Feb. 2, 2008
COLUMBIA, Mo. - The Missouri women's basketball team (8-12, 1-6 Big 12) kicks off a two-game homestand on Super Bown Sunday with a 3 p.m. matchup against Nebraska (15-6, 4-3), in a game to be broadcast on nationally on FSN. Brian Anderson will do play-by-play while Brenda Van Lengen will serve as the color analyst. Nebraska holds a slight 34-29 lead in the all-time series but Mizzou secured 65-53 upset over the No. 19/20 Huskers on Feb. 17, 2007.
Up next
Mizzou continues its two-game homestand when it hosts the No. 11 Oklahoma Sooners on Wednesday, Feb. 6 at 6:30 p.m. The game, will be shown locally on the Mizzou Sports Network. The Tigers then travel to Ames, Iowa, for a game against Iowa State on Saturday, Feb. 9 at 7:30 p.m.
Scouting the Huskers
Nebraska enters its matchup with Mizzou on the heels of consecutive losses to the co-Big 12 leaders: Baylor (76-56, Jan. 26) and Kansas State (77-75, Jan. 29) after starting 4-1 in league action.
The last time out, the Huskers lost a tough 77-75 contest to Kansas State at home when the Wildcats hit the game-winning shot with seven seconds on the clock. Nebraska had two chances to send the game into overtime but shots by Yvonne Turner and Kelsey Griffin missed.
Junior Kelsey Griffin leads three players in double-figures with 12.8 ppg. on 51.0 percent shooting from the floor. Senior Danielle Page has averages of 12.5 ppg., 7.0 rpg. and 2.5 bpg. while sophomore Cory Montgomery adds 10.7 ppg. and 5.3 rpg. off the bench.
Tigers almost through South schools
The matchup with Oklahoma on Wednesday, Feb. 6 marks the only regular season game between Mizzou and a South school remains this season. In the 16-team conference schedule, each team faces its division rivals twice and schools from the other division only once.
Starting with the contest against Nebraska on Feb. 3, the Tigers will close out their regular season schedule with eight-of-nine games versus fellow Big 12 North schools.
Jones hits her stride
Freshman Shakara Jones was nearly unstoppable against Texas A&M on Jan. 29 as she hit 7-of-8 shots from the floor to finish with a team-high 15 points. The game marked the second time in four games the forward hit seven shots in eight attempts after also accomplishing the feat at Kansas on Jan. 19.
Jones has now reached double-figures in 12 of Mizzou's 20 games this season, second on the team behind junior Alyssa Hollins' 17.
Hollins inching up the record books
With her 52 3-pointers this season, junior Alyssa Hollins now sits in third place all-time in the Mizzou record books for career 3-point field goals with 128. She needs 12 more to tie Tracy Lozier for second place with 140 and only 15 to pass Carlynn Savant for the career record with 143.
Additionally, Hollins needs only 13 to tie Amanda Lassister's single-season record at 65. Last year Hollins fell one shy of the mark with 64 threes to stand in second place in single-season 3-pointers.
More about those threes
Alyssa Hollins is second in the Big 12 Conference and ranks 24th nationally with 52 3-pointers (2.60 per game). If she continues on her pace Hollins will shatter the single-season three mark and end up with 84, besting Amanda Lassister's record of 65 in 2000-01.
If she keeps on her current pace, Hollins will past Lassiter in Mizzou's contest with Nebraska on Feb. 21.
Pickens hits the boards
Junior K-Kay Pickens entered Mizzou's game against Texas with a career-high four rebounds, which he grabbed in the Tigers' loss to Samford on Nov. 24. The past two games the forward has been on a rebounding roll, totaling five boards against both Texas (1/26/08) and Texas A&M (1/29/08).
More impressively, Pickens has earned her five boards in only 11 and 13 minutes, respectively, of action against the Longhorns and Aggies.
Tigers hit 50 percent, for a half
In the game with Texas A&M on Jan. 29, the Tigers shot 50 percent (11-22) from the floor in the first 20 minutes of action.
