Feb. 2, 2011
Complete Release in PDF Format
COLUMBIA, Mo. - The University of Missouri women's basketball team (10-11, 2-5 Big 12) will take on the Nebraska Cornhuskers (12-8, 2-4) on Wednesday, Feb. 2 at 7 p.m. as previously scheduled. Admission will be FREE for any fans that feel like they can make it to Mizzou Arena safely. With the winter storm over the last few days, please note that road conditions are not optimal and temperatures are extremely cold. We urge fans to use caution and be safe. If you cannot make it to the game, you can listen on the radio on 1580 AM and 100.5 FM and fans can also watch a FREE live streaming on Mizzou All-Access at mutigers.tv (weather permitting).
The Huskers hold a 39-30 advantage in the all-time series, including both games played last season.
UP NEXT
Missouri continues its two-game homestand as the team hosts the Kansas State Wildcats on Saturday, Feb. 5 at 2 p.m.
SCOUTING NEBRASKA
The Huskers enter Mizzou Arena sporting a 12-8 overall record and a 2-4 mark in Big 12 Conference play. Nebraska is coming off a 56-53 win over Texas Tech on Jan. 29. The squad averages 66.9 ppg. while holding opponents to 62.3 ppg. Nebraska shoots 40.5 percent from the field, 34.6 percent from the three-point line and 71.1 percent from the charity stripe.
Freshman Jordan Hooper leads the Huskers with 14.5 ppg. and pulls down 6.8 rpg., which ranks second on the team. Sophomore Lindsey Moore averages 11.9 ppg. and 5.5 apg. while senior Catheryn Redmon adds 10.4 ppg. and a team high 7.8 ppg.
Head Coach Connie Yori is in her ninth season at Nebraska and has a 165-107 record with the team.
LAST TIME OUT
The University of Missouri women's basketball team suffered a 71-56 loss to the No. 23/20 Iowa State Cyclones Saturday afternoon in Ames, Iowa.
Senior Shakara Jones led the Tigers with 16 points, including 14 in the second half. The forward also added a team high seven rebounds. Senior RaeShara Brown narrowly missed a double-double with 11 points and nine assists and junior Christine Flores added 12 points.
BROWN CLOSING IN ON STEALS RECORD
With one steal at Iowa State on Jan. 29, senior RaeShara Brown now has 242 in her career to tie Kerensa Barr for second all-time at Missouri. She needs just six to tie former Tiger great Joni Davis as MU's all-time steals leader.
Brown 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.
TALE OF TWO FRAMES
In Mizzou's loss to Iowa State on Jan. 29, the Tigers shot just 30.4 percent (7-23) from the floor in the first half. Meanwhile, the Cyclones shot 51.7 percent (15-29) to gain a 39-19 halftime edge.
The teams reversed fortunes in the second frame, as Mizzou's offense came to life to shoot 56.0 percent (14-25) in the second half, including 45.5 percent (5-11) from behind the arc. By comparison, Iowa State shot just 37.5 percent (12-32) from the field. Missouri used its good shooting to cut into the Cyclones' lead but never managed to get closer than 11 points.
JONES PLAYS STRONG SECOND HALF
Senior Shakara Jones was an offensive force for the Tigers in the second half of Mizzou's game at Iowa State on Jan. 29.
The forward scored 14 of her team high 16 points in the final frame, while shooting 6-of-9 from the floor. In comparison, Jones was 0-4 from the field in the game's first 20 minutes.
REIGNING IN THE TURNOVERS
The Tigers entered the Jan. 19 game averaging 18.5 turnovers per game, including outputs of 26 and 27 against Texas Tech and Texas A&M on Jan. 12 and 15, respectively.
Missouri has managed to hold on to the ball in its last four games, as the team committed just 12 turnovers in consecutive games against Kansas State on Jan. 19 and Colorado on Jan. 22, 15 against Kansas on Jan. 26 and 14 at Iowa State on Jan. 29. The 12 turnovers tie for the second fewest all season, behind just the 11 Mizzou committed at Northwestern on Dec. 5.
TOUGH ROAD
The Tigers enter Saturday's game with a 10-10 overall record despite playing one of the nation's toughest schedules to this point. As of Jan. 31, Mizzou's strength of schedule (SOS) ranks seventh in the nation by RealTimeRPI.com.
