Feb. 22, 2010
COLUMBIA, Mo.- The University of Missouri women's basketball team returns home to host the Colorado Buffaloes on Tuesday, Feb. 23 at 6:30 p.m. in the NCAA's Take a Kid to the Game Day. All children will receive free admission with a paid adult ticket and free growing charts will be given away at the game.
The Buffaloes own a 39-227 lead in the all-time series and defeated Mizzou 64-48 in Boulder, Colo., in the Big 12 Conference opener on Jan. 9.
UP NEXT
Mizzou hits the road on Saturday, Feb. 27 for a contest with No. 3 Nebraska at 7:05 p.m. in the first of two consecutive away games. The Tigers then travel to Austin, Texas, as the team takes on No. 12/14 Texas on Wednesday, March 3 at 7 p.m.
SCOUTING COLORADO
The Buffs enter the contest with a 12-13 overall record and a 2-10 mark in Big 12 Conference play. After a 2-2 start in conference action, Colorado has lost eight straight contests. Most recently the team stayed with No. 3 Nebraska for must of the first half, trailing 43-36 at the break, before eventually losing 89-73.
Colorado averages 67.7 ppg. on 41.4 percent from the field and 35.4 percent from the free throw line. The squad also ranks third in the league with 9.0 spg.
Junior Brittany Spears leads the team with 17.6 ppg., 8.4 rpg. and 2.2 spg. Senior Bianca Smith is second on the squad at 12.8 ppg. and has made a league high 70 three-pointers. Freshman Chucky Jeffery joins the pair in double figures with 10.0 ppg. on 46.8 percent shooting from the floor and dishes out 3.3 apg.
Head Coach Kathy McConnell-Miller is in her fifth season at the helm of the Buffs and has a 64-84 record with the team.
LAST TIME VS. THE BUFFALOES
Mizzou made a late second half charge but fell short as the team fell to the Colorado Buffaloes 64-48 in the Big 12 Conference opener on Jan. 9 in Boulder, Colo.
Junior Shakara Jones led the Tigers with 15 points while sophomore Christine Flores posted her third career double-double with 10 points and 10 rebounds.
With Mizzou back down 14, 46-32, a three-pointer from Brown with 10:50 left kick started the Tigers' comeback. After four straight free throws from senior Jessra Johnson to bring Missouri within seven, Jones converted a layup for a five-point, 46-41. The two teams each made one free throw before junior RaeShara Brown grabbed a steal and made a coast-to-coast layup to pull the Tigers within three, 47-44, with 5:55 left.
Colorado answered right back with an 8-0 run and held on for the rest of the game for the 64-48 win.
LAST TIME OUT
Missouri suffered a 55-42 loss to No. 13/12 Iowa State Cyclones Saturday night at Hilton Coliseum.
Juniors RaeShara Brown and Shakara Jones led Mizzou with 11 points apiece. With two steals, Brown moved up to eighth on Mizzou's all-time career list with 184 and sixth on the single-season list with 81.
Iowa State used strong post play to open an 18-2 lead, including 10 points from Chelsea Poppens, seven and a half minutes into the contest. The Tigers responded with four consecutive baskets, a layup from junior RaeShara Brown and two jumpers from senior Amanda Hanneman and a layup from junior Shakara Jones, for a 20-10 game with 7:40 remaining in the first half.
The home squad then reeled off eight consecutive points, all from Alison Lacey, to take a 28-10 advantage before Hanneman sank another jumper with 38 seconds on the clock. Cyclone Kelsey Bolte hit a basket with five seconds left in the opening frame and a half court attempt from senior Toy Richbow bounced off the iron for a 30-12 Iowa Sate halftime advantage.
With the Cyclones holding a 36-14 lead, Mizzou went on a 9-0 run, the final seven of which from Jones, as the Tigers cut their deficit to 13, 36-23, with 12:01 on the clock. Missouri then got within 12, 46-34, when junior Jasmyn Otote nailed a three-pointer with 6:03 remaining in the contest.
Five consecutive points from Iowa State put the home team back on top 51-34 with 4:34 left in the game. The Cyclones held on during the final minutes for the 55-42 victory.
TIGERS 11TH-BEST TURNOVER TEAM
Missouri has taken care of the ball well all season, as the team ranks 11th in the nation with just 14.2 turnovers per contest. Overall on the year, Mizzou has committed fewer turnovers than its opponents in 18 of 25 games.
