Dec. 5, 2002
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| TIPOFF: 7:00 p.m. CST on Friday vs. McNeese State (0-3); 7:00 p.m. on Saturday vs. UMKC (1-3) or Austin Peay (2-1). | ||||
| ARENA: Hearnes Center (13,611). Opened in 1972. MU is 262-88 (.749) here alltime, including 168-36 (.824) vs. non-conference opponents. | ||||
| RADIO: KFRU-AM 1400 (David Lile, play-by-play/Jessica Jenkins, color) on Friday night, and KWWC-FM 90.5 on Saturday. Also available on the Internet at www.mutigers.com. | ||||
| TV: None. | ||||
| COACHES: | ||||
| Missouri: Cindy Stein (Illinois '84), 69-54 at MU (5th season), 134-79 overall (8th season).
MSU: Carol Sensley (Louisville '93), 6-24 at MSU and overall (2nd season). APSU: Susie Gardner (Georgia '86), 87-90 at APSU and overall (7th season). UMKC: Dana Eikenberg (Penn State '92), 10-49 at UMKC and overall (3rd season). |
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TIGERS HOST 25th ANNUAL UNILEVER TIGER CLASSIC
Coming off two losses in Texas, the Missouri women's basketball team looks to get back on the winning foot by hosting the 25th annual Unilever Tiger Classic.
? ? ? The four-team tournament features Austin Peay, McNeese State and UMKC. Missouri will be seeking its 18th Unilever title, and has also finished as the tournament runner-up seven times. That translates to a 41-7 record in the tournament (.854). The Tigers have never lost their first-round game, and have won the last six Unilever tournaments dating back to a 1996 loss to Butler.
? ? ? Friday's matchup will be the first-ever between Missouri and McNeese State, while the Tigers have a 9-1 all-time record against UMKC and are 1-0 vs. APSU.
? ? ? A note about the tournament's format: as host, Missouri has reserved the right to play the 7 p.m. game Saturday night, regardless of Friday's results.
ABOUT MCNEESE STATE...
The Cowgirls are 0-3 on the young season and lost at Centenary in their most recent outing last Saturday, 76-69.
? ? ? McNeese is led by senior post Kellie Burbridge, who is averaging 18.3 points and 43 rebounds a game. Burbridge hit for 29 points against Centenary.
? ? ? The Cowgirls have already faced Big 12 Conference opposition this season, and were soundly defeated, 90-24, at Texas on Nov. 26. The Longhorns forced 37 MSU turnovers.
? ? ? As mentioned previously, Friday's meeting will be the first between Mizzou and McNeese.
ABOUT AUSTIN PEAY...
This weekend will mark the start of the longest NCAA Division I road trip of the season, as the Lady Govs are embarking on an 11-game, 53-day road trip that will span 1,777 miles. APSU's next home game will not come until January 25.
? ? ? APSU is coming off a record-tying 69-38 win over Ohio on Monday. The 38 points yielded by the Lady Govs tie their fewest against a four-year college opponent.
? ? ? Austin Peay is led by senior guard Brooke Armistead, who posted her 45th consecutive game in double-figure scoring on Monday with her 18 points against the Bobcats. Armistead is averaging 21.7 points a game.
? ? ? This is Austin Peay's second appearance in Missouri's tournament; the Lady Govs lost to Missouri in the two teams' only previous meeting during the 1991 Mid-America Classic, then dropped the consolation game to Wright State the next night.
ABOUT UMKC...
The Kangaroos are 1-3 following a split at the Southwest Texas CenturyTel Classic. UMKC defeated the host Bobcats, 78-60, last Friday, before falling to North Texas in the championship game, 65-41.
? ? ? UMKC has extremely balanced scoring, with seven players averaging between 6.3 and 10.8 points per game. Katie Houlehan leads the 'Roos with a 10.8 ppg average, yet was 0-for-11 from the field in the loss to UNT.
? ? ? Missouri leads the all-time series, 9-1, and has won the last seven games against the Kangaroos. The Tigers won a 67-48 decision in Kansas City last season in the two teams' season-opener; UMKC's only win in the series came in 1991, when the 'Roos left Columbia with a 60-58 win.
