Dec. 1, 2000
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23rd Annual Unilever Lady Tiger Classic
The University of Missouri women's basketball team (3-1) hosts the 23rd annual Unilever Lady Tiger Classic, Fri.-Sat., Dec. 1-2.
The Tigers entertain Alcorn State, Lipscomb and San Diego State in the two-day tournament. Festivities get underway Thurs., Nov. 30 at 7:00 p.m. with a banquet for players, official staff and invited media representatives.
Competition begins Friday at 6:00 p.m., in a game between Alcorn State and San Diego State. Following the first game, Missouri takes the floor against Lipscomb at 8:00 p.m.
On Saturday, the losers from the first day of competition participate in a consolation game beginning at 6:00 p.m. The two winning teams follow suit at 8:00 p.m., in the championship bracket.
The awards ceremony is scheduled to begin directly following the championship game. All-tournament team and Most Valuable Player announcements will also be made.
Tickets are still available by calling the Missouri Athletic Ticket Office at 1-800-CAT-PAWS. Tickets can also be purchased at the doors. Adult admission is $5.00. Student and youth under 18 years old can purchase passes for $3.00.
Special Promotions
Friday is Mascot Day, featuring a special halftime scrimmage during the Missouri-Lipscomb game. Mascots from Columbia area businesses will compete in a five-minute game where anything is possible.
Also highlighting in halftime entertainment activities is Columbia Youth Basketball. Various teams from around the city will scrimmage during the Alcorn State-San Diego State game and during intermission in Saturday's contests.
Tiger Coverage
Missouri women's basketball is carried live on KFRU radio. David Lile, Gary Link and Jessica Jenkins offer all the action of Tiger women's basketball on 1400 AM.
Mizzou fans can also log onto the Missouri Tigers' website at www.MUTigers.com to get live coverage. Scroll down the left side of the MU Tigers main page and select Audio/Video. On the following page, scroll down and select the women's basketball internet broadcast option. When the schedule of Mizzou women's basketball games is displayed, just choose the appropriate date and hit Go! (www.broadcast.com/sports/ncaa/Missouri/WomensBasketball/).
Mizzou Numbers
Four games into the season, the Tigers are 3-1, averaging 84.8 points per game and dominating their opponents with a 22.3 scoring margin. Missouri is shooting 50 percent from the field, 46 percent from 3-point range and 68 percent from the penalty line. The Tigers' effective full-court press has kept MU's opponents to shooting below 35 percent from the field and 3-point arc, while giving up 75 points from the free throw line (72 percent).
Missouri has been hitting the glass hard recording 39.2 rebounds per game. The Tigers have recorded 107 defensive rebounds in just four matches. Mizzou also leads the competition with 19 assists, 12 steals and four blocks per game.
In the League
Missouri leads the Big 12 Conference with a .463 3-point field goal percentage. The Tigers have netted 31-of-67 attempts. The Tigers also top the charts in second-place shooting 50 percent from the field. Mizzou is fourth in the league in points per game and scoring margin. The Tigers also come in fourth with 19 assists per match and fifth with 12 steals and four blocked shots per game.
Scouting Lipscomb
The Bisons enter their second year as an NCAA Division I provisional member program. So far this season, Lipscomb owns a 4-1 record boasting wins over Rochester College (109-40), Michigan-Dearborn (123-38), Alabama-Huntsville (67-58) and Fisk (81-48).
The Bisons are led by freshman Kendra Ramsey with 14.4 points per game. The guard also owns 21 assists on the season and 24 steals in just 110 minutes of play. Sophomore Renee Logan is second for Lipscomb with 13.4 points per game. Freshman Monica Blake highlights as the Bisons' primary post player averaging 10 boards per contest.
Overall, Lipscomb has dominated their opponents with a 37.2 point margin. As a team, the Bisons are shooting 47 percent from the field, 38 percent from 3-point range and 63 percent from the penalty line. The Bisons are also averaging an astounding 47.8 rebounds per game.
Lipscomb Head Coach Frank Bennett enters his 20th year with the Bisons, touting a 456-214 record. Last season, he led the Bisons to a 16-17 overall record with a 7-6 TranSouth Conference record in the NAIA.
Alcorn State Notes
The Lady Braves enter the Unilever Lady Tiger Classic looking for their first win of the season. Alcorn State is 0-4 thus far with losses to Stephen F. Austin (88-46), Florida A&M (57-40), Illinois (73-56) and Clemson (66-58).
Senior Cherea Wood highlights for ASU averaging 14 points per game and 5.5 rebounds. The forward/center also leads the team shooting 43 percent from the field. Daisha Reed comes in second for the Lady Braves with 6.5 points per game.
Alcorn State is a member of the Southwestern Athletic Conference. The Lady Braves rounded out the 1999-2000 season with a 22-9 record with a 15-3 league mark. ASU finished second in SWAC standing and appeared in its first-ever NCAA Tournament against Louisiana Tech (L, 95-53).
