Jan. 3, 2003
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| TIPOFF: 3:08 p.m. CST. | ||||
| ARENA: Hearnes Center (13,611). Opened in 1972. Opened in 1972. MU is 264-89 (.748) here alltime, including 170-37 (.821) vs. non-conference opponents and 25-3 (.893) in those games under Cindy Stein. | ||||
| RADIO: Available over the Tiger Network [KFRU-AM 1400, flagship]. David Lile, play-by-play/Jessica Jenkins, color. Also available on the Internet at www.mutigers.com. | ||||
| TV: Mizzou Sports Network [FOX Sports Midwest throughout most of the state of Missouri; Metro Sports in Kansas City; KJPX in Joplin]. Chris Gervino, play-by-play; Gary Link, color; Steve Kurtenbach, producer. | ||||
| COACHES: | ||||
| Missouri: Cindy Stein (Illinois '84), 72-57 at MU (5th season), 137-82 overall (8th season).
SLU: Jill Pizzotti (SE Missouri '89), 93-115 overall (8th season). |
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MIZZOU WELCOMES BILLIKENS FOR FINAL BIG 12 TUNEUP
The Missouri women's basketball team plays its final instrastate game, as well as its last contest before opening Big 12 Conference play, on Sunday when the Saint Louis Billikens come to the Hearnes Center.
? ? ? The Tigers are coming off a 73-45 win over IUPUI on Thursday in a game that saw Mizzou force its highest totals in opponent turnovers (32) and lowest field-goal percentage (30.8); SLU had its five-game win streak snapped at UMKC, 54-50.
ABOUT SLU...
The Billikens, who enter the contest with a 9-4 record under eighth-year head coach Jill Pizzotti, just had a five-game winning streak snapped at UMKC after Saint Louis hit on just 34 percent of its shots in a 54-50 setback.
? ? ? SLU is led by junior guard Jana Haywood, who is averaging 10.5 points and 5.2 rebounds. The only other Billiken in double-figure scoring is senior guard Harmonie King, who is tallying an average of 10.2 points per game.
? ? ? Of its common opponents with Missouri, the Billikens lost at home by nine points to Southwest Missouri State, and won at Bradley by 36 points.
SLU SERIES...
The all-time ledger between Missouri and Saint Louis is decidedly in the Tigers' favor, as Mizzou has won all 13 games of the series dating back to MU's second season (1975-76).
? ? ? The Tigers have won six contests in Columbia, including the last matchup in December of 2000. Last season, Mizzou took a 64-53 win in St. Louis.
? ? ? Missouri's average margin of victory in the 31 games is 23.6 points; however, since the series resumed in 1999, MU's winning margin has averaged just 11.3 ppg.
? ? ? The Tigers are 26-5 all-time against the members of Conference USA.
LAST TIME OUT: MU 73, IUPUI 45
A Mizzou defense that started the game in good shape, and put the clamps down in the second, led the Tigers to a 73-45 win over IUPUI in non-conference women's basketball action Thursday night at the Hearnes Center. The win pulls the Tigers back to .500 on the season.
HOME SWEET HOME
Mizzou holds a 170-37 record against out-of-league foes at the Hearnes Center, an impressive 82.1 percent success rate at home. The Tigers are now 25-3 (.893) at home in the non-conference season in their five years under Cindy Stein.
MIZZOU TAKES EARLY VALLEY LEAD
The Missouri Valley Conference schedule doesn't officially start until Thursday, and the Tigers are still proud members of the Big 12 Conference, yet MU can claim the early lead in "The Valley" with wins to start the season at SMS, vs. Bradley, and at Northern Iowa.
? ? ? With those three wins, Mizzou is now 57-25 (.695) all-time against the Missouri Valley Conference.
TIGER HIGH ON LOZIER
Early in the season, some questioned the decision to start junior guard Tracy Lozier because of her perceived lack of offensive firepower. In addition to her defensive prowess, leadership, and steady, consistent play, Lozier found her shot in a big way on Dec. 11 at Northern Iowa, and has continued to shoot the ball.
? ? ? Lozier poured in a career-high 19 points in the Tigers' win, hitting six of her seven field-goal attempts and all five of her 3-point tries. She followed that up with a 13-point effort at Iowa on Dec. 29, and on Thursday added a game-high 17. Over the last four games, that gives Lozier a 12.5 ppg scoring average, which trails just Kerensa Barr's 12.8 over the same time frame. In MU's last four games, Lozier is shooting better than 55 percent from the field and is a team-best 10-of-19 from 3-point range (.526).
? ? ? For the season, Lozier is third on the squad with a 7.9 points-per-game average. She also is second on the team with 26 assists (2.6 apg), and tied for second with 23 steals (2.3 spg).
BARR CLIMBING CAREER CHARTS
With her eight assists against Illinois on Dec. 21, senior guard Kerensa Barr moved past Dee Dee Polk as Missouri's No. 2 all-time assist leader. Barr now has 389 career assists, leaving her 81 away from equalling Amy Fordham's school record.
? ? ? With 18 games guaranteed to remain on the Tigers' schedule, Barr needs to average just over 4.5 assists a game to surpass Fordham's mark.
? ? ? Barr is already a member of MU's career top-10 lists in 3-point field goals made and attempted, as well as steals. She needs just 70 points to become the 22nd member of Missouri's 1,000-point club.
? ? ? In addition, Barr has currently passed Julie Helm as Mizzou's most accurate free-throw shooter in its history. If she sinks 80 percent or more of her remaining free throws, Barr will finish as the record-holder.
UNRAU's REBOUNDING DOWNRIGHT OFFENSIVE
Junior forward Evan Unrau's 13 rebounds against Austin Peay on Dec. 7 not only put her into the team lead in rebounding, it put her at the top of the Big 12 charts.
? ? ? Eleven of Unrau's 13 boards came on the offensive end, giving her 25 for the season (she now has 38). Her 4.0 offensive rebounds per game is the second-highest total in the Big 12 Conference.
? ? ? Overall, Unrau's 7.7 rebounds per game rank her 10th in the league. In addition, Unrau's 14.7 points-per-game average have her ranked among the league's top 15 scorers.
BOND ... JAMES AND BOND
Freshman guard LaToya Bond and junior forward Stretch James have both impressed folks early on with their play.
? ? ? Bond, an Urbana, Ill., native, had a breakout game against her hometown's Illini at the Busch Braggin' Rights game on Dec. 21. She finished with career highs of 11 points and six rebounds, and keyed a Tiger first-half comeback along with James by making a pair of slicing layups, then hitting a runner as the halftime buzzer sounded.
? ? ? James, who is also in her first season with the Tigers after earning JUCO All-America honors at Tyler (Texas) JC, has scored in double figures in three of the last four games, including a season-high 14 points against McNeese State on Dec. 6.
? ? ? James (7.5 ppg) and Bond (6.6 ppg) are fourth and fifth, respectively, in scoring for the Tigers.