Nov. 25, 2009
Complete Release in PDF Format 
COLUMBIA, Mo. - The University of Missouri women's basketball team hits the road this weekend to compete in the Seminole Classic on the campus of Florida State in Tallahassee, Fla. The Tigers (2-1) face off against Florida A&M (3-0) on Friday, Nov. 27 at 5 p.m. ET (4 p.m. CT). Mizzou then will play host and No. 9/12 Florida State (4-0) at 2 p.m. ET (1 p.m. CT) on Sunday, Nov. 29.
Missouri holds a 1-0 record against Florida A&M in the all-time series, with the Tigers earning a 92-67 victory on Dec. 10, 1983. Mizzou also has a 2-0 mark against Florida State all-time, as the squad picked up a 61-47 win against the Seminoles on Dec. 28, 1995 in the last meeting.
UP NEXT
Missouri returns home on Saturday, Dec. 5 to face the Ball State at 12:30 p.m. at Mizzou Arena. The game will be broadcast on the Mizzou Sports Network with Beau Baehman on play-by-play duties and former Iowa State Cyclone Anne O'Neil as the color analyst. The game can be found on Fox Sports Midwest in Mid-Missouri.
SCOUTING FLORIDA A&M
The Rattlers are a perfect 3-0 on the young season entering their contest with Mizzou on Friday. Florida A&M opened the year with a 73-68 overtime victory over South Florida and has followed that with a 41-38 win over Savannah State on Nov. 19 and a 64-42 win over Albany State on Nov. 23.
As a team the Rattlers average 59.3 ppg. and allow just 49.3 ppg. The team also swipes 13.7 spg. on the year and grabs 42.3 rpg.
Florida A&M is led by three players who average in double figures, paced by sophomore Tameka McKelton's 14.0 ppg. Classmate Antonia Bennett posts 13.7 ppg. and 7.7 rpg. while senior Deidra Jones adds 12.0 ppg. and 4.0 spg. Sophomore Qiana Donald leads the team with 9.3 rpg.
LAST TIME VS. FLORIDA A&M
1984 Big Eight Conference Player of the Year Joni Davis scored 33 points and grabbed 15 rebounds as Mizzou picked up a 92-67 win over Florida A&M on Dec. 10, 1983 at the Hearnes Center.
The Tigers raced out to a 46-27 halftime lead and never looked back as the team outrebounded the Rattlers 66-47.
Tiger Mary Brueggestrass also had a double-double with 17 points and 14 boards.
LAST TIME VS. FLORIDA STATE
The Tigers earned a 61-47 win over Florida State at the Central Florida Holiday Classic in Orlando, Fla., on Dec. 28, 1995.
Senior Erika Martin led Missouri with 16 points on 7-of-17 shooting from the floor to go along with six rebounds and five assists. Kesha Bonds had a team high seven rebounds for the Tigers.
LAST TIME OUT
Senior Marissa Scott hit a baseline jumper and senior Toy Richbow hit two free throws in the final 13 seconds to give the University of Missouri women's basketball team a 76-71 win over the Indiana Hoosiers Sunday afternoon in Bloomington, Ind. The Tigers improve to 2-1 on the season while the Hoosiers fall to 3-1.
Trailing by seven, 60-53, with just over eight minutes left in the game, Mizzou reeled off a 10-0 run with four points apiece from senior Jessra Johnson and junior RaeShara Brown to take a 63-60 lead with 5:47 on the clock.
Both teams went back and forth over the remaining minutes, with Indiana taking a 68-67 lead after Jamie Braun made two free throws with 2:26 left. After a three-point play by Johnson, Braun struck again with a layup to retie the contest at 70-70 at the 1:55 mark.
With the Tigers up one, 72-71, Scott nailed a baseline jumper for a 74-70 Mizzou advantage with just 13 seconds on the clock. The Hoosiers missed a three-attempt in the remaining seconds and Richbow clinched the victory with two freebies.
Senior Amanda Hanneman led the Tigers with 17 points while Johnson added 16 and junior Shakara Jones scored 15. Junior RaeShara Brown posted eight points and a team high nine rebounds.
TIGERS FLIP THE SCRIPT
In Mizzou's first two games of the year the Tigers were outscored by a combined score of 92-66 in the second half. The first seven minutes of the Nov. 22 game at Indiana looked to be more of the same as the Hoosiers had a 52-43 lead and had outscored the Tigers 14-7 during those seven minutes.
