March 6, 2009
Complete Release in PDF Format 
COLUMBIA, Mo. - The University of Missouri women's basketball team (13-15, 4-11 Big 12) closes out the regular season schedule at Texas Tech (15-14, 5-10) on Saturday, March 7 at 2 p.m. in Lubbock, Texas. The contest will be broadcast locally in Lubbock on the Texas Tech Television Network with Drew Dougherty on play-by-play duties and Crystal Bodes serving as color analyst. The Red Raiders hold a 10-5 lead in the all-time series but the Tigers picked up a 68-59 victory last season.
Up Next
The Tigers travel to Oklahoma City, Okla., for the 2009 Phillips 66 Big 66 Big 12 Championship next week. First round play kicks off on Thursday, March 12 with games at 11 a.m., 1:30 p.m., 5 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. Regular season champion Oklahoma is the only school that has wrapped up its seed, as the remaining 11 seeds depend on this weekend's results.
Scouting Texas Tech
The Red Raiders enter their game with the Tigers with a 15-14 overall mark and a 5-10 record in conference play. Texas Tech averages 64.0 ppg. and shoot 38.8 percent from the floor.
Last time out the squad fell at No. 3 Oklahoma 61-49. Texas Tech led 28-25 at the half but the Sooners came back in the second half for the victory.
Senior Dominic Seals paces the Red Raiders with 13.5 ppg. and 7.9 rpg. Junior Jordan Murphree averages 10.9 ppg. and Kierra Mallard adds 9.9 ppg. and 7.9 rpg., including a 9.0 rpg. clip in the past 20 games.
Head Coach Kristy Curry is in her third year at the helm of the team and sports a 47-46 record with the program.
Iowa State halts Mizzou, 62-47
Heather Ezell scored 19 points, hitting five of the 11 3-pointers for Iowa State (No. 22 ESPN/USA Today, No. 23 AP) in a 62-47 win over Missouri on Tuesday night.
Amanda Nisleit added 17 points and Kelsey Bolte had 15 for Iowa State (22-7, 10-5 Big 12), which has now held seven conference teams under 50 points this season.
Jessra Johnson scored 10 points to lead Missouri.
The Cyclones led 24-16 at the half and pushed the advantage to 16 early in the second half, making four 3-pointers. Bolte's 3 gave Iowa State a 40-24 lead before the Tigers went on a 12-2 run to trim the deficit to eight with just over 7 minutes left.
Missouri trailed 55-47 with 1:30 left, but Iowa State hit its free throws to seal the win.
Hollins, Brown, Mills earn academic honors
Senior Alyssa Hollins, sophomore RaeShara Brown and redshirt freshman Bekah Mills were named to the Academic All-Big 12 first team, announced by the conference office on Thursday. Hollins is now a three-time first team honoree while Brown and Mills made the team in their first year of eligibility.
In the 11 years under Head Coach Cindy Stein, 40 student-athletes have earned recognition on the Academic All-Big 12 teams.
Brown stealing up a storm
Sophomore guard RaeShara Brown has 74 steals on the year to average a Big 12 best 2.6 spg. this season. In just league play, Brown has upped her average to 2.9 spg., still a Big 12 high.
Brown's 74 swipes are 19 more than Alyssa Hollins' team high total from all of last year and rank 10th in Mizzou's single-season record book. She needs two more to tie Kerensa Barr's 2000-01 total of 75 for ninth and four more to move into seventh-place, past Annette Hollins (1981-82) and Sarah Campbell's (1984-85) total of 77.
Missouri forcing miscues...
In both games last week the Tigers forced both Texas and Colorado to commit 23 turnovers in the contests, helped along by 21 combined Missouri steals in those games.
As a team Mizzou forces 19.0 turnovers per contest to rank second in the Big 12 behind Texas A&M's 22.8. The squad also ranks second with 9.7 spg., again behind the Aggies' 12.0 spg.
The Tigers have forced their opponents into at least 20 turnovers 12 times this season, including six times in conference action (Texas A&M = 20, Kansas = 20, Colorado = 23, 23, Baylor = 20, Texas = 23).
