Nov. 30, 2006

Fresh off its third-consecutive regular-season tournament title, the Missouri women's basketball team will go for another championship this weekend as it hosts the 29th Annual State Farm Tiger Classic, Friday and Saturday at Mizzou Arena.

Missouri will face Creighton at 7 p.m. CT on Friday and either Alabama A&M or Eastern Illinois at 7 p.m. on Saturday. AAMU and EIU will meet in the tournament's first game on Friday at 5 p.m. One of those teams will play Creighton on Saturday at 5 p.m. Due to the fact that the Tigers will play the late game on Saturday regardless of Friday's outcome, the championship could be at 5 or 7 p.m.

Both Missouri games will be broadcast on KFRU 1400-AM in Columbia and KLIK 1200-AM in Jefferson City.

Missouri (5-1) has won 19 previous titles and is 28-0 in opening-round play. The Tigers have also won 11-consecutive non-conference home games at Mizzou Arena. Senior Tiffany Brooks leads four players in double-figure scoring at 17 points per game and has a team-high 20 assists thus far. Sophomore Alyssa Hollins has been on fire from outside as she has converted on 63.3 percent of her three-point field goal attempts en route to a 15.3 scoring average. Hollins has made 19 3-pointers - the most in the Big 12 Conference.

Creighton enters the game with Mizzou at 0-5 but has played one of the tougher early-season schedules in the country. In fact, the Blue Jays have faced Kansas State and Minnesota on the road, while falling to Kansas and Iowa in Omaha for the 31st-toughest slate according to CollegeRPI.com. Junior Ally Thrall leads the team with 12 ppg and is a threat from outside as she has 70 career threes and prior to being held without a 3-pointer in her last two games, she had made at least one in 33 straight.

The Blue Jays lead the series with the Tigers, 7-6, but the teams have not played since the 1996-97 campaign. This will be CU's first appearance in the Tiger Classic.

Alabama A&M is 3-2 and plays one of the deeper benches in the tourney field, with 11 players averaging 10 minutes per contest. Junior Felicia Drummond leads the Bulldogs with 13.4 ppg and 6.2 rpg. This will also be their first showing in the Tiger Classic.

Eastern Illinois enters with a 2-3 and has dropped its last three games, including two-straight by an average of 21 points. The Panthers do have the two highest scorers in the tournament field though, with Jessica Huffman (19.6 ppg) and Rachel Galligan (18.0) combining for 32 percent of their total scoring. EIU is 1-3 in two previous Tiger Classics, including a second-lace finish in 1986 and a fourth-place in 1996.

Tickets can be purchased for $5 for adults and $3 for seniors and children. One ticket is good for both games on a particular day. Additionally, $2 tickets are available for State Farm employees who do not have a free admission voucher, anyone presenting a ticket stub from Thursday's Mizzou-Arkansas men's game and any parents/guests of a Columbia Youth Basketball Association team participating in a halftime scrimmage. On Saturday night only, MU Faculty and Staff can purchase a $2 ticket for the games.

Please call 1-800-CAT-PAWS (228-7297) or in Mid-Missouri 884-7297 for additional information.