The Tigers committed just six turnovers in the team's loss to Iowa State on Feb. 7. The total is the lowest of the season, besting the 10 given up against both Northern Iowa and the second meeting with Kansas.
The mark matched three other outputs of six turnovers for the Tigers since the 1992-93 season. The team committed just six against Nicholl's State on Dec. 11, 2005, Kansas on Feb. 7, 1999 and Kansas State on Jan. 10, 1993. You have to go all the way back to Jan. 30, 1988 for a lesser output, when the Tigers lost just four turnovers against Oklahoma State.
MIZZOU HOLDS ISU'S THREES AT BAY
Iowa State entered its matchup with the Tigers on Feb. 20 as the nation's leader in three-point field goal percentage (41.7) and eighth in threes made per game (8.5).
During the contest Mizzou held the Cyclones to a season low 15.4 percent (2-13) from behind the arc, better than the 16.4 percent Iowa State shot against Nebraska on Jan. 9. The Cyclones only managed two threes against Missouri, which tied a season low, also set against the Huskers.
BROWN ENTERS CAREER TOP-10
After entering MU's career top-10 in steals on Feb. 3, junior RaeShara Brown now sits tied with Amanda Lassiter for eighth-place on the all-time list with 184 career steals. She needs 11 more to pass Stacy Williams for seventh-place. Just 64 steals away from Joni Davis' career record of 248, Brown seems destined to overtake the Tiger great sometime next season.
The guard, who leads the Big 12 with 3.2 spg., has 81 steals so far this year. Her season total is tied for sixth-place all-time, and she needs just two more to pass Amy Fordham for fifth on the list. If Brown records five steals, she will move into fourth-place on the single-season list, passing Joni Davis' 84-85 total of 84.
TIGERS STRONG OFF THE BENCH
Mizzou has enjoyed strong bench play throughout the season with 30.7 percent of the team's scoring coming from the bench. Overall, the Tigers average 18.8 ppg. from the bench, compared to 12.1 for opponents.
Missouri's bench has outscored the opposing bench 19 times in 25 games this season, including 17 of the past 18 games.
Only three times this year has the Tigers' bench failed to score at least 10 points (six points against Florida State, eight points against Iowa State and four points at Iowa State).
Against Texas-Pan American, 54 of Missouri's 83 total points came from the bench, a season high.
BROWN EIGHTH NATIONALLY IN STEALS
Junior RaeShara Brown leads the Big 12 and ranks seventh nationally with 81 steals on the year for an average of 3.2 spg., 25 more than the next closest total in the conference. Her total is tied for the sixth-best single-season output in Tiger history. Most recently she grabbed two at Iowa State on Saturday.
If she keeps on her current pace, Brown will have a chance to break Amanda Lassiter's single-season steals record of 98.
Brown led the conference in steals last year with 2.7 spg. and 79 total on the year, which is the eighth best single-season total in Tiger history.
SECOND HALF SQUAD
In 11 of 12 Big 12 Conference games, Missouri has scored more points in the second half than the first half. The team's one exception was the game with Kansas State on Jan. 13.
In those 11 games, the Tigers have scored 359 points in the second half compared to 245 points in the first frame.
TIGERS COME CLOSEST TO STOPPING NU
Missouri's 82-78 defeat at the hands of No. 3 Nebraska was the closest a team has come to bringing down the undefeated Huskers all season.
Entering the game, Nebraska had a average margin of victory of +22.8 ppg. The Huskers' closest margin of victory was a five-point win, 76-71, at Miami on Dec. 5.
The 78 points Missouri scored also marked the second most points allowed by Nebraska all season, after a 79-point output by Texas on Jan. 12.
JOHNSON MOVING UP SCORING LIST
With a layup to start scoring in the second of Missouri's game against Bradley on Dec. 5 senior Jessra Johnson etched her name in the MU record book. The basket marked the 999th and 1,000th points in her Tiger career, making her the 27th player in Missouri history to score at least 1,000 points.
Johnson now stands tied for 18th place on the all-time scoring list with 1,186 after scoring six points at Iowa State. She needs nine more points to pass Stacy Williams (1,194) for 17th.
