Dec. 4, 2009
Complete Release in PDF Format 
COLUMBIA, Mo. - The University of Missouri women's basketball team returns home on Saturday, Dec. 5 to face the Ball State Cardinals at 12:30 p.m. at Mizzou Arena. All fans who bring an unwrapped toy for Toys for Tots will receive free admission. 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 and Metro Sports in Kansas City, in addition to Universal Sports in Columbia.
Missouri holds a 1-0 mark against Ball State all-time, as the squad picked up a 88-77 win against the Cardinals in the second round of the WNIT on March 24, 2003.
UP NEXT
Missouri hits to the road for 7:05 p.m. game against Bradley on Tuesday, Dec. 8 at Lorene Ramsey Gym on the campus of Illinois Central College. The Tigers then return to Mizzou Arena for contests against Texas-Pan American on Thursday, Dec. 10 at 6:30 p.m. and Murray State on Sunday, Dec. 13 at 1 p.m.
SCOUTING BALL STATE
Ball State enters Mizzou Arena with a 3-3 mark on the season. The Cardinals opened the season with losses to Michigan (87-67) and Western Kentucky (61-58) before winning games against Northern Arizona (74-69) and Valparaiso (71-64). The team also has a win over North Dakota (89-77) and a loss to North Dakota State (65-57).
Junior Emily Maggert leads for Ball State players in double figures with 16.0 ppg. to go along with 11.8 rpg. Seniors Audrey McDonald and Danielle Gratton average 12.5 and 12.2 ppg., respectively, and sophomore Patrice King adds 10.0 ppg.
LAST TIME VS. BALL STATE
The Tigers earned a 88-77 win over Ball State in the second round of the WNIT on March 24, 2003. During the game Mizzou shot 50 percent from the floor and outrebounded the Cardinals 52-27.
Five Tigers reached double figures, led by Stretch James' double-double with 20 points and 11 rebounds. Evan Unrau posted a team high 21 points, Tracy Lozier scored 13 points and Kerensa Barr and Melanie Fisher added 10 points apiece.
LAST TIME OUT
Missouri an 11-point second half deficit to one but could not get any closer as No. 9 Florida State pulled out a 73-66 win on Nov. 29 in the Seminole Classic.
Down 11 with 9:03 left in the game, Mizzou used a 12-2 run over the next five minutes, thanks to three-pointers from seniors Amanda Hanneman and Toy Richbow, for a 65-64 Florida State lead with 4:07 on the clock.
Florida State responded with five points from Cierra Bravard and two free throws from Jacinta Moore for a 70-64 game with 1:36 remaining. Junior Shakara Jones made a layup with 30.4 seconds left but the Seminoles held on for the win.
As a team, Mizzou shot 50 percent from behind the arc and grabbed 19 offensive rebounds. Hanneman led Missouri with 20 points to go along with six rebounds and a team high four steals. Senior Jessra Johnson contributed 16 points and nine boards while junior RaeShara Brown had 13 points and seven rebounds.
THREES APLENTY
The Tigers shot an impressive 50 percent (9-18) from behind the arc in the contest with No. 9 Florida State on Nov. 29. In the second half, Mizzou shot 60 percent (6-10) from three-point land. The last time the Tigers shot 50 percent from three was against Texas Tech on Jan. 12, 2008, when the team made 9-of-15 for 60 percent.
Senior Amanda Hanneman led the charge with six of Missouri's three-pointers.
HANNEMAN HITTING FROM THREE...
Mizzou's success from behind the arc against Florida State is largely attributed senior Amanda Hanneman, who made six threes for the second time this season.
Over Missouri's first five games, Hanneman has made 20 threes and her 4.0 three-point field goals per game rank fifth in the nation. Her season high for threes is 41, set in 2007-08, when she shot .414 from behind the arc.
If she continues to hit threes at this pace for the remainder of the season she will crush Alyssa Hollins' single-season record of 90.
...AND FROM ALL OVER
Hanneman entered her senior season with a career scoring average of 4.6 ppg. (high of 7.6 as a sophomore) and a personal best 18 points in a game. She is obliterating those numbers so far in her final year as a Tiger.
The senior is leads MU and ranks ninth in the Big 12 at 16.8 ppg. She has led the team in scoring in three of the first five games (career high 26 against Northern Iowa, 17 against Indiana and 20 against Florida State) after accomplishing that feat just once before in her previous three years. Additionally, she has scored 20 or more points twice this season after failing to reach the mark in first 65 games of her career.
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 five 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 five games last year.
Additionally, the Tigers have four players averaging at least 12.0 ppg.: Hanneman - 16.8; Johnson - 14.0; Jones - 12.4; Brown - 12.0.
BROWN DOING IT ALL
Known as a defensive specialist after nabbing 79 steals last season, junior RaeShara Brown is doing it all for the Tigers this year.
The guard is averaging 12.0 ppg. after marks of 1.0 ppg. and 6.0 ppg. as a freshman and sophomore, respectively. Brown, who stands just 5'8", also leads the team at 7.4 rpg., which is also tied for ninth among all Big 12 players. More impressive is that 19 of her 37 rebounds this season have come on the offensive end.
Brown also leads the Tigers in assists (3.6 apg.) and steals (2.4 spg.).
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 Florida State to up her career total to 972, only 28 away from 1,000.
Johnson should also end her tiger career ranked in the top-10 in career rebounds as well. Currently sitting on 555 in her career, she needs 114 rebounds to pass Nikki Smith (1992-95) and move into 10th place on the all-time list.
SCOTT HOT FROM THE FIELD
Senior Marissa Scott lead the Tigers and is tied for first among all Big 12 players with a 75 percent (15-20) field goal percentage.
The forward is averaging 7.0 ppg. this year after averaging 2.0 ppg. the past two seasons. Additionally, Scott is tops in the Big 12 in three-point field goal percentage at 83.3 percent (5-6).
BROWN COMES UP BIG
Junior RaeShara Brown was all over the court in Missouri's 69-65 win over Florida A&M on Nov. 27. The guard finished the game with 16 points, one off her career high, and had eight rebounds to go along with three steals.
Brown was especially big in the second half when the Rattlers made their move, scoring 11 of her points in the final 20 minutes. She continually drove to the basket, earning 12 free throw attempts, a career high.
BROCK'S BLOCK PARTY
Sophomore BreAnna Brock entered MU's game against Florida A&M without any blocks in her nine games in a Tiger uniform. Against the Rattlers on Nov. 27 the forward came up huge with four big blocks, the most for a Missouri player this season.
Brock also posted a career high seven points on 3-of-5 shooting from the floor to go along with five rebounds in 16 minutes of action.
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.
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).
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. After scoring 16 points against Florida A&M and 13 at No. 9 Florida State, the junior has now reached double figures in four of Mizzou's five games.
Prior to this year Brown reached double figures just four times in her career, all in 2008-09.
HANNEMAN ERUPTS AGAINST NORTHERN 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 THE 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.