Dec. 2, 2004
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in the State Farm Tiger Classic
Friday-Saturday, December 3-4, 2004 - Columbia, Mo.
TIPOFF: 7 p.m. on both nights (UMKC/Eastern Michigan precedes Friday at 5 p.m.)
ARENA: Mizzou Arena (15,061). Opened in 2004. Missouri is 281-102 (.734) all-time at home, including 62-25 (.713) under Cindy Stein. The Tigers are 1-0 at Mizzou Arena.
RADIO: KFRU-AM 1400 (David Lile, play-by-play/Gary Link, color). Also available on the Internet at www.mutigers.com.
TV: None.
SERIES: Mississippi Valley State - First Meeting; UMKC - Mizzou leads, 9-1 (last meeting: MU won, 67-48, in Kansas City, on Nov. 16, 2001); Eastern Michigan - First Meeting.
RANKINGS: All four teams are unranked. Eastern Michigan received one vote in this week's coaches poll.
TIGERS TO EAT TURKEY IN 'QUERQUE
We're very, very sorry for the headline, but a little holiday latitude is in order as the University of Missouri women's basketball team heads southwest to Albuquerque, N.M., for the Airport University Inn Thanksgiving Tournament.
WOMEN TO HOST STATE FARM CLASSIC THIS WEEKEND
We'll start, however, by letting you know that the University of Missouri women's basketball team (3-2) goes for its third straight win Friday night against Mississippi Valley State (2-0) on Norm Stewart Court at Mizzou Arena.
MORE ON THE STATE FARM TIGER CLASSIC
This weekend marks the 27th year of the Tigers' early December tournament. It started in 1978 as the Mid-America Classic, and was held in mid-December until 1988, when it move to its present spot on the calendar in the first weekend of December.
The event holds a rich tradition over the previous 26 tournaments; the Tigers have won 18 times, while Tennessee, under legendary coach Pat Summitt, won the inaugural title. Georgia and Iowa are also among the marquee programs who have won the title. Tenneesee Tech has participated most of any other school, with three appearances, while UMKC will become the 12th school to make a second appearance at the tournament. The Kangaroos finished third in 2002.
STATE FARM TAKES OVER AS TITLE SPONSOR
This year is the first that State Farm Insurance has taken over title sponsorship of the tournament. "We are thrilled to have such an outstanding company take sponsorship of our Tiger Classic," Head Coach Cindy Stein says. "Heading into Mizzou Arena with such a quality, first-class sponsor in State Farm really excites us. They are known nationally for their support of women's athletics and this is another fine example of that support. We will do all we can to ensure a first-class event."
On Saturday, the Tigers will take part in a special promotion in conjunction with State Farm and Toys For Tots. Fans are encouraged to bring a teddy bear or other stuffed animal to the game, where they will receive admission for just $2. At halftime, those fans will be invited to toss - on cue - their bears onto center court, where they will be collected by volunteers from the Marines.
SCOUTING MVSU
Mississippi Valley State is 2-0 after home wins over Lemoyne-Owen and Tuskegee. The latter came last Saturday by a 61-58 score. Like Evansville in the Missouri Valley entering Tuesday's game, the Delta Devilettes are the only undefeated team left this season in the Southwestern Athletic Conference, whose members are 1-5 all-time against Missouri. This is the first-ever meeting between the teams.
Ashley Robinson led MVSU with a game-high 15 points against Tuskegee, while fellow sophomore G Angela Howard pulled down a game-high 12 rebounds. Field-goal shooting and ball security were not at a premium in that Tuskegee game, as the Delta Devilettes out-shot their opponents by a 30.6-29.2 percent margin; the two teams combined for 54 turnovers.
LAST TIME OUT: MISSOURI 82, EVANSVILLE 66
The Missouri women's basketball team shot 58.3 percent from the field - its most accurate game in the last five years - and cashed in 26 points off of 19 Evansville turnovers en route to defeating the Purple Aces, 82-66, Tuesday night at Mizzou Arena. Sophomore F Carlynn Savant (Euless, Texas / Trinity HS) led the Tigers with a career-high 16 points and eight rebounds.
With the win, Missouri is 24-7 (.774) all-time in home openers, and has won its last five lidlifters in a row.
TIGERS LOCKED DOWN WHEN IT COUNTED
Against Evansville on Saturday, the Purple Aces, down as much as 22 points in the first half, closed to within three points on a pair of Courtney Felke free-throws with 5:01 left in the game. Yet when their backs were against the wall, the Missouri defense - and offense - responded.
Mizzou went on a 13-0 run for the next 3:35 to put the game away, holding UE without a field goal and scoring on each of its own six possessions in the span. The Tigers forced one Evansville turnover and out-rebounded the Aces 10-3 over that stretch, which wasn't broken until a Tiger turnover with just 14 seconds left. Laura Gaybrick scored on a layup with 9 seconds left, and those were UE's only points in the final 5 minutes of the game.
SAVANT GOES OFF AGAINST PURPLE ACES
Sophomore F Carlynn Savant (Euless, Texas / Trinity HS) has hit for major career highs in each of the last three games. She started last Friday night by pulling down a career-high 13 rebounds vs. New Mexico (her previous best was six last year). In the last two games, she has broken her career high in points, scoring 12 vs. Providence and 16 on Tuesday vs. Evansville to better her previous mark of 11 set last year. That includes a career-high four 3-pointers made on Tuesday.
In each of these two games, Savant has started out hot. She had 10 points in the first half vs. Providence before going off for 14 before the break on Tuesday.
Savant was named as one of five members of the Airport University Inn Thanksgiving Tournament All-Tournament Team for her efforts in New Mexico. She is the second Tiger to earn all-tournament recognition this season; junior G LaToya Bond (Urbana, Ill. / Urbana HS) was named to the KCRG TV-9 Hawkeye Challenge All-Tournament Team. Savant is fourth on the team in scoring at 7.6 points per game - though she is averaging 12 points in her last three games - and leads the Tigers with 6.6 rebounds a game.
DREW NAMED BIG 12 ROOKIE OF THE WEEK
Freshman G Kassie Drew (Anna, Ill. / Anna-Jonesboro HS) has been named Big 12 Conference Rookie of the Week for games played from Nov. 22-28, officials from the league announced on Monday. Drew scored a game-high 20 points in Saturday's win vs. Providence, knocking down an MU season-high four 3-pointers. She hit her first four shots, scoring 10 points in the first 6:14 of the game. She finished 8-of-15 from the field and 4-of-9 from 3-point range to lead all scorers. Drew added seven points in Friday's loss at New Mexico and finished the weekend averaging a team high-tying 13.5 points per game. For the season, Drew is third on the squad, averaging 9.8 ppg, and is among the Big 12 leaders in 3-pointers per game (2.25).
Drew is the first Tiger to earn weekly recognition from the Big 12 since Tracy Franklin, now MU's coordinator of basketball operations, earned Player of the Week honors in February of 2001. She is the first Rookie of the Week since Evan Unrau was tabbed in January of 2001.
Kansas State senior forward Kendra Wecker earned Player of the Week honors. This is the second week of the 2004-05 Big 12 awards season.