Jan. 11, 2014
Arena: Memorial Coliseum (8,000)
TV: ESPNU
Radio: KTGR 100.5 FM, 103.1 FM and 1580 AM
Live Stats: http://www.ukathletics.com
Live Video: http://www.ukathletics.com
MU Head Coach: Robin Pingeton
(St. Ambrose `90) 56-54 at MU (4th season)
UK Head Coach: Matthew Mitchell
(Mississippi State , `95) 157-65 at UK (7th season)
MISSOURI FACES NO. 9 KENTUCKY IN NATIONALLY TELEVISED CONTEST
The Tigers head to No. 9 Kentucky for a nationally televised contest on Sunday. The Tigers and Wildcats face off at 4 p.m. on ESPNU. It will be the fourth meeting between the two teams, and Kentucky holds a 2-1 advantage over the Tigers. Last season the No. 6 Wildcats traveled to Columbia, Mo., taking a 69-43 victory.
UP NEXT
Mizzou returns to Columbia to host the LSU Tigers on Thursday, January 16 in the 7 p.m. contest. The game will be broadcast throughout the state on Mediacom 22 and 722. The two Tiger teams have met five times in program history with LSU holding a 3-2 series advantage.
WHAT ABOUT THE WILDCATS?
Kentucky is 13-3 on the season, and will face Missouri after dropping two conference contests in a row. The Wildcats fell to South Carolina after losing to Florida on Jan. 5. Kentucky boasts four players averaging more than 10 points per game, led by DeNesha Stallworth who tallies 13. 6 points per game. Samarie Walker leads the Wildcats as she grabs 9.6 rebounds per game while knocking down more than 10 points per contest as well.
LAST TIME OUT
• Missouri upset No. 25 Georgia, 66-56 thanks to a hard-fought second half.
• Junior Morgan Eye reset the school's career three-pointers record as she has now knocked down 228 treys in her two and a half years.
•Missouri recorded jsut eight turnovers against Georgia, one of the best outings for the Tigers this season.
• Senior Bri Kulas led the Tigers, tallying another double-double with 24 points and 13 rebounds in the contest.
• Missouri held the Bulldogs to just 22.2 percent shooting in the second half, and just 15-percent from distance. The Tigers held Georgia to just 18.8-percent shooting from beyond the arc in the game.
QUICK HITS
• Off to a 2-1 start in SEC play, the Tigers are looking strong shooting a league leading 45.5-percent from beyond the arc and 85.4 percent from the charity stripe in league games.
• With an 11-2 record in the non-conference, the Tigers gained momentum leading to conference play. Among Tiger victories this season, Mizzou is holding its opponents to just 59.7 points per game with an average scoring margin of +18.5 points. Mizzou averages 5.2 blocks per game in winning contests and also outrebounds opponents by almost seven rebounds per game. Proving that the Tigers unselfish strategy works, the Tigers average 18.6 assists per victory, eight more than opponents.
• As the team, the Tigers aim for 80-percent free-throw shooting during practices and in games. Mizzou is now shooting 78.8-percent from the line this season, just under its season goal. That mark leads the SEC and checks in at No. 5 nationally. Seven players are shooting 70-percent or better and Mizzou's leader in total free throws - Bri Kulas - is arguably the team's top shooter from the line, checking in at 85.2-percent (69-of-81).
• Speaking of free throws, Mizzou is very good from the free throw line in unfamiliar territory, shooting 88.1 percent from the charity stripe on the road. Kulas plays a big part of that percentage as she is shooting 92 percent from the line in road games this saeson (23-of-25).
• Under fourth-year head coach Robin Pingeton, Mizzou is continuing to play great team basketball. That is evidenced by Mizzou's 17.3 assists per game (third in the SEC and 28th nationally) and its 1.1 assist/turnover ratio, which ranks third in the SEC and 34th nationally.
• This season the Tigers are averaging 5.1 blocks per game, a number that ranks second in the SEC and 25th in the nation. The number is much improved from last season when the Tigers averaged 2.3 blocks per game. Freshman Jordan Frericks is dominating in this category, she leads the team with 31 blocks on the season, good for an average of 1.9 per game (fourth-best in the SEC).
• The Tiger staff is stressing a defensive mindset this season, and Missouri's numbers are showing it. The Tigers are amongst leaders in the SEC (second) in defensive rebounding at 30.3 per game and lead the league in defensive rebounding percentage at 71.6-percent. Missouri is holding opponents to just 34.4-percent shooting this season. The Tigers are holding opponents to 26.7-percent shooting from distance this season as well, ranking 26th in the nation.