San Diego State Notes
San Diego State rounds out a four-game road swing this weekend in the Unilever Lady Tiger Classic. The Aztecs are 2-3 in 2000-2001, winning two of their last three contests, including a 53-50 slide over Portland State.
Tanisha Knight, a forward from Long Beach, Calif., leads the Aztecs with 13 points and five rebounds per game. She is shooting 45 percent from the field and 83 percent from the penalty line. Also posting points for SDSU are sophomore Jamey Cox and junior Atim Otii who record 11 and 10 points per game, respectively.
The Aztecs average 63.4 points and 30.6 rebounds per game as team. They also boast 10.2 steals per match.
San Diego State finished 9-19 last season with a 4-10 Mountain West Conference record to place it sixth in league standings. Fourth-year Head Coach Barb Smith coaches the Aztecs.
Series Shorts
The Unilever Lady Tiger Classic marks the inaugural meeting between Missouri and Lipscomb. Likewise, Mizzou and Alcorn State face the possibility of a first-time contest. The only opponent sharing a history with the Tigers is San Diego State, where SDSU leads the series 2-1. The Aztecs defeated the Tigers in their first two pairings in 1984-85 (76-70) and 1988-89 (97-75). Missouri came back to defeat San Diego State last season in the San Diego State Pacific Bell Classic 85-61.
Last Time Against the Aztecs
Missouri jumped all over San Diego State with a devastating full court press in the first 10 minutes of the game. The Tigers, led by Amanda Lassiter, forced 10 San Diego State turnovers in the first 4 minutes, 53 seconds of the game. After a San Diego State free throw at the 19:13 mark, the Tigers had a 2-1 lead. By the time the clock read 14:02, Missouri had jumped out to a 25-1 advantage. The Tigers forced the Aztecs into 36 turnovers in all, 20 of them in the first half.
Marlena Williams added 13 points, 8 rebounds and 6 assists for the Tigers while four others scored nine points. Amy Monsees, who led the Tigers with 17 points over Portland State in day one of the tournament, joined Lassiter on the all-tournament team.
Recent Results
The Tigers return to the home court after going 1-1 to finish second in the Pepperdine Classic in Malibu, Calif., Nov. 25-26.
Knocking Down Kentucky
In their first-game, the Tigers handily defeated the Kentucky Wildcats 86-51. 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. 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 a perfect 100 percent from the penalty line netting 14-of-14.
Wave Watch
Mizzou picked up its first loss of the season coming up just one point behind Pepperdine in an 89-88 battle.
The Tigers battled through the first few minutes of the match, but opened up with a five-point run to lead 15-8 in the sixth minute of play. They went on another streak scoring 10 unanswered points a few minutes later to lead 29-13. That 16-point lead was the highest the Tigers would see in the game, as Pepperdine began to slowly chip away Mizzou's resolve. From the start, Missouri was plagued with fouls, giving up 11 points in the first half, including five consecutive buckets to PU center Nadja Morgan to end the half with a 40-32 lead.
The foul trouble continued in the second half as the Tigers struggled through the first five minutes of play. Freshman Evan Unrau and senior Marlena Williams were benched with four fouls early on in the period enabling Pepperdine more maneuverability in the paint. Mizzou pushed to come around, with Kerensa Barr and Natalie Bright scoring back-to-back 3-pointers to boost the Tigers to another 10-point lead. But, Mizzou was unable to stay on top as multiple turnovers and fouls placed the Waves on the penalty line. Overall, the Tigers committed 24 personal fouls and gave up 24 penalty points to the Waves.
Missouri Players
#3 Aimee Michelson
Toppling two firsts in her NCAA Division I career, junior college transfer Aimee Michelson started her first game against Pepperdine Nov. 26, and quickly proved why she deserved the right to highlight on the Tigers' starting line-up. Michelson led the team with 14 points in the game and set a Mizzou record shooting three-for-three from 3-point range. The feat breaks new ground for Missouri's highest 3-point field goal percentage set back in 1988 by Lisa Ellis who shot 100 percent when she netted two-for-two against Iowa. Michelson is second in the Big 12 Conference shooting 80 percent from 3-point range.
#5 Tracy Lozier
Freshman Tracy Lozier opened the 2000-2001 season in double digits, scoring 11 points against Eastern Illinois. The guard has made three appearances for the Tigers and averages seven points per game. She also tops the charts with a .714 3-point field goal percentage, including a perfect game against Kentucky when she shot two-for-two from 3-point range. In Big 12 standings, Lozier ranks 12th with 1.67 3-point field goal average.
#13 Evan Unrau
MU's only starting freshman on the squad, Evan Unrau, has been hitting the boards hard averaging seven rebounds per game. Unrau led the Tiger defensive effort against Arkansas pulling down 11 defensive and one offensive rebound. In her first NCAA Division I game, she posted a perfect game netting four-of-four field goal and three-of-three free throw attempts. Unrau is 11th in the Big 12 with a .618 field goal percentage and comes in 13th in overall rebounding.
