Jan. 18, 2011
Game Notes
COLUMBIA, Mo. - The University of Missouri women's basketball team (9-8, 1-2 Big 12) travels to Manhattan, Kan., for a Wednesday, Jan. 19 contest against the Kansas State Wildcats (11-5, 1-2 Big 12) at 7 p.m. The contest will be televised live on Metro Sports in Kansas City and Cox 22 in Kansas. Brian Smoller will call the action and Missy Heidricks will provide color analysis. The Wildcats hold a 42-35 advantage in the all-time series, including both matchups last season.
UP NEXT
Mizzou stays on the road for a game against the Colorado Buffaloes (10-6, 1-2 Big 12) on Saturday, Jan. 22 at 4 p.m. MT (5 p.m. CT) in Boulder, Colo.
SCOUTING KANSAS STATE
The Wildcats enter Wednesday's matchup with a 11-5 overall record and a 1-2 mark in Big 12 play. Kansas State is coming off a double-overtime loss at Texas Tech, 68-66, on Jan. 15. So far this season, the Wildcats have two wins over ranked foes, with victories over No. 14/16 St. John's (64-43) and No. 25/RV Oklahoma State (63-45).
The Wildcats are a perfect 8-0 at home and are outscoring opponents 64.2-48.0 in Bramlage Coliseum.
Sophomore Brittany Chambers averages team highs with 15.0 ppg. and 5.6 rpg. despite standing just 5-8. She's joined in double figures by junior Jalana Childs, who posts 10.9 ppg., and sophomore Taelor Karr, who adds 10.2 ppg.
Head Coach Deb Patterson is in her 15th season at Kansas State and has a 290-169 record with the team.
LAST TIME OUT
Missouri suffered a home 85-40 loss to No. 5/7 Texas A&M on Saturday, Jan. 15.
Senior RaeShara Brown led the Tigers with 14 points, while junior BreAnna Brock grabbed a game high nine rebounds, including four on the offensive end.
The Tigers shot just 34.1 percent from the floor, compared to the Aggies' 48.6 percent.
TOUGH ROAD
The Tigers enter Wednesday's game with a 9-8 overall record despite playing one of the nation's toughest schedules to this point. As of Jan. 18, Mizzou's strength of schedule (SOS) ranks sixth in the nation by RealTimeRPI.com.
Missouri's SOS trails just Duke, Tennessee, Ohio State, UConn and Stanford, all teams ranked in the top-25. It is ahead of such perenial powers as Texas A&M (8), Baylor (19) and Oklahoma (119).
Below is a list of Big 12 teams' SOS, along with Ratings Percent Index (RPI), based on wins and losses and SOS.
| SOS | RPI | ||
| Missouri | 6 | 43 | |
| Texas A&M | 8 | 4 | |
| Baylor | 19 | 6 | |
| Nebraska | 36 | 68 | |
| Texas | 39 | 63 | |
| Iowa State | 61 | 39 | |
| Colorado | 97 | 121 | |
| Texas Tech | 100 | 19 | |
| Oklahoma | 115 | 44 | |
| Kansas State | 119 | 74 | |
| Kansas | 128 | 56 | |
| Oklahoma State | 177 | 111 |
BROCK STEPS IN
Junior BreAnna Brock stepped into the starting lineup for injured teammate Christine Flores against Texas A&M on Jan. 15 and repsonded with a game high and career high-tying nine rebounds. The forward also played a personal best 27 minutes in the contest.
Brock first set her career high in rebounds after grabbing nine in Mizzou's 85-80 overtime upset of Texas on Jan. 8.
OTOTE BACK IN BUSINESS
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). Three days later, the senior made 4-of-5 three-pointers against Texas Tech to score 12 points.
TALE OF TWO HALVES
Against Texas Tech on Jan. 12 the Tigers built a 38-26 halftime advantage, thanks to 51.7 percent (15-29) shooting from the floor in the first 20 minutes. Four different players scored at least seven points in the first half, led by Shakara Jones' 10. Jasmyn Otote notched nine and BreAnna Brock and Sydney Crafton added seven.
It was a different story in the second half. Mizzou connected on just 19.2 percent (5-26) of its shots in the final frame as the Red Raiders came back to earn the victory.
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.
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.
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 1,068 career points after notching four against Texas A&M.
Jones is averaging 9.5 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 one steal against Texas A&M on Jan. 15, senior RaeShara Brown now has 233 in her career to rank third all-time at Missouri. She needs just 15 to tie former Tiger great Joni Davis as MU's all-time steals leader and is nine 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 two on Jan. 15 against Texas A&M, she stands in ninth-place on the list with 275. She needs 13 more to tie Julie Helm for eighth on the list.
Brown is averaging 4.6 apg. on the season. If she continues on her current pace, she should end her career with about 339 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 98 after a one-block performance against Texas Tech on Jan. 12. She needs three to tie Jessra Johnson for ninth on the list.
Flores has 38 blocks so far this year to rank third in the Big 12 with 2.4 bpg. She has at least one block in all but two games.
Her 38 blocks are just one 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.