Missouri's SOS trails just Duke, Ohio State, Tennessee, Michigan, Texas A&M and Stanford. It is ahead of such perenial powers as Baylor (15), Notre Dame (21) and Michigan State (64).
THORNTON PROVIDING KEY DEPTH
Sophomore Trenee Thornton stepped into Mizzou's starting lineup on Kansas State and provided a steady presence at the point guard position. Thornton also earned the start at Colorado and scored a then-career high five points, dished out an assist and did not have a turnover in 20 minutes. Against Kansas on Jan. 26, she notched a career high six points and grabbed three rebounds, and she added five points at Iowa State on Jan. 29.
She has seen her playing time jump dramatically since Big 12 play started. She averaged 9.9 mpg. in Mizzou's 14 non-conference contests and has played 20.7 mpg. in the Tigers' four conference games.
GAME OF RUNS
Missouri used to key scoring runs against Kansas to put away the Jayhawks and earn the 66-52 victory on Jan. 26.
The Tigers trailed 25-18 in the first half when a jumper from Junior BreAnna Brock jumpstarted a 12-0 run for Mizzou. Missouri grabbed a 30-25 lead thanks to the scoring spree, as senior RaeShara Brown had sixpoints in the run, while Brock had four.
In the second half, Mizzou led by as many as eight before Kansas battled back to pull within one, 48-47, with 7:57 remaining in the game. The Tigers again found their offensive rythmyn and reeled off 15 consecutive points to take a 63-47 advantage with 2:52 left.
Brown again led Missouri with six points during the stretch, while Brock had four, senior Jasmyn Otote had three and sophomore Sydney Crafton added two.
BROCK INTEGRAL TO BEATING JAYHAWKS
Junior BreAnna Brock played a key role in MU's win over Kansas on Jan. 26. The forward was a perfect 6-of-6 from the floor, grabbed eight rebounds, dished out an assist and nabbed a steal.
For the season, Brock is averaging 3.8 ppg. and 3.5 rpg. while shooting 50.7 percent from the field in 10.9 mpg. In Big 12 games, her output has increased to 5.3 ppg., 5.2 rpg. and 17.2 mpg. She's shooting an even 50 percent from the floor in conference contests.
BROWN UNSTOPPABLE
Senior RaeShara Brown was nearly unstoppable in MU's game at Kansas State on Jan. 19. The guard scored a career high 33 points on 12-of-19 shooting from the floor and 4-of-7 shooting from behind the arc.
Brown hit her first five shots against the Wildcats and scored 13 of the Tigers first 15 points. Overall, she had 18 of Mizzou's 28 points in the first half (64.3 percent) and 33 of the team's 63 total points (52.4 percent).
The total was the first 30-point outing for a Mizzou player since EeTisha Riddle notched 31 points against Wyoming in the WNIT on March 18, 2007.
Additionally, the 33 points were the most by a Tiger since LaToya Bond posted 34 points against Western Michigan on Dec. 29, 2005.
PINGETON TWO AWAY FROM 350
Head Coach Robin Pingeton enters Saturday's contest with a career head coaching record of 348-168 and needs just three more wins to reach the 350 mark. Her 348 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 10 so far at Missouri.
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 1,120 career points after notching 16 points at Iowa State to rank 22nd all-time. She needs 16 more points to pass Daina Supstiks (78-81) and move into 21st.
Jones is averaging 10.1 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 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 nine on Jan. 29 at Iowa State, she stands in seventh-place on the list with 300. She needs 15 more to tie Natalie Bright for sixth on the list.
Brown is averaging 4.9 apg. on the season. If she continues on her current pace, she should end her career with about 349 assists, which would rank fourth in Tiger history.
FLORES BLOCKING UP THE LIST
Junior Christine Flores stands in ninth-place on MU's all-time blocks list with 105 after a two-block performance against Kansas on Jan. 26. She needs three more to tie Joni Davis for eighth on the list.
Flores has 45 blocks so far this year, which ranks tied for eighth on MU's single-season list with Stretch James (02-03). She needs one more to tie Mary Brueggestrass (82-83) for seventh on the list with 46.