Jan. 11, 2011
Complete Release in PDF Format
COLUMBIA, Mo. - The University of Missouri women's basketball team (9-6, 1-0 Big 12) travels to Lubbock, Texas, on Wednesday, Jan. 12 to face the Texas Tech Red Raiders (14-1, 1-0 Big 12) at 7 p.m. at the United Spirit Arena. The Red Raiders hold an 11-6 advantage in the all-time series but the Tigers have won four of the last six games, including a 58-55 overtime victory on March 7, 2010. Texas Tech is a perfect 8-0 in games played in Lubbock.
UP NEXT
Mizzou return to Mizzou Arena on Saturday, Jan. 15 for an 11 a.m. game against the No. 7/5 Texas A&M Aggies. The game will be televised live on FSN with Brenda VanLangen calling the action and Debbie Antonelli serving as color analyst.
SCOUTING TEXAS TECH
The Red Raiders boast a 14-1 overall mark this season, including a 61-57 win at Kansas in the team's Big 12 opener on Jan. 8. Texas Tech trailed by 15, 44-29, with 16 minutes to go but closed out the game on a 32-13 run to pull off the victory.
Texas Tech's only loss this year was a 76-68 defeat at Penn State on Dec. 5.
Junior Kierra Mallard leads three players who average in double figures with 13.8 ppg. and a team high 7.5 rpg. She is joined by senior Teena Wicket (10.7 ppg.) and sophomore Casey Morris (10.1 ppg.). Sophomore Monique Smalls leads the team with 3.7 apg. and 2.7 spg.
Head Coach Kristy Curry is in her fifth season at Texas Tech and has a 80-63 record with the team.
LAST TIME OUT
The University of Missouri women's basketball team upset the No. 22/24 Texas Longhorns 85-80 in overtime after scoring the final 12 points of regulation to send the game to the extra session.
Trailing 72-60, Missouri used two free throws from senior RaeShara Brown with 2:26 remaining to jumpstart the Tigers' comeback. Junior Christine Flores then scored eight straight points, including two three-point plays, to cut Texas' lead to 72-70 with 58 seconds left. Senior Shakara Jones tied the contest with 22 seconds on the clock and Flores blocked two shots by Texas' Ashleigh Fontenette in the waning seconds to send the game into overtime.
The Tigers outscored the Longhorns 13-8 in the overtime session to earn the victory.
Brown led Mizzou with a career high 27 points, to go along with five assists and three steals. Flores posted 24 points and four blocks while Otote scored a career best 14 points, including four three-pointers. Jones joined the trio in double figures with 12 points and junior BreAnna Brock grabbed a career high nine rebounds to lead the team.
BROWN EARNS BIG 12 PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Senior RaeShara Brown was named the Phillips 66 Big 12 Player of the Week on Jan. 10 after helping the Tigers to an 85-80 overtime upset win over No. 22/24 Texas on Jan. 8. The award, voted on by a media panel, marked the first league honor in the senior's career.
Brown scored a career high 27 points along with six rebounds, five assists and three steals in Missouri's 85-80 overtime victory over No. 22/24 Texas. The guard registered 20 points on 7-of-11 shooting from the floor, four assists and three steals in the second half and extra period as the Tigers overcame a 12-point deficit with under three minutes left in regulation. She also played a career best 44 minutes during the contest.
Earlier in the week, Brown she scored a team high 15 points, including three 3-pointers, and handed out a game high seven assists in MU's game against No. 9 Xavier. For the week Brown averaged 21.0 ppg, 6.0 apg, 5.5 rpg and 2.5 spg.
Brown became the first Mizzou player to earn Big 12 Player of the Week honors since EeTisha Riddle won the award in consecutive weeks on Dec. 4 and Dec. 11, 2006. Redshirt-junior Bekah Mills was the last Tiger to claim a weekly award after earning Big 12 Rookie of the Week honors on Dec. 15, 2008.
TIGERS WITH SECOND TOP-25 WIN THIS YEAR
Mizzou's 85-80 overtime victory over No. 22 Texas on Jan. 8 was the team's second win over a ranked opponent this season. The Tigers also knocked off No. 12 Georgetown 54-45 in the Paradise Jam on Nov. 26.
The last time Missouri recorded at least two wins over ranked opponents was the 2000-01 season, when the squad picked up victories over No. 4 Georgia, No. 12/17 Texas, No. 17/21 Colorado and No. 24 Wisconsin.
The two wins against top-25 teams also ranks second among Big 12 schools to Baylor's five. Iowa State and Kansas State each have one win against a ranked opponent while Texas, Nebraska, Colorado, Oklahoma State, Oklahoma and Texas A&M are winless. Texas Tech and Kansas are the only schools who have not yet faced a top-25 team.
