contest.
Not only is Unrau a great basketball player, she is an All-State soccer goalie as well as a finalist for the state volleyball Player-of-the-Year. Rocky Mountain High won the Colorado state title.
Lozier is a 5-10 guard that can play both the point and shooting guard positions. One of the most heralded players coming out of the state of Kansas, Lozier has helped lead her team, Blue Valley North High, to two straight Class 6A state titles. She averaged 15 points, 8 assists and 7 steals last season and is a two-time Kansas City All-Metro selection. Lozier won the DiRenna Award this past season recognizing her as the top player in the Kansas City metropolitan area. She claimed the award over teammate and Nebraska signee Shahidrah Roberts, who had won the award the previous season. Lozier was also a high school teammate of current Tiger Wannette Smith.
Head Coach Cindy Stein
Missouri coach Cindy Stein enters her second season as head coach of the Missouri Tigers. Stein led her Tigers to a 13-15 record in her first season at MU and a first round Big 12 Tournament victory over seventh seeded Baylor. Missouri also knocked off the likes of Nebraska in Columbia and Oklahoma in Norman. The Tigers also came close to knocking off Big 12 Champion Texas Tech in Lubbock.
Stein's career coaching record is 89-42 as Mizzou is off to a 11-2 start in 1999-00. She spent three seasons at Emporia State University as she led her club to a 65-25 record and a trip to the NCAA Division II national championship game in 1998. Her 1997-98 team finished 33-1as Stein was selected the MIAA Coach-of-the-Year. She was tabbed National Coach-of-the-Year by the Women's Basketball Coaches Association.