It was the first time since Nov. 25 against Robert Morris that Mizzou hit half its shots in a half, when the Tigers connected on 15-of-28 in the second half.
Overall, Missouri has shot 50 percent in a half five times this season: Murray State (second half), Eastern Illinois (second), Samford (second), Robert Morris (second) and Texas A&M (first).
Brown earns third start
Freshman guard RaeShara Brown earned the third start of her career against the Texas Longhorns on Jan. 26. Brown played 15 minutes in the contest, the most for the rookie since she logged 17 on Dec. 7 against Mississippi Valley State. She also knocked down her only shot attempt and dished out two assists on the day.
Hanneman stepping up the steals
In six conference games, sophomore Amanda Hanneman has averaged 1.57 steals per game, including three steals each against Baylor and Texas. In Mizzou's 13 non-conference games Hanneman averaged just 0.83 steals per games, for an increase of almost one steal per contest.
Johnson back on track
After failing to reach double-figures in three of four games, sophomore Jessra Johnson posted a team high 18 points against Baylor on Jan. 23. Entering the game with the Bears, Johnson had averaged only 9.3 ppg. in conference play after entering Big 12 action with a 16.4 ppg. mark.
Johnson made 7-of-14 shots against Baylor and also recorded three blocks to go along with eight rebounds.
Tigers approaching 1,000th game
Mizzou will reach a milestone on March 1, 2007 when the program plays its 1,000th game, a road contest against Kansas State. The Tigers, who played their first game on Nov. 11, 1974 (a 47-16 win against Columbia College), currently sit at 991 games played.
In its 34th season of basketball, Missouri owns a 589-402 (.596) record.
Jones in top form against Jayhawks
Freshman Shakara Jones was almost unstopable in the paint against Kansas on Jan. 19. The forward led Mizzou with 18 points on 7-of-8 shooting from the floor. During the Tigers' comeback in the second half, Jones was a perfect 4-of-4 from the floor and pulled down five of her eight total rebounds.
Mizzou comes up short in comeback
Missouri cut a double-digit second half deficit to four in the final minute but fell short in a 66-60 loss to Kansas on Jan. 19 in Lawrence, Kan. Down 13 entering the second frame, the Tigers outscored the Jayhawks 35-28 in the final 20 minutes.
With Kansas on top 64-55 and just over one minute remaining, junior Alyssa Hollins hit a 3-pointer but get the Tigers within six, 64-58. Kansas' Ivana Catic missed the front end of a one-and-one, sophomore Jessra Johnson got her own rebound and hit a layup and was fouled with 37.1 seconds left to get the Tigers within four, 64-60.
Johnson missed her free throw and Danielle McCray made two free throws two seconds later for a 66-60 game. Missouri did not make any of their shots in the waning seconds to give Kansas the victory.
Jones led Mizzou with 18 points on seven-of-eight shooting while Amanda Hanneman and Hollins added 14 points apiece.
Mizzou earns first Big 12 victory
Missouri outscored Texas Tech 26-8 over the final 12 and a half minutes of the game to claim a 68-58 win over the Red Raiders on Saturday night at Mizzou Arena. With the win the Tigers picked up their first Big 12 win to improve their record to 8-7 overall and 1-1 in Big 12 Conference action.
Down by nine, 51-42, with 12:34 left, Mizzou reeled off a 14-4 run to take a 56-55 lead at the 5:24 mark when sophomore Amanda Hanneman got a steal and made a layup.
Hanging onto a one point lead, 60-59, Mizzou ended the game on a 9-0 run over the final 3:25.
Junior Alyssa Hollins paced all scores with 25 points and hit 5-of-6 three-point attempts on the night. Hanneman joined Hollins in double-figures with 13 and sophomore Toy Richbow had nine points, six rebounds and five assists.
Scott returns to action
Sophomore Marissa Scott returned to action against Texas Tech after missing three games due to mononucleosis. Scott, who played seven minutes and knocked in her only shot attempt against the Red Raiders, sat out the Marshall, Delaware State and Colordo games after a min-December diagnosis. Before her illness, Scott had started Mizzou's first 11 games and averaged 3.3 ppg. and 5.4 rpg. in almost 29 minutes of action per contest.
