
Tigers Trample Wildcats in Tournament
11/25/2000 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Nov. 25, 2000
Malibu, Calif.-In Missouri's first-game of the Pepperdine Classic, the University of Kentucky Wildcats hoped to make a repeat performance of their season opener when they overcame a 19 point deficit to best Miami 77-71. But, the Tiger women's basketball team said, "none of that!" The Tigers toppled the Widlcats 86-51 tonight in an easily won victory.
Missouri owned the contest from the tip off, beginning the game with nine unanswered points, including back-to-back 3-pointers by seniors Amanda Lassiter and Tracy Franklin. Kentucky wasn't able to score in the game until the 15th minute and rounded out the first 10 minutes of the half with only four points scored. Kentucky was only able to post 20 points to the scoreboard in the first half to give Missouri an 18-point lead. The Wildcats were kept to shooting just 25 percent from the field, making eight-of-32 attempts. In contrast, Mizzou shot 53 percent from the field and 50 percent from the 3-point arc. Franklin led the Tigers in the first half shooting 100 percent from all areas and scoring 11 points.
Mizzou returned to the second half with the same vigor. Lassiter and center Marlena Williams went back and forth to score 12 consecutive points in four minutes. The Tigers turned over the court to the underclassmen during the last four minutes of play. Junior college transfer Wendy Okeson scored seven points in her NCAA Division I debut.
Overall, the Tigers shot 52 percent from the field, 40 percent from 3-point range and 100 percent from the freethrow line making 14-of-14 shots. The Tiger defense kept the Wildcats under the 30th percentile shooting from the field and 3-point arc. Mizzou also captured 41 rebounds, including 31 defensive boards.
Three Tigers rounded out the game in double digits. Lassiter records her second double-double of the season scoring a team high 19 points and pulling down 10 rebounds. The forward also had three assists and three steals. Franklin and Williams appeared in the double digits for the third-time this season scoring 13 and 12 points, respectively.
Freshman Evan Unrau was second for the Tigers with seven rebounds. She also scored nine points in the game.
"Kentucky is a good team," MU Head Coach Cindy Stein says. "They are young and have a ton of freshmen still in the learning phase. We were lucky to catch them in the growing phase because it enabled us to isolate their veterans and exploit some of their weaknesses. I am very impressed with our free-throw percentage, that is a statistic that if you can keep it up, you'll win a ball game. We're looking forward to playing Pepperdine. They are a great ball club, it should be interesting."
Missouri concludes tournament play tomorrow when they face host school Pepperdine in the championship game at 3:00 p.m. Kentucky and Houston play in the consolation bracket at 1:00 p.m.