Nov. 17, 2007
Complete Release in PDF Format 
COLUMBIA, Mo. - After opening the 2007-08 campaign with two home victories within the comfy confines of Mizzou Arena, the Missouri women's basketball team heads to Brookings, S.D., for its first road game of the season to take on the South Dakota State Jackrabbits at 2 p.m. at Frost Arena. Last season the Tigers pulled out a 79-62 home win over the Jackrabbits behind then-sophomore Alyssa Hollins' 18 points.
Up next
Mizzou continues its road swing as the team travels to Boca Raton, Fla., for the Florida Atlantic Invitational, Nov. 24-25. Pairings for both games have all ready been established, with the Tigers set to face Samford on Saturday, Nov. 24 at 1 p.m. ET (12 p.m. CT) and Robert Morris on Sunday, Nov. 25, also at 1 p.m. ET (12 p.m. CT). It will be the first meeting between Mizzou and both programs.
Scouting the Jackrabbits
The South Dakota State Jackrabbits are 3-0 so far this season, with home victories against Arkansas State (77-67) and UC-Riverside (93-90, 2OT) and a road win at Oregon (67-60) on Thursday, Nov. 15. This year's success is on the heels of a 25-6 mark in 2006-07 and a berth in the WNIT quarterfinals.
The Jacks return four starters from last year's squad, including senior guard Andrea Verdegan (12.0 ppg.), senior center Courtney Grimsrud (6.3 ppg.). Junior forward Jennifer Warkenthien, an All-Division I Independent second team honoree last year, has not played this season due to injury and is listed as questionable for today's matchup.
Junior forward Stacie Oistad has come in off the bench for the Jacks to lead the team with 19.0 ppg., while also contributing 6.5 rpg. and 2.3 apg.
Hollins back on track
As Missouri's lone returning starter, junior Alyssa Hollins, she is expected to help carry the offensive load for the Tigers this season. struggled with her shot in Mizzou's exhibition game versus Pittsburg State and season opener against Murray State. She shot 3-of-11 against the Gorillas and 2-13 in the game with the Racers. Hollins responded against Eastern Illinois with 20 points on 8-of-18 shooting from the floor.
Johnson on a roll
Sophomore Jessra Johnson filled up the stat sheet in Mizzou's contest with Eastern Illinois on Nov. 15. Over the course of the game, Johnson posted 22 points and pulled down 19 rebounds both of which were career highs.
Johnson bested her previous score total of 21 set in the season opener and rebound mark of 10, which she recorded against at Stanford last season.
Tigers oust Panthers, go to 2-0
Sophomore forward Jessra Johnson notched her first career double-double with 22 points and 19 rebounds, both career highs, to help propel the Missouri women's basketball team to a 69-51 win over Eastern Illinois on Thursday night at Mizzou Arena.
Missouri (2-0) also received 20 points and five assists from junior guard Alyssa Hollins while freshman forward Shakara Jones added 15 points.
Shak attack
Freshman Shakara Jones stole the show in her Missouri debut with a game-high 27 points and 14 rebounds in Mizzou's win over Murray State. Jones' point total set a new Tiger mark for freshmen in their Missouri debut and was the highest total in a season opener since Julie Helms poured in 38 in 1999.
Jones responded in Mizzou's second game against Eastern Illinois with 15 points.
Hanneman sees first action
Sophomore forward Amanda Hanneman saw her first action of the year against Eastern Illinois on Nov. 15 after missing the season opener. Still recovering from a stress fractice in her foot suffered during the preseason, Hanneman is getting healthier and is working her way back into the rotation.
Second half squad
In Mizzou's lone exhibition game against Pittsburg State and the two regular season games against Murray State and Eastern Illinois, the Tigers have combined to score 123 points after the break. During the same three games Missouri only posted 81 total points in the first half.
Overall Mizzou has shot 52.6 percent (33-64) from the floor in the second frame, including an impressive 58.1 percent output against Murray State.
To compare, the Tigers have shot a combined 34.8 percent (22-62) from the floor in the first half.
Tigers continue opener dominance
With its 73-64 victory over Murray State on Nov. 9, Missouri improved to 27-7 all time in both season and home openers.