Four days after the Texas Tech contest, Scott looked back to her old self as she played 25 minutes against Oklahoma State on Wednesday.
Hanneman has hot hand
Entering her sophomore season, Amanda Hanneman had not posted a double figure point total in her career. This season she has hit the mark eight times, including seven of the last nine games. The only games Hanneman missed double-figures during that stretch was Colorado, when she posted seven points, and Baylor, when she had six.
She averaged 12.1 ppg. from Dec. 15 - Jan. 16 after averaging 6.8 ppg. in her first eight games of the season.
Hollins hot from behind the arc
Junior Alyssa Hollins entered the conference season with 34 threes and shooting 33.3 percent from behind the arc. In the first two conference games, Hollins shot an astounding 68.8 (11-16) percent from the 3-point line to raise her season numbers to 45 treys and a 38.1 3-point field goal percentage.
Hollins started her hot streak against Colorado on Jan. 9 when she hit 6-of-10 from three. Three days later, she did even better when she made 5-of-6 from behind in arc against Texas Tech.
Wilson making her mark
Former Mizzou volleyball player Nicole Wilson is still new to the world of collegiate basketball but that has not kept her from making an impact with the Tigers.
After not playing competitve basketball since her senior year in high school, Wilson has played in 15 games for Missouri this year and started four of the last five contests at center. The Tigers' tallest player at 6-3, she has added height and poise to the lineup.
Against the Red Raiders on Jan. 12, Wilson played a season high 19 minutes of action.
Mizzou earns comeback win
Missouri went on a 12-0 run over the last 4:56 of the game to pick up a 55-50 comeback win over Delaware State in the consolation contest of the Marriott Cavalier Classic on Dec. 28 at John Paul Jones Arena in Charlottesville, Va.
Down 44-33 with 10 minutes left in the game, sophomore forward Amanda Hanneman nailed a 3-pointer with 4:56 remaining to spark Mizzou's comeback. Sophomore forward Jessra Johnson then hit a basket and three free throws to give the Tigers a 51-50 lead at the 1:10 mark, the squad's first since they led 15-14 with 10:41 left in the first half.
Johnson led Missouri with 20 points, including 14 in the second half and Hanneman and Jones each notched 14. Hanneman, who scored in double figures for the fourth consecutive game, also recorded a career high five steals.
Hanneman named to all-tournament team
Sophomore Amanda Hanneman was named to the Marriott Cavalier Classic All-Tournament team after averaging 16.0 ppg. on 66.7 percent shooting from the floor in Mizzou's two games. Hanneman posted a career high 18 points against Marshall on Dec. 28 and recorded 14 points and a personal best five steals against Delaware State on Dec. 29.
Hollins and Johnson pile on the points
Junior Alyssa Hollins Sophomore Jessra Johnson, Mizzou's two leading scorers, have racked up the points this season.
Hollins has hit double-figures in 17 of Mizzou's 20 games this season and reached at least 20 points on eight different occassions (Eastern Illinois, Robert Morris, Arkansas, Mississippi Valley State, UMKC, Marshall, Colorado and Texas Tech).
Johnson has reached double-figures 11 times this year in 19 games but scored at least 20 points in seven of those 10 contests (Murray State, Eastern Illinois, Robert Morris, Mississippi Valley State, Stephen F. Austin, UMKC and Delaware State).
Hanneman on fire against Marshall
With the Tigers off to a slow start in the second half against Marshall, Amanda Hanneman took things into her own hands. The sophomore scored 11 straight points for Mizzou over a 3:26 span on a jumper, and ensuing free throw 3-pointer, layup and another layup.
She scored 14 of her 18 points in the second half.