NEXT UP...
Missouri returns to the road to play its last Missouri Valley Conference opponent of the season, when the Tigers travel to Cedar Falls, Iowa, to play Northern Iowa. Tipoff is set for 7:05 p.m. next Wednesday, Dec. 11.
LAST TIME OUT: ULL 67, MU 59
Charlotte Green made four 3-pointers on her way to a career-high-tying 24 points, and Louisiana-Lafayette sank 10 3-pointers, as the Ragin' Cajuns won their first game of the season with a 67-59 decision over Missouri in the consolation game of the Flint Hills Resources Islander Classic, held Saturday night in Corpus Christi, Texas.
UNRAU NAMED TO ISLANDER CLASSIC ALL-TOURNAMENT TEAM
Junior forward Evan Unrau (Fort Collins, Colo. / Rocky Mountain HS) was named to the Flint Hills Resources Islander Classic All-Tournament Team for her two-game efforts on the Texas Gulf Coast.
? ? ? Unrau had 16 points in each of Mizzou's games in Corpus Christi, and averaged seven rebounds in the two games.
? ? ? For the season, Unrau leads the Tigers with her 16.3 points-per-game average, and also averages 7.0 rebounds a contest, which is second on the squad.
MIZZOU JOINS THE 500 CLUB
With its 77-76 win against Bradley at the Hearnes Center on Tuesday, Nov. 26, Missouri became the 51st school in NCAA history to record 500 wins in its history.
? ? ? The Tigers are now 500-322 in their 29th year as a program.
? ? ? Only 29 schools are known to have achieved the total faster than Mizzou.
OPEN HERE
With wins in its first two games at Southwest Missouri State and at home vs. Bradley, the Tigers have continued two streaks of success.
? ? ? Mizzou has identical 22-7 (.759) records in both season-openers and home-openers. The Tigers have now won its last three and six of its last seven home-openers, and MU has won its last eight and 15 of 16 games to start a season.
BARR CLIMBING CAREER CHARTS
Senior guard Kerensa Barr is already a member of MU's career top-10 lists in 3-point field goals made and attempted, as well as assists and steals. She needs just 139 points to become the 22nd member of Missouri's 1,000-point club, and could finish her career as the Tigers' all-time assist leader, as well as the school's most accurate free-throw shooter in its history.
MIZZOU TAKES EARLY VALLEY LEAD
The Missouri Valley Conference schedule doesn't officially start until January 2, and the Tigers are still proud members of the Big 12 Conference, yet MU is 2-0 against "The Valley" with its season-opening wins this past Saturday at SMS and Tuesday vs. Bradley.
? ? ? Mizzou is now 56-25 (.691) all-time against the Missouri Valley Conference. The Tigers will have a third game against a Valley opponent this year when MU plays at Northern Iowa on Wednesday, Dec. 11.
TIGERS START NEW HOME STREAK vs. BRADLEY
Missouri had its 17-game non-conference home winning streak snapped with its WNIT loss to Alabama at the end of last season, yet the Bradley win has the Tigers started on a new streak.
? ? ? Mizzou still holds a 168-36 record against out-of-league foes at the Hearnes Center, an impressive 82.4 percent success rate at home. The Tigers are now 23-2 (.920) at home in the non-conference season in their five years under Cindy Stein.
STREAK, PT. II
With its five 3-pointers vs. Louisiana-Lafayette on Saturday, the Missouri streak of making at least one 3-point field goal has extended to 105 games.
? ? ? The Tigers have not been held without a trey since a 78-54 loss at Baylor on Jan. 27, 1999. At the Hearnes Center, the span of time is even longer, as the Tigers have made a 3-pointer in every home contest since an 87-76 win over Louisville on Dec. 5, 1998 - a streak of 53 straight games.
WOLFORD HAS MU'S CHARGE CARD
The above note header is certainly not intended to draw the notice of compliance folks, yet is does accurately reflect the defensive contributions of junior Terianne Wolford.
? ? ? The Nixa, Mo., product came off the bench on Saturday vs. ULL to draw not one, but two offensive charges against the Ragin' Cajuns. In addition, she canned a pair of 3-point tries in an attempt to spark the Tigers to victory. She finished the game with a season-high 14 points, which is just one off her career high.