#14 Christa Millham
After taking the 1999-2000 season off as a transfer, Christa Millham has played in two games as a junior. The guard opened the year against Eastern Illinois and played four minutes against Kentucky.
#15 Kerensa Barr
Starting point guard Kerensa Barr opened the season with back-to-back double digit games scoring 10 points against Eastern Illinois and 11 points against Arkansas. The sophomore leads the team with 22 assists and averages 5.5 dishes per game. She also leads the Tigers with 11 steals. Barr is also a contributor to Mizzou's impressive 3-point percentage, she recorded a perfect 3-point game against Arkansas downing two-for-two. In Big 12 action, Barr is third in overall assists.
#22 Tracy Franklin
Senior Tracy Franklin jumped into the season ready to smash the record books, in her first game against Eastern Illinois she scored a career-high 18 points shooting 64 percent from the field, 60 percent from 3-point range and 100 percent from the penalty line. Franklin has continued to be a major contributor for the Tigers as a starting guard. She has posted three double digit games this season also scoring 16 points against Arkansas and 13 points against Kentucky to average 13.8 points per game--second highest on the team. Franklin leads Missouri with a perfect free throw percentage netting five-for-five this season. She also boasts 62 percent from the field (21-34) and 57 percent from 3-point range (8-14). In league standings, Franklin Franklin is third with a 3.25 assist/turnover ration. She has dished out 13 assists to average 3.2 per game and has given up only four turnovers. She also ranks sixth in the Big 12 Conference in three-point field goal percentage and is seventh averaging 2 3-pointers per game. She also comes in 11th in field goal percentage.
#23 Wendy Okeson
Junior college transfer Wendy Okeson joins Aimee Michelson in the record books nabbing the highest three-point field goal percentage in a single game. Okeson has appeared in three games this season as a Tiger. She opened her NCAA Division I career against Eastern Illinois recording two offensive rebounds. In MU's 86-51 victory over Kentucky, the guard posted a season high seven points shooting two-for-four from the field and downing a record setting three-for-three from 3-point range.
#24 Amanda Lassiter
Forward Amanda Lassiter continues to make waves for Missouri, the senior leads the team with seven blocks this season to climb another space up the Tiger record books as the seventh leading blocker in school history (76). Lassiter also leads Mizzou in the scoring column with 17.5 points and 8.8 rebounds per game. She posted two double-doubles this season when she scored 22 points and 11 rebounds in MU's 79-67 win over Arkansas and when she scored 19 points and 10 rebounds to down Kentucky 86-51. The forward ties Kerensa Barr to lead the team with 11 steals. Lassiter was named to the Pepperdine Classic all-tournament team. In Big 12 standings, Lassiter ranks fifth in overall scoring and rebounding. She also comes in third in blocked shots averaging 1.75 per game, fifth with 6.75 defensive rebounds per game and seventh in with 2.75 steals per game.
#31 Wannette Smith
Sophomore Wannette Smith is another example of the continued improvement on the growing Tiger squad. In her first game back this season, Smith toppled her career record grabbing eight rebounds and scoring nine points against Eastern Illinois. She hit four-of-six from the field and recorded one steal. Smith has played a key role off the bench, she averages 10 minutes, 3.3 points and 3.3 rebounds per game.
#32 Natalie Bright
Looking at the numbers, Natalie Bright is shooting for an above average season. The junior has shot 100 percent from 3-point range in three games. She is hitting 54 percent from the field, 83 percent from the 3-point arc and 75 percent from the free throw line. Overall, Bright averages 6.3 points and 1.5 points per game off the bench. She also owns 10 assists and two steals this season. Bright leads the Big 12 with a .833 3-point field goal percentage and ties for 15th averaging 1.25 3-pointers per game.
#34 Jennifer Simpson
Sophomore Jennifer Simpson has made two appearances for the Tigers this season against Eastern Illinois and Kentucky. The forward scored two points against the Panthers netting one-of-two shots. She also owns one assist on the season.
#44 Terianne Wolford
Freshman Terianne Wolford opened her collegiate career shooting 67 percent from the field and penalty line against Eastern Illinois. The forward scored seven points in her first game out also downing a three pointer. Wolford has played minutes in all four Missouri games logging a season high three defensive rebounds in MU's 79-67 victory over Arkansas. She averages 1.8 points and 1.3 rebounds per game.
#51 Amy Loftus
Six-foot-four center Amy Loftus is working her way into the Tiger line-up. She has played in two games so far as a freshman scoring three points and against Eastern Illinois. Loftus also hit the paint against Kentucky downing her first rebound of the season.
#55 Marlena Williams
Starting center Marlena Williams opens her second season with the Tigers hitting three double digit games. Against Eastern Illinois she scored 12 points and four rebounds. Against Arkansas the senior inked 11 points and against Kentucky she netted 12 points. Overall she ranks third on the team with 10.8 points per game. She is shooting 53 percent from the field and 83 percent from the penalty line. She also averages 2.3 rebounds per game. In the Big 12, Williams ranks 26th in overall scoring.