TIGER WOMEN OPEN BIG 12 SCHEDULE VS. COWGIRLS
      The University of Missouri women's basketball team (6-5, 0-0 Big 12) enters Big 12 Conference play on a two-game winning streak entering Wednesday night's contest vs. Oklahoma State. The Tigers will try to halt a counfounding streak: Missouri has lost its conference opener in all eight years of the Big 12's existence.

THE OSU SERIES
      Since losting three straight from the Cowgirls in 1997-98, the Tigers have won six of the last eight contest - all under Cindy Stein. In addition, Mizzou has won five of the last six games in Columbia, with the last three wins (in 1999, 2001 and 2003) by an average of 12 points.
      In addition to eliminating the Cowgirls in the first round of last season's Big 12 Tournament, the Tigers won the regular-season game in Stillwater by a 71-46 margin. That took place on Valentine's Day, and for the writer it will be remembered less for the result than for the fact that he proposed to his wife after the return flight to Columbia. This is the second time in the last three games that she has been mentioned in these notes, and we promise a break from further mention for at least the next week or so.

SCOUTING THE COWGIRLS
      Oklahoma State enters Big 12 play at .500 (5-5), and coming off of a 62-48 win over Texas-Pan American. The Cowgirls have yet to win away from Gallagher-Iba Arena, and Wednesday marks their first road game since Dec. 11. OSU is led in scoring by senior G Nina Stone, the reigning Big 12 Newcomer of the Year. She averages 15.6 points per game, which is seventh in the league this year. She's also leads the team in rebounds (5.4 rpg), assists (2.4 apg) and steals (2.8 spg). Freshman G Taleesha Conder is the only other player in double-figure scoring (12.9 ppg) for third-year Head Coach Julie Goodenough.

MORE ON THIS PESKY 0-FOR-OPENERS THING...
      As mentioned earlier, the Tigers have inexplicably failed to win any of their previous eight Big 12 Conference openers, and if you extend back to the days of the Big Eight, the streak actually runs to 11 straight conference-opening losses. Yet the whims of the schedule-makers might be a more plausible explanation for the streak than simple chance: Six of the 11 losses came to teams that finished first or second in the league standings at year end, eight have come on the road, and all but one came to teams that finished no worse than a game under .500 in conference that year. A closer look at the 11 previous Big Eight/Big 12 season-openers (*-Big Eight Conference):

 Big 8/12 Final
Year Opponent Score Record Place
1994 at Kansas L, 68-52 *11-3 *2nd
1995 Oklahoma L, 98-83 *11-3 *2nd
1996 at Kansas State L, 69-58 *5-9 *8th
1997 at Iowa State L, 61-50 9-7 t-5th
1998 Texas Tech L, 79-65 15-1 1st
1999 at Nebraska L, 83-67 8-8 t-5th
2000 Iowa State L, 79-67 13-3 t-1st
2001 at Texas Tech L, 82-64 13-3 2nd
2002 at Oklahoma St. L, 73-57 7-9 8th
2003 at Baylor L, 71-65 8-8 7th
2004 at Kansas St. L, 95-59 14-2 t-1st

LAST TIME OUT: MIZZOU 67, SAINT LOUIS 50
      Junior G LaToya Bond (Urbana, Ill. / Urbana HS) scored eight of her game-high 17 points in the final six minutes of play, helping to lead the Missouri women to a 67-50 win over Saint Louis in the teams' final non-conference game Sunday afternoon at Mizzou Arena.

WEDNESDAY IS MIDDLE OF FOUR-IN-EIGHT STRETCH, THREE-GAME HOMESTAND
      The Tigers ended a near-record 13-day layoff with its one-point win in Oxford on New Year's Eve, and also started a hectic stretch that sees Mizzou play four games in eight days. Sunday started a three-game homestand, which continues tonight and concludes Saturday night with the Tigers hosting Nebraska in a game that will be televised statewide over the Mizzou Sports Network.

THESE TIGERS YOUNGER, BUT MORE EXPERIENCED
      Much has been made of the loss of five experienced seniors from last year's team that led the Tigers to the NCAA Tournament. Yet a quick look at the stats shows that this year's team, while much younger, is deeper than last. That has allowed the coaching staff to be more flexible depending on the game situation.
      Entering the conference season last year, only four players averaged more than 19 minutes a game; this year, that number is up to eight. That is despite the Tigers having five freshmen and sophomores in that role.