Nov. 4, 2007
Complete Release in PDF Format 
Columbia, Mo. - The Missouri women's basketball team opens the 2007-08 season with its only exhibition contest on Monday, Nov. 5 against the Pittsburg State Gorillas at 6:30 p.m. at Mizzou Arena. The Tigers are 14-1 in exhibition play under the direction of Head Coach Cindy Stein and enter the contest against Pittsburg State on a seven game winning streak. The game marks the fourth consecutive year the Tigers played only one exhibition contest before officially tipping off the season.
Mizzou plays its first official game of 2007-08 at home against Murray State on Friday, Nov. 9 at 6:30 p.m. The Tigers will look to improve their identical 26-7 marks in both season and home openers. They have won 11 straight season openers since a 78-69 loss to Creighton on Nov. 25, 1995 and seven consecutive home openers after a 83-76 loss to Arkansas on Nov. 22, 1999.
Scouting the Gorillas
Coming off an 11-16 record in 2006-07, Division II Pittsburg State, a member of the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association, is under the guidance of first year head coach Lane Lord. Lord compiled a 71-21 (.786) record over three seasons at Barton County Community College (Kan.).
The Gorilla roster features five returnees, led by sophomore forward Marissa Poppe, who played in eight games as a freshman and averaged 9.0 ppg.
Pittsburg State's roster is bolstered with the addition of 14 newcomers this season, including seven transfers. Sophomore guard Deprice Taylor posted 11.8 ppg., 3.6 rpg., 3.1 apg. and 2.0 spg. at Barton County Community College and Idaho transfer Liz Witte, a senior guard, averaged 10.4 ppg., including 59 three-pointers.
Five newcomers join the Tigers
Five newcomers, including four freshman and one senior, join the Missouri women's basketball family for the 2007-08 season.
Freshman guards RaeShara Brown (Little Rock, Ark.), Bekah Mills (Towanda, Kan.) and Jasmyn Otote (Duncanville, Texas) and fellow frosh forward Shakara Jones (St. Charles, Mo.) are joined by first year collegiate ballplayer Nicole Wilson (Lincoln, Neb.), a senior center.
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.
Team (First place votes)
1. Texas A&M (7)
2. Oklahoma (5)
3. Baylor 97
4. Texas 86
5. Oklahoma State
6. Iowa State
7. Nebraska
8. Kansas State
Texas Tech
10. Kansas
11. Colorado
12. Missouri
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.
Youth movement
The Tigers return just one starter from last year's 17-14 squad and feature a roster of five newcomers and only six returning players.
Junior guard Alyssa Hollins is the lone starter back from last season, when she was the third-leading scorer on the team with 11.5 ppg. and hit a team-high 64 3-point field goals.
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.
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 adds two coaches to staff
The Tigers have a few new faces on the bench with the addition of Lynnette Robinson and Allison Guth to Head Coach Cindy Stein's coaching staff.
Robinson, the associate head coach, comes to Mizzou after a four-year stint as an assistant at Michigan. After one season as an assistant at Northern Illinois in 1986-87, Robinson moved to Southwest Missouri State (now Missouri State), where she served as assistant coach and recruiting coordinator from 1987-2002. In her 15 years with the Bears, Robinson helped lead SMS to 10 NCAA Tournament berths, NCAA Final Four appearances in 1992 and 2001 and a 241-118 overall record.
Assistant Coach Guth joined the Tigers after two years as an assistant and head recruiting coordinator at Loyola-Chicago. While with the Ramblers, Guth also coached the guards, helped scout and design game plans and led all recruiting efforts for the program.
Tigers host "Open House"
Mizzou will host an "Open House" fan event on Tuesday, Nov. 6 at 3:30 p.m. on Norm Stewart Court. Admission to the event is free.
The Open House starts at 3:30 p.m. as fans are invited to watch practice. Following practice at, fans will have the opportunity to take pictures with and get autographs from Missouri players starting at 5:30 p.m. The Open House will also feature a tour of the Mizzou Player Development Area. Free popcorn and soda will be available.
Fans must RSVP to Toni Hayes at (573) 882-1002 or hayest@missouri.edu