Jones' jumper gives Mizzou dramatic win
Freshman Shakara Jones grabbed an offensive rebound and made a put back with 6.1 seconds remaining in overtime to give Missouri a 75-73 overtime victory over UMKC on Dec. 15. Mizzou, which scored the first 18 points of the game, led by as many as 21 early in the second half before UMKC tied the game after Tarah Cullen made three free throws with 1.1 seconds left in regulation.
Mizzou had four players in double figures for the first time this season, led by junior Alyssa Hollins' 21. Sophomore Jessra Johnson posted 20, Jones notched her third double-double of the season with 17 points and 10 rebounds and sophomore Amanda Hanneman added 10 points.
Four better than three
Mizzou's Dec. 15 game against UMKC marked the first time all season the Tigers had four players score in double-figures. Alyssa Hollins (21), Jessra Johnson (20), Shakara Jones (17) and Amanda Hanneman (10) all reached double-figures in scoring against the Kangaroos.
Missouri had three players tally double-figures against Murray State, Eastern Illinois, South Dakota State, Texas State and Stephen F. Austin and two players against Samford, Robert Morris, Arkansas and Mississippi Valley State.
Scott shines in loss
One bright spot for the Tigers in their overtime loss to Stephen F. Austin was the play of sophomore Marissa Scott. A fixture in the starting lineup all season, Scott entered the SFA contest as one of Mizzou's best post defenders but had yet to make much of an impact on the offensive end.
Against SFA, Scott took only four shots but made all three of her 3-point attempts to post a career high nine points to go along with eight rebounds.
Scott has also been a menace on the boards of late, averaging 7.8 rpg. over the past five contests.
Hollins has career night
Junior Alyssa Hollins erupted for a career high 28 points in Mizzou's 69-52 win over Mississippi Valley State in the first game of the CenturyTel Tiger Tournament on Dec. 7.
Hollins shot 10-of-20 from the floor on the night, hit five of her six free throw attempts and tied her career best with six rebounds in the game. Her point output is the most scored by a Tiger this season, just besting freshman Shakara Jones' total of 27 in the season opener.
Hollins, Johnson named to all-tournament team
Junior Alyssa Hollins and sophomore Jessra Johnson were both named the the all-tournament team of the CenturyTel Tiger Tournament after two strong outings last weekend.
Hollins averaged 22.0 ppg., including a career best 28 against Mississippi Valley State, and Johnson averaged 21.0 ppg. and 10.5 rpg.
Richbow boards with the best
Entering the Texas State game with a career high five rebounds, sophomore Toy Richbow used all of her 5'6" frame to pull down 10 boards against the Bobcats.
Richbow had recorded five rebounds against Eastern Illinois on Nov. 15 but the guard breezed by that mark with her numbers against Texas State. Her four offensive rebounds in the contest almost set a new career mark in their own.
Scott on rebounding roll
In the first 14 games of her Mizzou career, sophomore Marissa Scott pulled down a total of 13 rebounds. The next three games of her career was different story for the forward, who has tallied 28 total rebounds against Robert Morris (11), Arkansas (nine) and Texas State (eight). Her per game rebounding mark has increased from 3.0 in the first four games of the season to 5.8 during that span.
Hollins secures win over Robert Morris
Junior guard Alyssa Hollins made a 15-foot jumper with two seconds remaining to give the Tigers a 74-73 win over Robert Morris in Mizzou's second game in the FAU Thanksgiving Tournament. After the Tigers committed turnovers on three straight possessions that allowed the Colonials to go ahead 73-72 with seconds left, Hollins received an inbounds pass, dribbled around a defender and nailed the winning shot.
Hollins named to all-tourney team
Junior Alyssa Hollins was named to the FAU Thanksgiving Classic All-Tournament Team after averaging 16.5 points in Mizzou's two games in Boca Raton, Fla. She scored 11 points against Samford on Nov. 24 but really shined against Robert Morris, as the guard posted 22 points, including the game-winning shot.
Johnson has career night
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. Her 19 rebounds were the most by a Tiger since Evan Unrau recorded 20 against Texas on Jan. 10, 2001.
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.
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.
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. She looked strong in the preseason and would have challenged for the starting position.