Dec. 28, 2006

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The Missouri women's basketball team enters its non-conference finale against Arkansas-Pine Bluff with a few school records dead in its sights when it hits the Mizzou Arena floor Friday night at 6:30 p.m. Central time.

Among the most notable is the opportunity to tie the all-time best start in Mizzou annals at 12-1. Only the 1976-77 Tiger team was able to collect 12 wins in its first 13 games.

"That (record) is something we have made the team aware of," ninth-year coach Cindy Stein said.

Among the other accomplishments MU will be looking to record include a program-best 12th regular-season non-conference win and a perfect record in the month of December.

With 11 non-league wins, this year's team is tied with three prior groups dating back to the start of the Big Eight's round-robin scheduling format in 1982-83. Also, a win over the Golden Lady Lions would be the Tigers' seventh in seven December games marking just the seventh time in 33 seasons of Mizzou women's hoops to notch that feat.

Missouri (11-1) has won eight-consecutive games and 14-straight versus non-Big 12 foes. The Tigers lead the Big 12 in free-throw percentage (.780) and rank third in both 3-point field goal percentage (.387) and 3-pointers made per game (5.8).

Arkansas-Pine Bluff (0-10) has lost all seven games on its current eight-game road trip and is allowing over 89 points per game on 52 percent shooting. In addition to being outrebounded by an average of 13.4 boards per contest the Lions have allowed at least 45 rebounds five times and have been lost the battle on the boards in all nine games away from home.

Missouri leads the series with UAPB 2-0. MU claimed a 102-47 win in 2001 and a 79-51 triumph last season with both games played in Columbia.

Prior to the game Sixth Stripe Club members will have a reception in the Clinton Club at Mizzou Arena starting at 5:30 p.m.