MIZZOU STAGES COMEBACK
Texas seemed fully in control on Jan. 8 as the Longhorns held a 72-60 advantage with two and a half minutes remaining in the game. But Mizzou staged a furious comeback in the final minutes as the Tigers scored the last 12 points of regulation to send the game into overtime.
Senior RaeShara Brown started the comeback with two free throws with 2:26 on the clock. Junior Christine Flores then scored eight straight points for the Tigers on a layup and two straight three-point plays, to get Mizzou within two, 72-70, with 58 seconds left. Senior Shakara Jones tied the score with 22 seconds remaining and Flores blocked two shots in the waning seconds to send the game into OT.
In the extra session, the Tigers hit 4-of-6 shots from the floor and four free throws to earn the 85-80 victory.
OTOTE THE KEY?
Senior Jasmyn Otote might be the key for Missouri to knock off top-25 teams. In each Mizzou's last three upsets over ranked squads, the guard has notched a career high in points.
Otote first set her then-personal best 12 points after sinking four three-pointers against No. 10 Baylor on Jan. 23, 2010. The Duncanville, Texas, native tied her then-career high against Georgetown on Nov. 26 as she hit three second half treys and three free throws to score 12 points.
In MU's 85-80 overtime win over No. 22 Texas on Jan. 8, Otote knocked in four three-pointers en route to a career best 14 points against the Longhorns.
SECOND HALF SHOOTING FUELS COMEBACK
Missouri trailed Texas 33-29 at the half on Jan. 8 despite the Tigers shooting just 26.3 percent from the floor (to Texas' 50.0 percent) in the first frame.
Mizzou turned aound its shooting in the second half as the team shot 57.7 percent from the field (to Texas' 39.0 percent) to propel the Tigers to come back and send the game to overtime.
In the last two minutes of the game, Missouri made 4-of-5 shots from the floor while Texas missed its final five shots.
The 57.7 percent Missouri shot in the second half stands as the second best single-half performance this season, behind the 69.2 percent the team shot in the first half against UAB on Dec. 29.
OTOTE COMES UP BIG
Senior Jasmyn Otote was in the midst of a 0-28 three-point field goal shooting slump when she sank a three as the shot clock expired with 5:09 remaining in the first half against Texas on Jan. 8.
Including the first one, Otote hit four of the eight threes she took for the remainder of the game (she missed two before making her first one).
Overall she notched a career high 14 points in the game and tied her personal best with four made three-pointers, which she also accomplished in MU's 70-62 upset of No. 10 Baylor a year ago.
BROWN AND FLORES LEAD THE WAY
Senior RaeShara Brown and junior Christine Flores combined for 51 points in Mizzou's overtime upset of Texas on Jan. 8.
Brown notched a career high 27 points, including 20 in the second half and overtime, to go along with six rebounds, five assists and three steals.
Flores scored 24 points, including eight of Mizzou's final 12 of regulation to send the game to OT, and blocked four shots.
The two combined to shoot 17-33 (51.5 percent) from the floor, including 72.2 percent in the second half and overtime.
UNSUNG HEROES
RaeShara Brown, Christine Flores, Jasmyn Otote and Shakara Jones combined to score 77 of Mizzou's 85 points against Texas on Jan. 8 but other players were an integral part in earning the victory.
Junior BreAnna Brock grabbed a career best nine rebounds, including five on the offensive end, and scored four points. Sophomore Trenee Thornton played a career best 29 minutes and nabbed a personal high three steals. Junior Bailey Gee played only three minutes but grabbed two big defensive rebounds in the final 1:20 of the game to help Mizzou come back.
TIGERS PLAYED TOUGH NON-CON
Mizzou played one of the Big 12's toughest non-conference schedules this season, as the Tigers played four teams ranked in the top-25.
MU'S four games ranked behind just Baylor's five games against top-25 foes. Iowa State and Texas each played three games, Kansas State played two and Oklahoma State, Texas A&M and Oklahoma one. Kansas, Texas Tech, Nebraska and Colorado did not face a ranked opponent.
Additionally, Missouri is one of only four Big 12 schools to earn a win over a top-25 opponent. Including Big 12 play, Baylor has five wins over top-25 teams, followed by Missouri's two. Iowa State and Kansas State are the only two other Big 12 teams with top-25 wins.
FLORES EN FUEGO
Junior Christine Flores has been one of Mizzou's best offensive performers over the last few contests.
In the past six contests, Flores has averaged a team high 19.7 ppg. in games against UC Riverside, UAB, Florida State, Xavier and Texas. She has shot 51.3 percent from the floor (39-76), 58.8 percent from behind the arc (10-17) and 71.4 percent from the free throw line (30-42).
Flores ranks second on the team with 16.1 ppg. and is shooting 50.0 percent from the floor, 45.7 percent from the three-point line and 73.3 percent, from the foul line on the season.
She has reached double figures in all but one game this season, a contest against Tennessee. Flores played 24 minutes against the Lady Vols but injured herself in the first half and played sparingly after.