Something clicked with Mizzou at that point and the Tigers clawed their way back into the game and eventually earned the 76-71 victory. Over the last 13 minutes of the game, Missouri outscored Indiana 33-19.
Additionally, the Tigers shot just 27.3 percent (3-11) from the field during those first seven minutes but drastically improved their shooting to 54.5 percent (12-22) for the remainder of the contest.
BROWN BOOSTS THE TIGERS
Junior RaeShara Brown did not shoot particularly well in MU's win at Indiana but the guard was at her best when it counted. Brown began to drive the ball to the basket with more authority as Mizzou began to make its comeback and was an integral part in the Tiger victory.
She stepped to the free throw line with Missouri trailing by one, 61-60, with 6:11 remaining in the game. Brown calmly hit both freebies then went back to the line 24 second later to hit two more for a 63-61 Tiger lead, Mizzou's first lead since 2:25 on the clock in the first half.
Over the course of the second half, Brown pulled down five rebounds, including three on the offensive end that kept Tiger possessions alive.
SCOTT SINKS THE BIG BASKETS
Known for her unselfish play her first three years with the Tigers, senior Marissa Scott has made a habit of shooting, and making, big shots for Missouri so far this season.
The senior hit three such shots against Indiana on Nov. 22. With Mizzou trailing by nine, 52-43, in the second half, Scott sank a three-point er that jumpstarted the Tigers' comeback. Later in the game, she grabbed a steal and hit a jumper to cut the Indiana lead to just one, 60-59, with 6:56 left in the game.
Her biggest shot of the night came on Missouri's final offensive possession. With Mizzou clinging to a narrow one-point lead, Scott shot a baseline jumper that circled the rim three times before falling into the net with 13 seconds left in the game. The basket forced the Hoosiers to play for the tie with a three-point attempt instead of going for the win.
Additionally, Scott hit a big three-point basket against Memphis on Nov. 18. Despite a 17-point halftime advantage by the Tigers, Memphis came storming back and tied the game at 60-60 late in the second half but Scott stepped up and made a three for a 63-60 Tiger advantage with five minutes left.
OFFENSIVE QUESTIONS ANSWERED
One question entering the 2009-10 season was where the offensive production would come from. Senior Jessra Johnson and junior Shakara Jones were Mizzou's two dependable scorers after averaging double figures the past two season but the question remained who else would step up.
Through the first three games this season the answer is evident: everyone. Five different Tigers have reached double figures so far this season, compared to just three through the first three games last year.
Additionally, the Tigers have five players averaging at least 9.0 ppg. (Hanneman - 17.0; Johnson - 15.3; Jones - 12.3; Brown - 10.3; Scott - 9.0).
Consequently Mizzou's team scoring production has increased. The team is averaging 74.7 ppg. Through the first three games last year Mizzou's scoring average stood at 55.3 ppg., for a 19.4 ppg. increase.
HANNEMAN HURTING OPPONENTS
Perhaps the biggest surprise of the young season has been the play of senior Amanda Hanneman. Hindered by injuries her first three years with the Tigers, Hanneman is now injuring opponents with her offensive game.
The senior is currently Missouri's leading scorer at 17.0 ppg., which is an astronomical 12.4 ppg. more than her career average. Hanneman has led the team in scoring in two of the first three games (career high 26 against Northern Iowa, 17 against Indiana) after accomplishing that feat just once before in her previous three years.
JONES COLLECTS DOUBLE-DOUBLE
Junior forward Shakara Jones registered 16 points, on 7-of-9 shooting, and a team high 10 rebounds in Mizzou's 75-74 loss to Memphis on Nov. 18. It marked Jones' fourth career double-double as a member of the Tigers and the first time she accomplished the feat since her freshman season. In her first game with Mizzou, Jones erupted for 27 points and 14 rebounds, still career highs. She also had double-doubles against Texas State (20 points, 13 rebounds) and UMKC (17 points, 10 rebounds).
Jones is shooting an impressive 63 percent (17-27) from the floor so far this year, which is tied for ninth in the Big 12. Last season she led the team with a 50.4 (130-258) percent clip.
