Nov. 21, 2002
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| TIPOFF: 1:05 p.m. (central time). | ||||
| ARENA: John Q. Hammons Student Center (8,846). | ||||
| RADIO: KWWC-FM 90.5 (Sean Secrease, play-by-play/Jessica Jenkins, color). Also available on the Internet at www.mutigers.com. | ||||
| TV: None in the Columbia area. Springfield's KYTV (Ch. 3) will broadcast the game locally throughout southwest Missouri. | ||||
| COACHES: | ||||
| Missouri: Cindy Stein (Illinois '84), 67-52 at MU (5th season), 132-77 overall (8th season). | ||||
| SMS: Katie Abrahamson-Henderson (Iowa '90), 0-1 overall (1st season). | ||||
TIGERS OPEN 29th SEASON AT SOUTHWEST MISSOURI STATE
The University of Missouri women's basketball team begins its quest for a fourth straight postseason berth this Saturday, as the Tigers will tip off their 29th season of play at Southwest Missouri State.
? ? ? It's the first time Mizzou has played at the Hammons Student Center since 1989; the Tigers are gunning for their first win in Springfield since 1987.
? ? ? The Tigers are coming off of a 92-46 exhibition win over Division II Truman State. Freshman guard LaToya Bond hit for a game-high 17 points, and junior forward Evan Unrau posted a double-double with 10 points and 12 rebounds.
ABOUT SMS...
Sarah Klaassen scored a team-high 23 points in her SMS debut, but it was not enough as Tulsa escaped the Hammons Student Center with an 81-80 victory in the first round of the 2002 Preseason WNIT and season-opener for both teams.
? ? ? All-American candidate Allison Curtin led Tulsa with a game-high 30 points, while Candice Brewer chipped in 24 points. SMS put four players in double figures, including Jennifer Lingor's 14 points, Meg Tierney's 13 and Stephanie Busbey's 12.
? ? ? Like Mizzou, the Lady Bears advanced to the Women's NIT last season before falling in the first round at home to Eastern Kentucky.
? ? ? SMS finished with a 16-13 record in 2001-02, and was 12-6 for third place in the Missouri Valley Conference. The Lady Bears had a historically off year at home last season, as their six losses equaled the total from the previous four years combined.
SMS SERIES
Missouri leads the all-time series 15-4, yet this is just the second time the teams have played in the past 12 years. Last season, the Tigers pulled out a 61-57 win at the Hearnes Center.
? ? ? It's MU's first visit to the Hammons Student Center since 1989, when SMS came away with a 71-67 win. That Lady Bear win in 1989 snapped a 13-game winning streak for MU in the series. Mizzou is looking for its first win in Springfield since a 91-81 triumph on Dec. 8, 1987.
? ? ? The (not-so) recent series history:
Date Site Winner 11/19/2001 Columbia MU, 61-57 12/14/1990 Columbia SMS, 56-44 12/5/1989 Springfield SMS, 71-67 11/29/1988 Columbia MU, 75-52 12/8/1987 Springfield MU, 91-81
NEXT UP...
Mizzou begins its Thanksgiving break by playing its regular-season home opener this Tuesday, Nov. 26, against Bradley at 7 p.m. in the Hearnes Center.
? ? ? The Tigers conclude the extended break from classes by participating in the Flint Hills Resources Islander Classic in Corpus Christi, Texas, next Friday and Saturday, Nov. 29-30. Mizzou plays SMU in the first round on Friday at 5 p.m., then plays either host Texas A&M-Corpus Christi or Louisiana-Lafayette on Saturday night.
LAST TIME OUT: MU 92, TRUMAN STATE 46
Freshman guard LaToya Bond hit for a game-high 17 points, and junior forward Evan Unrau posted a double-double with 10 points and 12 rebounds as the Missouri women's basketball team rolled to an easy 92-46 win over Truman State in the Tigers' exhibition finale last Friday night at the Hearnes Center.
TIGERS IN SEASON-OPENERS
Mizzou is lifting the lid on its 29th season on Saturday, and the Tigers will try to continue their recent success in season-openers down in Springfield.
? ? ? The Tigers are 21-7 (.750) all-time in season-openers, and have won their last six times out and 13 of their last 14 in such a situation. MU's last season-opening loss came in 1995 vs. Creighton.
? ? ? This is the third time in the last four years that Missouri's first game has been on the road. The Tigers won at Bradley in 1999 and again at UMKC last year.