With 91 blocks in her career, Johnson also ranks ninth all-time on that list. Additionally, she could end her tiger career ranked in the top-10 in career rebounds as well. Currently sitting on 658 in her career, she needs 21 rebounds to pass Nikki Smith (1992-95) and move into 10th place on the all-time list.
BROWN SHOWCASES COMPLETE GAME
Junior RaeShara Brown had her most complete game of the season in Mizzou's narrow 82-78 loss to No. 3 Nebraska on Feb. 13. The guard shot 7-of-10 from the floor for 14 points, to go along with game highs with five assists and five steals. Brown was all over the floor in the first 20 minutes, when she hit 4-of-5 shots and swiped all five of her steals.
The game marked just the second time in her career she scored in double figures and tallied at least five assists and five steals. Brown also accomplished the feat against No. 13 Oklahoma on Jan. 20 when she posted 12 points, five assists and five steals.
MIZZOU TAKES ADVANTAGE OF FREEBIES
Against Nebraska on Feb. 13, the Tigers made 14-of-15 free throws as the team shot 93.3 percent from the charity stripe. The output was a season high for Mizzou, besting the 85.7 percent (6-7) the Tigers shot against Kansas State on Jan. 13.
The 93.3 percent also marked the highest free throw output for Missouri since the squad was a perfect 10-of-10 against Illinois on Dec. 21, 2007.
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 9.4 ppg. after marks of 1.0 ppg. and 6.0 ppg. as a freshman and sophomore, respectively. She has reached double figures 12 times this season, tied for second on the team. Brown, who stands just 5'8", also grabs 4.4 rpg. More impressive is that 50 of her 110 rebounds this season have come on the offensive end.
Brown also leads the Tigers in assists (3.2 apg.) and steals (3.2 spg.).
FLORES BIG LATE AGAINST WILDCATS
Sophomore Christine Flores was a force in the second half of Mizzou's game with Kansas State on Feb. 10. With the Tigers trailing 23-19 with 12:00 minutes left in the game, she scored 10 of the Tigers' next 12 points.
Flores first found the basket with a jumper to cut Mizzou's deficit to 23-21. After the Wildcats built a seven-point advantage, the Tigers reeled off eight straight points, with six from Flores, to take their first lead of the second half, 29-28, with 5:56 left in the game. Her final points of the game again brought Missouri within two, 33-31, with 2:23 remaining.
Over the final 12 minutes of the game, Flores was a perfect 3-of-3 from the field and made 4-of-6 attempts from the charity stripe.
TIGERS CLAIM TOP-1O VICTORY
Missouri's 70-62 win over No. 10 Baylor marked the first time in four years the team beat a team ranked in the top-10. Mizzou's last victory was a 64-61 win over No. 4 and defending national champion Baylor on Jan. 4, 2006.
The win also marks the fifth consecutive season the Tigers earned a victory over a ranked team:
2009-10 MU 70, #10 BU 62 (1/23/10) 2008-09 MU 52, #14 KSU 43 (2/18/09) 2007-08 MU 70, #11 OU 64, OT (3/11/08) 2006-07 MU 65, #19 NU 53 (2/17/07) 2005-06 MU 64, #4 BU 61 (1/4/06)
FLORES STRONG OF LATE
Sophomore Christine Flores has been the Tigers' biggest scoring threat for the last two months of the season. Since the game against Ball State on Dec. 5, the forward has averaged a team best 11.2 ppg. and 5.6 rpg., while shooting 45.3 percent from the field and 72.0 percent from the free throw line.
During the stretch Flores reached double figures in nine games and scored at least 16 points four times. She has notched a career high 19 points twice, against Arkansas-Pine Bluff on Dec. 21 and against No. 14 Xavier on Jan. 5.
She also has all three of her career double-doubles during the stretch. Flores recorded her first with 16 points and 12 rebounds against Murray State. A 19 point, 14 rebound output in the next game against Arkansas-Pine Bluff was her second of the season. Most recently, she had 10 points and 10 rebounds against Colorado in the Big 12 opener.
Flores averaged just 2.0 ppg. the first five games this year.
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.
Now the answer is evident: everyone. Nine different Tigers have reached double figures so far this season (RaeShara Brown - 12 times; Christine Flores - 12; Bailey Gee - one; Amanda Hanneman - 11; Jessra Johnson - 14; Shakara Jones - nine; Jasmyn Otote - one; Marissa Scott - one; Toy Richbow - one).