SCOTT REMAINS HOT
Senior Marissa Scott continued her hot shooting against Indiana as she hit 3-of-4 shots from the floor for seven points. The forward entered the contest having made 8-of-11 shots against Northern Iowa and Memphis. With her shots against the Hoosiers, Scott is now shooting 80 percent (12-15) from the floor this season, which tops the Big 12 Conference.
JOHNSON STARTS SLOW, COMES ON STRONG
Senior Jessra Johnson scored only eight points in the season opener against UNI but battled back to post a team high 22 points to go along with nine rebounds, a team high four assists, two blocks and two steals in Mizzou's game against Memphis on Nov. 18.
The forward did not shoot particularly well in the game (8-23) but hit her shots when they mattered most. She hit her last three shots from the floor, grabbed a steal with MU up by four and assisted on Marissa Scott's big three-pointer to give the Tigers a 63-60 lead.
After posting 16 points against Indiana on Nov. 22, the senior is now averaging 15.3 ppg. on the season to go along with 6.3 rpg.
JOHNSON NEARING CENTURY MARK
Senior Jessra Johnson entered the 2009-10 season with 902 points in her career, just 98 shy of the century mark. The forward posted 16 points against Indiana to up her career total to 948, only 52 away from 1,000.
Johnson should also end her tiger career ranked in the top-10 in career rebounds as well. Currently sitting on 539 in her career, she needs 130 rebounds to pass Nikki Smith (1992-95) and move into 10th place on the all-time list.
BROWN NOW A SCORING OPTION
Just two games into the 2009-10 season junior RaeShara Brown accomplished something she could not do in her first two years with the program: reach double figures in points for two consecutive games.
Brown scored 13 points against Memphis on Nov. 18 after notching 10 in the season opener. Prior to this year Brown reached double figures just four times in her career, all in 2008-09.
HANNEMAN ERUPTS AGAINST NORTHEN IOWA
Amanda Hanneman eruped for a career high 26 points in the season opener against Northern Iowa on Nov. 15. The senior also set career marks in field goals made (10), field goals attempted (16), three-point field goals made (six) and three-point field goals attempted (12). Her previous career high in points came when she posted 18 against Delaware State on Dec. 29, 2007.
Hindered by injuries throughout her career, Hanneman is healthy for the first time at MU and is putting her talent on display.
BROWN BRINGS HER A-GAME
Junior RaeShara Brown, known around the Big 12 for her defense, displayed every aspect of her game on Nov. 15 against Northern Iowa. The guard scored 10 points, pulled down a team high nine rebounds, dished out a career high assists and grabbed three steals.
Brown narrowly missed her first career double-double with nine rebounds and point total marked the fifth time in her career she reached double figures.
Last season started 28 games and averaged 6.0 ppg. (6.9 ppg. in Big 12 action), 6.1 rpg. and a conference high 2.6 spg.
SCOTT TAKING HER SHOTS
Senior Marissa Scott also posted a new career high in points against Northern Iowa on Nov. 15. The forward registered 11 points to better her previous mark of 10 set against Kansas last season. Scott also shot an impressive 83.3 (5-6) percent from the field, including her lone three-point attempt.
Regarded as a superior shooter who was too unselfish, Scott's six shot attempts are almost four more than she averaged per game last season (2.1).
INJURY BUG HITS MILLS, AGAIN
Redshirt sophomore point guard Bekah Mills is forced to the sideline for the second time in three years after suffering an ACL injury during preseason practice. Mills also injured her right knee in 2007-08 and was forced to redshirt the season.
Last year during her redshirt freshman campaign, Mills started 24 of 29 games for the Tigers. She averaged 23 minutes per contest to go along with 5.9 ppg. 3.2 rpg. and 2.2 apg. Mills was named the Big 12 Freshman of the Week on Dec. 15 after averaging 14.5 ppg. and shooting 72.7 percent from the field in games against Bradley and UT Martin.
BROWN ON THE DEFENSIVE
Junior guard RaeShara Brown emerged as one of the Big 12 Conference's finest defensive players in 2008-09. The Little Rock, Ark., native swiped 79 steals in 30 games for an average of 2.6 spg., tops in the league. In just conference action Brown upped her steals numbers to 2.94 spg., tops in the league by .44.
Her 79 steals stand as the seventh-best single-season total in program history.