Jan. 28, 2005
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MISSOURI (7-11, 1-6 Big 12) vs. #15 Texas (11-6, 4-2)
Saturday, January 29, 2005 - Columbia, Mo.
TIPOFF: 11:06 a.m. CST.
ARENA: Norm Stewart Court at Mizzou Arena (15,061). Opened in October 2004. MU is 284-106 (.728) all-time at home, including 4-4 at Mizzou Arena. The Tigers are 8-19 (.296) all-time at home vs. ranked Big 12 teams.
RADIO: KFRU-AM 1400, KLIK-AM 1240 (David Lile, play-by-play/Gary Link, color) and available to affiliates of the Tiger Radio Network. Also available on the Internet at www.mutigers.com.
TV: FSN national cablecast. Brian Anderson, play-by-play; Debbie Antonelli, color; Wave Robinson, producer.
SERIES: Texas leads, 10-1, including 3-1 in Columbia. UT has won the last three games, including a 70-59 decision in its last visit to Columbia in 2003. Cindy Stein is 1-5 against the Longhorns, including 1-2 in Columbia.
RANKINGS: Texas is ranked No. 15 in both the AP and coaches' polls.
COACHES:
Missouri: Cindy Stein (Illinois '84), 108-90 at MU (seventh season) and 173-115 overall (10th season).
Texas: Jody Conradt (Baylor '63), 741-213 at UT (29th season) and 858-275 overall (36th season).
TIGERS HOPE DAWN'S EARLY LIGHT BRINGS WIN SATURDAY VS. TEXAS
The Missouri women's basketball team (7-11, 1-6 Big 12) returns home for just the second time in six games on Saturday, in a rare 11 a.m. tipoff against No. 15-ranked Texas. The game will be televised nationally by FSN.
The Tigers are coming off their sixth straight loss, a 75-45 setback at No. 13 Texas Tech that saw Missouri hold the lead for the first 13 minutes of the game.
WHAT'S THIS THING CALLED A "HOME GAME"?
Missouri's been on the road so much lately, Texas might be as familiar with Mizzou Arena as the Tigers. Saturday's game starts a four-game stretch in which the Tigers play at home three times, and it ends a five-game stretch of four road games.
MU is just 4-4 in its brand-new $75 million arena, yet it is scoring 15 more points a game at home (66.8 ppg vs. 51.6 ppg) than on the road, and is giving up nine fewer (60.8 ppg vs. 69.4 ppg) to its opponents. Not surprisingly, the Tigers are significantly better in every statistical category in the friendly confines, including the most important stat: the Tigers are just 1-7 on the road.
WALKING WOUNDED FIGHTING THROUGH INJURIES
Nagging injuries have taken their toll on what started out as a relatively deep Missouri rotation. Junior F and leading scorer Tiffany Brooks was hobbled with an ankle sprain two weeks ago; junior C Christelle N'Garsanet is nearly recovered from a foot injury; and sophomore F EeTisha Riddle (foot) and freshman G Kassie Drew (leg) are both recovering from stress fractures. Brooks and N'Garsanet are nearly fully healed, while Riddle and Drew continue to play through the effects of their injuries.
ROUGH STARTS CAN HAVE HAPPY ENDINGS
The Tigers are currently on a six-game losing streak, which is MU's longest since a seven-game skid to end the 2001-02 season. Mizzou still made the postseason that year, advancing to the WNIT. The current six-game conference losing streak is the longest since a seven-game stretch: the last five games of the 2002 season, and the first two of 2003. The Tigers also made the WNIT that year, and despite an 0-4 league start last year, Mizzou advanced to its second NCAA Tournament in five years. The Tigers have qualified for the postseason in each of the last five years, which ties a school record from 1982-86.
THE TEXAS SERIES
The Tigers have won just one of the 11 games in the all-time series, which started in 1980. It includes a second-round NCAA Tournament matchup in 1986, which Texas won en route to an undefeated season and the national championship. In Big 12 play, Texas leads, 7-1.
Mizzou's win came in 2001 at the Hearnes Center, when the Tigers beat the then-No. 12 Longhorns, 68-52. In the four games in Columbia, Texas has outscored Missouri by a total of seven points.
SCOUTING THE LONGHORNS
Texas, under Hall of Fame Head Coach Jody Conradt, enters with an 11-6 record (4-2 Big 12). The Longhorns picked up their first road win in a month and a half with an impressive 12-point overtime win at Oklahoma on Wednesday night. UT is led by sophomore F Tiffany Jackson, who is averaging team highs of 16.8 points, 8.1 rebounds, 3.1 steals and 1.9 blocks per game.
Sixth-year senior G Jamie Carey is hitting nearly 47 percent of her 3-pointers, and is averaging 11.6 points per game. Senior F Heather Schreiber is third in scoring for the 'Horns at 9.7 ppg.