? ? ? For the season, Wolford has played in all four games and is averaging 4.5 points and 1.8 rebounds per game. She has half of Mizzou's four charges this year.
DEBUT PERFORMANCE NETS IMPRESSIVE SEASON-HIGHS
Just one game into a season, everything in the box score will result in a season high or low. However, there were two items of note from MU's first game at Southwest Missouri State on Nov. 23.
? ? ? Mizzou's 19 steals at SMS were one higher than the Tigers had in any game last year. In addition, their 12 turnovers were two fewer than in any game last year.
FISHER's SWEET VS. OLD TEAM
Junior F/C Melanie Fisher, a transfer from Southwest Missouri State two years ago, had an excellent performance in the Nov. 23 game against her former teammates. The one-time Lady Bear finished with 12 points, six rebounds, and a career-high six steals. In addition, her five field goals tied a career high.
? ? ? For the season, Fisher is averaging 9.5 points (third-highest on team) and a team-high 9.5 rebounds. In addition, Fisher has led the Tigers in steals in three of Mizzou's four games, giving her 13 on the season.
LOZIER PLUNDERS WAY TO C-H
Fisher wasn't the only one picking the pockets of SMS players on a frequent basis. Junior G Tracy Lozier recorded a career-high five steals in the Tigers' win. Lozier was fifth on the team in steals a year ago with 31. She also had seven points, two rebounds and two assists, and drew the Tigers' first charge of the season. Lozier averaged 4.1 points and 2.1 rebounds last year.
? ? ? Lozier added a team-high three steals vs. SMU, and is second on the team with 10. For the season, Lozier is sixth on the squad with a 5.3 points-per-game average, and is also second on the team with 10 assists.
BOND ... LATOYA BOND
Freshman guard LaToya Bond has impressed folks early on with her play. The Urbana, Ill., native scored in double figures in both of Mizzou's exhibition games, including a game-high 17 points in the exhibition finale against Truman State.
? ? ? Bond made her official debut by scoring eight points and notching three steals in 17 minutes off the bench. Bond was 3-of-4 from the field, including 2-of-3 from 3-point range. She hit a key trey in each half that helped stave off SMS rallies, and added a nifty scoop layup with the shot clock winding down that provided the final points of Mizzou's first win in Springfield since 1987.
TIGERS SIGN THREE TO NATIONAL LETTERS-OF-INTENT
Three prep standouts have signed National Letters-of-Intent to enroll at the University of Missouri and play women's basketball, Head Coach Cindy Stein announced on Wednesday, Nov. 13.
? ? ? Blair Hardiek, a 5-foot-7 guard from Effingham (Ill.) High School, EeTisha Riddle, a 6-foot-3 forward from O'Fallon (Ill.) Township High School, and Carlynn Savant, a 6-foot-1 forward from Trinity High School in Euless, Texas, are Stein's newest crop of Tigers.
? ? ? "I see all three of these players having an immediate impact on our program," said Stein. "We are very excited about this class and feel strongly that they will establish themselves among Missouri's best. These three young women are talented competitors, excellent students and wonderful people. They will bring class, intensity and a strong work ethic."
? ? ? Hardiek earned First Team All-State honors from the Chicago Sun-Times, Second Team All-State plaudits from the Champaign News-Gazette and special mention on the Chicago Tribune All-State team last season, when she averaged 24.5 points and seven rebounds in leading Effingham to a school-record 20 wins. She also had a school-record 40 blocks as a point guard. Hardiek has earned Honorable Mention All-America honors from Street & Smith each of the past two years. Effingham's Most Valuable Player each of her three seasons to date and its captain this year, Hardiek chose Mizzou over USC, Kansas State, Xavier, Tulsa, and Cal.
? ? ? "Blair is a true point guard with a fierce competitiveness and confidence that is needed to be successful at this level," Stein says. "She is quick and can defend in the full court with endless energy. Blair has fine passing skills and sees the floor extremely well. She is also a scorer whether it's through penetration or spotting up for the 3-point shot."
