Nov. 25, 2003
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| TIPOFF: 1:00 p.m. CST. | ||||
| ARENA: Hearnes Center (13,611. MU is 273-91 (.750) here alltime, including 173-37 (.824) vs. non-conference opponents and 28-3 (.903) in those games under Cindy Stein. | ||||
| RADIO: KFRU-AM 1400 (David Lile, play-by-play/Gary Link, color). Also available on the Internet at www.mutigers.com. | ||||
| TV: None. | ||||
| SERIES: First meeting. The Tigers are 2-1 all-time against members of the Southwestern Athletic Conference. | ||||
| COACHES: | ||||
| Missouri: Cindy Stein (Illinois '84), 85-66 at MU (sixth season) and 150-91 overall (ninth season).
Southern: Sandy Pugh (Northwestern State [La.] '87), 62-25 at SU (fourth season) and 138-44 overall (seventh season). |
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TIGERS LOOK TO GO 2-0 AT START OF TOUGH STRETCH
The Missouri women's basketball team, fresh off a 19-point season-opening road win at Bradley on Sunday, opens its 30th season of competition - and its final one in the Hearnes Center - in a rare weekday matinee Wednesday vs. Southern.
? ? ? The Tigers are looking to go 2-0 for the first time since 2001, and the fourth time in the last seven years, and enter a strenuous test over the next few days. Starting Wednesday, Mizzou plays three games in four days. Thanksgiving Day will find the team traveling to Green Bay, Wis., in preparation for contests Friday vs. Austin Peay and Saturday vs. Centenary or UW-Green Bay.
MORE ON SOUTHERN
Southern is coming off a disappointing weekend in Minneapolis, where the Jaguars were beaten by both Minnesota (93-41) and Harvard (73-63). Southern is led by sophomore guard Rolanda Monroe, who averaged 21.0 points and 2.5 steals last weekend; and senior forward Sher? Cunningham (14.0 points, 4.0 rebounds).
2003-04 IS HOOPS SWAN SONG FOR HEARNES
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 Sept. 21, 2002. The yet-to-be-named facility, which will seat just over 15,000 fans, is slated to open next fall, meaning this season will be the final one for the men's and women's basketball teams at the Hearnes Center. The women's basketball team sports an all-time record of 271-90 (.717) in the friendly confines.
? ? ? Built in 1972, the Hearnes Center 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 www.MUTigers.com.
? ? ? Slated to cost $75 million, the new arena project was jump-started by a generous $25 million donation by the 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.
HOME DEFINITELY SWEET FOR TIGERS
As mentioned above, the Tigers have had abundant success at home over the last 30 years, and that continues in home openers. Mizzou is 22-7 (.759) in its first home game, including 6-1 in its last seven seasons. The last home-opening loss came to Arkansas in 1999.
BOND MAKES HER POINT(S) AT THE POINT
Sophomore point guard LaToya Bond (Urbana, Ill. / Urbana HS) posted an excellent performance in her first collegiate start at Bradley on Sunday, scoring a game-high and career-high 17 points, including an impressive 11-of-12 showing from the free-throw line. Bond also tied her career high with four steals against the Braves.
? ? ? Bond came off the bench in 29 games last season is support of the departed Kerensa Barr, and averaged 3.2 points and 1.3 rebounds a game.
RONEY HAS A CAREER DAY VS. BRADLEY
Junior forward Megan Roney (Independence, Mo. / Truman HS) joined Bond in having a breakthrough performance to start the season. She shattered her previous career bests with a 12-point, nine-rebound outing off the bench on Sunday.
? ? ? In addition, Roney sank her first career 3-pointer (on just her second attempt ever), and on the following second-half possession, she tossed a dump-off pass to Stretch James for her first career assist.
? ? ? Roney averaged 2.1 points and 2.2 rebounds in 27 games last year.
UNRAU NAMED PRESEASON ALL-AMERICAN
Senior forward Evan Unrau (Fort Collins, Colo. / Rocky Mountain HS) has been selected to Street & Smith's preseason women's All-America team, the magazine announced in its preseason basketball issue.
? ? ? Unrau is one of 50 players listed by the venerable publication, and one of 30 players given Preseason Honorable Mention All-America status by the magazine. Ten others were each named to the "Terrific 10" and High Honorable Mention lists.
? ? ? Last year, Unrau became Mizzou's second First Team All-Big 12 Conference selection in the seven-year history of the conference. She led the Tigers in both scoring (16.0 ppg) and rebounding (7.7 rpg) in leading Mizzou to postseason play for the fourth straight year.
BIG 12 FOURTH IN CURRENT CONFERENCE RPI
The Big 12 is fourth after two weeks of action in the WBCA/Summerville Conference RPI rankings. The Big 12 is also fourth in non-conference winning percentage with a .783 behind the Big East (.885), Pac-10 (.867) and ACC (.800). Big 12 opponents have a .538 winning percentage through Nov. 23 games.
? ? ? All Big 12 teams are in the top 100 for overall strength of schedule in 2003-04 according to WBCA and Summerville Data Systems. Oklahoma is listed as having the toughest Big 12 schedule at 10th. Other Big 12 schools are: 18. Oklahoma State, 26. Texas, 39. Missouri, 42. Texas A&M, 46. Texas Tech, 50. Colorado, 57. Kansas State, 58. Iowa State, 80. Kansas, 87. Nebraska, and 98. Baylor.
? ? ? In non-conference games strength of schedule, Oklahoma is 14th, Texas 18th, Kansas State 52nd, Colorado 54th, Texas Tech 62nd and Missouri 64th. Big 12 teams' non-conference opponents were 2109-1862 last year for a 53.1 winning percentage.
TIGERS GOING FOR SCHOOL-RECORD FIFTH STRAIGHT POSTSEASON BERTH
The Mizzou women have reached the postseason each of the past four years (WNIT in 2000, 2002 and 2003, and the NCAA Sweet Sixteen in 2001), and are vying for their fifth straight postseason berth. That would tie the longest
LAST TIME OUT: MU 77, BRADLEY 58
LaToya Bond and Megan Roney both had career days, and the Tigers ran to a 77-58 win Sunday afternoon at Robertson Field House - Mizzou's largest non-conference road win since the 2000-01 season. The victory is the 150th of Head Coach Cindy Stein's career. Bond scored a game-high 17 points and was 11-of-12 from the free-throw line, and Roney tallied 12 points and nine rebounds. All are career highs for the pair who played significant roles Sunday after coming off the bench last season.