BROWN PICKING UP THE ASSISTS
Senior RaeShara Brown is racking up the assists the past few games. Brown, who has upped her average to 5.0 apg., has compiled 28 assists in the last three games for a mark of 7.0 apg.
She has posted at least four assists in each of the last seven games for a mark of 5.7 during that stretch.
THREES STARTING TO DROP
Over the last five games, Missouri's three-point field goal shooting has improved tremendously. The Tigers have shot 34.8 percent (31-89) from behind the arc in games against UC Riverside, UAB, Florida State, Xavier and Texas.
The team has posted 35.0 percent shooting or better in three of the last five games, while the squad has shot at least 30.8 percent in all five games.
Prior to those five games, Mizzou shot just 24.0 percent (41-171) from the three-point line over its first 10 games of the year.
BROWN DISHES UP A STORM
Senior RaeShara Brown dished out a career high 12 assists against UAB on Dec. 29. The total, best in the Big 12 this season, was the most for a Tiger player in almost 17 years, when Amy Fordham had 13 against Texas Tech on March 16, 1994.
Brown also had 13 points in the game to record her fourth career double-double. Her 13 points and 12 rebounds marked the first points-assists double-double for Missouri in almost 19 years, when Fordham had 11 points and 11 assists against Oklahoma on Feb. 8, 1992.
JONES REACHES POINTS MILESTONE
Senior Shakara Jones became the 28th player in MU history to reach 1,000 points when the forward accomplished the feat against UC Riverside on Dec. 21. She now stands at 1,052 career points after notching 12 against Texas.
Jones is averaging 9.7 ppg. in 2010-11 after posting marks of 10.5 ppg. as a freshman, 10.3 ppg. as a sophomore and 9.1 ppg. as a junior.
BROWN INCHES CLOSER TO STEALS MARK
With three steals against Texas on Jan. 8, senior RaeShara Brown now has 228 in her career to rank third all-time at Missouri. She needs just 20 to tie former Tiger great Joni Davis as MU's all-time steals leader and is 14 away from tying Kerensa Barr for second on the list.
Brown has led the Big 12 in steals the last two seasons, after outputs of 88 a year ago and 79 during her sophomore season. The totals rank third and eighth on Mizzou's single-season list.
BROWN NOW IN ASSISTS TOP-10
Senior RaeShara Brown's entered Mizzou career top-10 assists list after dishing out 12 against UAB on Dec. 29. After recording five on Jan. 8 against Texas, she stands in ninth-place on the list with 272. She needs 16 more to tie Julie Helm for eighth on the list.
Brown is averaging 5.0 apg. on the season. If she continues on her current pace, she should end her career with about 352 assists, which would rank fourth in Tiger history.
FLORES BLOCKING UP THE LIST
Junior Christine Flores stands in 10th-place on MU's all-time blocks list with 97 after a four-block performance against Texas on Jan. 8. She needs four to tie Jessra Johnson for ninth on the list.
Flores has 37 blocks so far this year to rank third in the Big 12 with 2.5 bpg. She has at least one block in all but two games.
Her 37 blocks are just two away for tying for 10th-place on MU's single-season list and three away from tying for ninth. Flores' total of 39 a year ago is tied with Christelle N'Garsanet (05-06), Renee Kelly (85-86) and Mary Brueggestrass (83-84) is tied for 10th on the list while Nikki Smith's mark of 40 in 93-94 ranks ninth.
If Flores keeps on her 2.5 apg. average for the rest of the season, she will break Stretch James' single-season record of 71 blocks from 03-04.
BLOCKS APLENTY
The Tigers recorded seven blocks against the inside-heavy Xavier Musketeers on Jan. 5. The total marked the fifth time this season Missouri recorded at least seven blocks in the game.
Comparatively, Mizzou posted seven or more blocks just four times in 2009-10, all within a five-game stretch.
For the year, Mizzou averages 5.3 bpg. to rank third in the Big 12 and 21st in the nation. Junior Christine Flores leads the charge with 2.5 bpg.
PINGETON THREE AWAY FROM 350
Head Coach Robin Pingeton enters Wednesday's contest with a career head coaching record of 347-163 and needs just three more wins to reach the 350 mark. Her 347 wins have come at both the NCAA Division I and NAIA Division II level. Pingeton compiled 194 wins at St. Ambrose (NAIA), 144 at Illinois State and nine so far at Missouri.
JONES BACK ON HER GAME
One of Mizzou's primary offensive stars since she stepped on campus four years ago, senior Shakara Jones did not assert herself offensively the first four games of the year. During the stretch, she averaged just 5.8 ppg. despite shooting 52.6 percent from the field.
In her last 11 games, Jones is averaging 11.01ppg. and reached double figures in eight of those 11 games.
Against UAB on Dec. 29, Jones scored a season high 17 points on 7-of-10 shooting from the field.
On the season, Jones is averaing 9.7 ppg.