Dec. 9, 2005
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vs. Nicholls State (1-4)
Sunday, Dec. 11, 2005 - Columbia, Mo.
TIPOFF: 2:00 p.m. CST.
ARENA: Mizzou Arena (15,061). Opened in 2004. MU is 288-110 (.724) all-time at home.
RADIO: KWWC-FM 90.5 (David Lile, play-by-play/Gary Link, color). Also available online at mutigers.com.
TV: None over-the-air; online via Mizzou All-Access subscription at mutigers.com.
SERIES: First meeting. MU is 9-5 all-time against current members of the Southland Conference.
RANKINGS: Neither team is ranked.
COACHES:
Missouri: Cindy Stein (Illinois '84), 118-99 at MU (eighth season) and 183-124 overall (11th season).
Nicholls State: Mark Cook (Wichita State '83), 9-24 at NSU (second season) and 151-88 overall (eighth season).
TIGERS PUT WIN STREAK ON THE LINE SUNDAY VS. NICHOLLS STATE
The Mizzou women's basketball team (6-2), after a week off and with two straight tournament titles under its belt, welcomes the Lady Colonels of Nicholls State (1-4) to Mizzou Arena on Sunday afternoon. Tipoff is scheduled for 2 p.m.
The Tigers enter the game on a five-game winning streak, their longest since the 2001-02 season, when Mizzou won six straight.
SIXTH STRIPE CLUB TO HOST PRE-GAME EVENT
Members of the Sixth Stripe Club, the women's basketball booster group, will host a reception prior to Sunday game at 1 p.m. in the Clinton Club (south side of Mizzou Arena). The event is open not just to Sixth Stripe members, but also to the general public. Season-ticket information will be available, and Tiger Network color analyst Gary Link will speak.
SCOUTING NICHOLLS STATE
The Lady Colonels enter Columbia fresh off of an 11-day layoff, as well as their first win. NSU beat New Orleans, in UNO's temporary home in Tyler, Texas, by a 55-51 count on Nov. 30. Junior guard Jamie Octave had a game-high 22 points in that contest. She is averaging a team-high 16.8 points per game, and also leads the Lady Colonels in rebounding (6.4 rpg). She is the only NSU player scoring in double figures entering this weekend's contest.
LAST TIME OUT: MIZZOU 100, MURRAY STATE 51
LaToya Bond had a game-high 20 points, and again led five Tigers in double-figure scoring, to guide the Mizzou women to a 100-55 win over Murray State on Saturday in the championship game of the 28th annual State Farm Tiger Classic. For her efforts, Bond was named the tournament's Most Valuable Player for the second time in as many weeks.
LIKE A GOOD TEAM, MIZZOU IS THERE
With apologies to Tiger Classic sponsor State Farm and Barry Manilow, composer of the insurance company's "Like a Good Neighbor" jingle, the Tigers were indeed a good team over the weekend in picking up their 19th Tiger Classic title in the 28 years of the winter tournament.
In addition to Bond's heroics, senior center Christelle N'Garsanet and junior forward Carlynn Savant earned spots on the all-tournament team. It is the third all-tourney nod of N'Garsanet's career, while Savant picked up her second. Bond earned her fourth all-tournament team honor, including her second this season.
HARDIEK COMING ON STRONG
Junior guard Blair Hardiek has been described as Mizzou's hardest worker, and head coach Cindy Stein has spoken highly of her performance in the off-season. Her on-court play has also spoken well; she had a career-high 12 points Friday in the first round of the State Farm Tiger Classic. It was also her first start of the year, a spot she held again in Saturday's title game.
SAVANT GOES OFF FOR CAREER GAME; FIRST ALL-TOURNEY SPOT
Junior forward Carlynn Savant had a career-high 19 points Saturday night in the State Farm Tiger Classic title match. She was 6-of-9 from the field, 2-of-4 on 3-pointers, and made all five of her free throws to top her previous best of 16 points set the previous Tuesday vs. Northwestern. For her efforts, she was named to the all-tournament team.
For the season, Savant is third on the squad in both scoring (9.8 ppg) and rebounding (6.0 rpg).
HOME SWEET HOME
The Tigers played five of their first six games on the road, and have fared relatively well away from Mizzou Arena this season, winning both of their neutral-site games, and going 1-2 on the road. They will try to regain a measure of dominance at home, where the Tigers were 5-8 in the inaugural season at Mizzou Arena.
This weekend's game is part of a school record-tying eight-game homestand that will extend into the second week of January; Mizzou does not hit the road again until a January 11 contest at Nebraska. The other time the Tigers had such a long homestand came in the 1991-92 season; Mizzou was 7-1 in that stretch - the loss came to Iowa in the championship of the Mid-America Classic (now the State Farm Tiger Classic) - and finished the season 16-12.