? ? ? Riddle averaged 20.2 points and 11 rebounds and helped the Panthers to a 22-5 record last season. She also had 94 blocks, and was an 85-percent free-throw shooter. An Honorable Mention All-Stater by the Chicago Tribune and a Champaign News-Gazette Second-Team All-State member, Riddle chose Missouri over Illinois, Southwest Missouri State, Indiana and Kansas State. She is also a two-time Belleville News-Democrat first-team all-conference and all-area performer.
? ? ? "EeTisha is an excellent athlete who will just get better and better," comments Stein. "She is a force inside. She has the athleticism to jump and shoot over taller defenders, the quickness of a guard and the soft hands that can catch anything thrown her way. She is a great rebounder, and her aggressiveness on the boards is a key strength."
? ? ? Savant is a two-time Player of the Year for the Fort Worth Star-Telegram Northeast area; she earned first-team selection to the Texas Assocation of Basketball Coaches Class 5A (largest-school classification) last season, when she averaged 20.4 points and 9.6 rebounds. Savant participated last summer in USA Basketball's Women's Youth Development Festival as one of the nation's top 48 rising prep seniors, and she was recognized as an adidas Top Ten Camp Upperclass All-Star. She chose Mizzou over Arkansas, TCU, Rice and Southwest Missouri State. Carlynn's twin brother, Zach, plays high-school football.
? ? ? "Carlynn is a prolific scorer - she can score from anywhere! She has the ability to post up, penetrate to the basket or pop the 3-point shot. Her versatility will be one of her key assets in our program. Carlynn is an intense competitor with excellent court sense. She is also a tremendous student and active member of the student organizations at Trinity High School."
? ? ? The three signings comprise Missouri's complete recruiting class for the 2003-04 basketball season.
TIGERS SEEKING TO CONTINUE POSTSEASON STREAK
With its appearance in last year's Women's National Invitation Tournament, the Tigers have advanced to the postseason in each of the past three seasons. It's the longest such streak since the Tigers went to five straight NCAA Tournaments from 1981-82 through 1985-86.
? ? ? The streak of success began with a trip to the second round of the WNIT in 1999-2000 - Cindy Stein's second season as head coach at Mizzou - and continued in 2001-02 with the Tigers' first trip to the NCAA Tournament since 1994, as MU advanced to the Sweet Sixteen.
TIGERS SEVENTH, EIGHTH IN BIG 12 POLLS
Both the coaches and the media have weighed in on the Big 12 Conference race; the coaches have selected the Tigers eighth, while the media came out last week with a seventh-place prediction for MU. The Big 12 sent seven teams to the NCAA Tournament last year.
? ? ? Texas Tech was chosen by both the coaches and the media to win the Big 12 Conference regular-season title.
FANS FLOCKING TO HEARNES
Bolstered by the strength of record single-game crowds, the Missouri women's basketball program has seen its attendance rise in each of Coach Stein's four years.
Missouri averaged 2,561 fans last season, a 14 percent increase from the 2000-01 campaign, when the Tigers averaged 2,246.
A record crowd of 10,321 fans saw Mizzou's 69-57 win over Kansas this past Feb. 9.
NEW ARENA UNDER CONSTRUCTION
The University of Missouri broke ground on a new basketball arena - one that will be the finest on-campus facility in the nation when completed - on Saturday, Sept. 21, 2002. The yet-to-be-named facility, which will seat just over 15,000 fans, is slated to cost $75 million. The project was jump-started by a generous $25 million donation by the Bill Laurie family of Columbia.
? ? ? The State of Missouri will contribute $35 million in bond appropriations, while the remaining $15 million will be raised through athletic fundraising efforts.
? ? ? Site preparation and blasting of the limestone bedrock is virtually complete, and actual construction is set to begin once bids are awarded in January.
? ? ? The Hearnes Center, which was built in 1972, will continue to be utilized by MU's Olympic-sport programs such as volleyball, gymnastics, wrestling, and track and field.
? ? ? A webcam of the arena construction site has been installed on top of the Hearnes Center, and it is providing live still images to the Missouri athletics website 24 hours a day. The webcam is located at ath.missouri.edu/arena, and it can also be accessed from the front page of MUTigers.com.