The Tigers own a 12 game winning streak in season openers since a 78-69 loss to Creighton on Nov. 25, 1995 and have claimed eight consecutive home openers since a 83-76 loss to Arkansas on Nov. 22, 1999.
Tigers picked 12th in Preseason Big 12 Poll
After a 10th-place finish in the Big 12 Conference a year ago, Mizzou was picked 12th in the Preseason Coaches Poll on Oct. 12. Defending co-champion Texas A&M was selected to win the title, followed closely behind by fellow 2006-07 co-champion Oklahoma.
Youth movement
With only three upperclassmen (and only two of those returnees) on the Tiger roster, it was obvious from the onset that underclassmen would play a major role. Those inexperienced underclassmen made it look easy against Murray State as the sophomore class combined for 35 points and the freshman class contributed 33. Together those classes poured in 68 or Mizzou's 73 points on the evening.
All in the family
Freshman forward Shakara Jones becomes the second member of her family to don the No. 44 jersey on the Tiger hardwood. Her father, Ron Jones, played for Mizzou under Norm Stewart from 1980-84. Known as a defensive specialist, Ron held Michael Jordan to 13 points in Missouri's 64-60 upset of North Carolina in 1982.
Injury bug hits early
Freshman guard Bekah Mills will be forced to sit out her inaugural Tiger campaign after suffering an ACL tear in her right knee at practice on Oct. 27. The freshman had looked strong in preseason practices and would have challenged for the starting point guard position.
From one court to another
Former Mizzou All-America honorable mention volleyball player Nicole Wilson joins the Tiger women's basketball team this season after a successful four-year career on the volleyball court.
Listed as a center on the Missouri roster, Wilson earned four letters in basketball at Lincoln Christian High School (Neb.) and was a three-time all-state and all-conference selection.
Stein announces signing class
Three prep standouts have signed National Letters of Intent to enroll at the University of Missouri and play basketball, Head Coach Cindy Stein announced on Wednesday.
The signing class includes 6'3"post Christine Flores (San Antonio, Texas / Winston Churchill HS), 6'5" post Kendra Frazier (Altamont, Kan. / Labette County HS) and 5'11" wing Bailey Gee (Andover, Kan. / Andover Central HS).
As a junior last season under Coach Stacey Moore, Christine Flores helped lead Winston Churchill to a 38-2 record en route to the District 26-5A title and a state semifinal berth after averaging 17 points, six rebounds and 5.6 blocks per game. She was named the San Antonio News Express Player of the Year in 2007, a member of the Texas Association of Basketball Coaches, Texas Girls Coaches Association and Texas Basketball Magazine all-state teams and MVP of District 26-5A.
Kendra Frazier, under the direction of Coach Kristi Snider at Labette County, was named to the Class 4A all-state second team by the Kansas Basketball Coaches' Association, the Topeka Capital Journal and the Wichita Eagle during her junior campaign. She was Sub-State and Southeast Kansas League (SEK) in scoring with 19.5 points per game and also added 10.1 rebounds per contest as the Grizzlies finished the year with a 20-3 mark as Sub-State runner ups and the SEK title. Frazier played under Coach Kim Lassley and with fellow signee Bailey Gee for the Wichita Spooks AAU Team, the same team that current Tiger Bekah Mills came from. A two-time All-SEK selection, Frazier also was a unanimous selection to the volleyball All-SEK first team the past two seasons.
Bailey Gee is a three-time all league and all-state selection after receiving Class 4A first team honors as a junior, second honors as a sophomore and honorable mention as a freshman. Gee, under Coach Stana Jefferson, led Andover Central to a third-place Class 4A finish and a 23-3 record last season with averages of 20.5 points, 7.7 rebounds and 2.8 steals per game. Gee played under Coach Kim Lassley and with fellow signee Kendra Frazier for the Wichita Spooks AAU Team, the same team that current Tiger Bekah Mills came from. She also earned all-league first team honors in volleyball in 2005 and 2006 and finished seventh in the high jump at the state meet in 2005, 2006 and 2007.