...and taking care of the ball
Missouri recorded a season low eight turnovers against Nebraska on Feb. 21, one less than the nine the Tigers committed on Nov. 22 against Western Illinois.
As a team the Tigers commit just 15.5 turnovers per game to rank fifth in the conference. Overall Mizzou ranks third in turnover margin with +3.4 and sixth with a 0.8 assist/turnover margin.
Hollins selected to Mizzou `39
Alyssa Hollins was one of 39 University of Missouri seniors chosen to the 2009 class of Mizzou `39. The award program, created by the Mizzou Alumni Association in 2005, honors students in the spirit of service displayed by founding families of the University in 1839.
Hollins and the rest of the class selected for their academic achievement, leadership and service to the University and community. Recipients are selected by a committee of alumni and faculty that reviews the applications and conducts interviews. Recently Hollins and the other 38 seniors were publicly revealed for the first time at a ceremony on the Francis Quadrangle.
Tigers hit mark against Buffs
Missouri hit shots early and often in the team's 66-55 victory over Colorado on Feb. 28. The squad ran out to a 33-29 advantage at the half thanks to 50 percent (15-30) shooting from the floor.
The Tigers kept the Buffaloes at bay in the second half and shot 48.1 percent (13-27) during the final frame. For the game Missouri shot 49.1 percent, the second best shooting percentage of the season.
Johnson on a roll
Junior Jessra Johnson has been an offensive force in games from Feb. 17-28. The forward has averaged 18.8 ppg. in games against Kansas State (17), Nebraska, (23), Texas (16) and Colorado (19) and led the Tigers in points three of those four contests. Her 23-point outing was a season high and just one point shy of her career high.
Her rebounding had dropped to 6.5 rpg. following the Baylor game but Johnson recorded nine, 11, 10 and seven rebounds in those four games to get the average back up to 6.9 rpg.
Brown all over the floor
Sophomore RaeShara Brown showcased her all-around game in Mizzou's 66-55 victory over Colorado on Feb. 28. The guard scored 14 points on 7-of-9 shooting from the floor to go along with a team high eight rebounds and a career high-tying five steals.
Her 14 points were three shy of her career high of 17, also scored against Colorado on Jan. 24, 2009.
Johnson lighting it up
Junior Jessra Johnson averaged a team high 20.0 ppg. and 10.0 rpg. in games against Kansas State and Nebraska. In the Tigers' 52-43 upset of No. 14 Kansas State the junior lead the way with team highs in points (17), rebounds (nine), blocks (career high nine), steals (three) and assists (two). Against Nebraska three days later Johnson recorded her third double-double of the season with a season high 23 points and 11 rebounds on 10-of-18 shooting from the floor and 3-of-5 shooting from behind the three-point line.
Johnson's six blocks against the Wildcats were the most by a Tiger since Stretch James tied Amanda Lassiter's single-game record with seven against Missouri State (Southwest Missouri State) on Dec. 10, 2003.
Tigers hold block party
Mizzou recorded a season high 11 blocks against the Wildcats on Feb. 18, which is also the second highest total in the Big 12 this year. The 11 blocks were the most by the Tigers since the team recorded 11 against Oklahoma State on Jan. 4, 2005.
Additionally, Jessra Johnson's six blocks doubled the previous individual season high and stand one shy of the program single-game record of seven, held by Amanda Lassiter (vs. Western Kentucky; Dec. 4, 1999) and Stretch James (Missouri State [SMS]; Dec. 10, 2003). The forward's total was the most since James tied the program record over five years ago.
Hollins joins 1,000-point club
A jumper with 12:37 left in regulation against Holy Cross on Nov. 29 gave senior Alyssa Hollins the 999th and 1,000th points in her career, making the guard the 26th player in Mizzou history to record 1,000 points.
With nine points against Colorado on Feb. 28, Hollins now has 1,291 in her career, good for 15th place on the all-time list. She is 21 points shy of passing Mary Brueggestrass (81-85) for 14th place on the all-time list.