COLUMBIA, Mo. – Mizzou Women's Basketball (2-0) dominated Arkansas-Pine Bluff (0-2) by allowing the least points from an opponent since 2010 in an 85-34 victory Monday evening at Mizzou Arena. Bri Porter (Columbia, Mo.) scored 16 points and grabbed a career-high eight rebounds in 15 minutes of reserve action as five Tigers scored in double figures. Mizzou held a 49-27 rebounding advantage.
"I'm proud of our effort on the boards and really proud of our unselfish play," head coach Robin Pingeton said. "I thought we had some really good passing and possessions. I am very pleased with what we saw, and we know that the competition is just going to get tougher and tougher."
Following a back-and-forth first quarter, Mizzou outscored UAPB 31-10 in the second quarter to take a 47-21 lead into halftime. The Tigers continued the stifling defense after the break, recording 19-4 and 19-9 scoring advantages in the third and fourth quarters, respectively.
The 34 points allowed were the least by a Mizzou opponent since a 53-30 defeat over UT Martin on Dec. 7, 2010. The Tigers outscored UAPB 44-10 in the paint, 21-2 off of turnovers, 17-0 in second chance points and 56-4 in bench points. Mizzou grabbed 14 steals, which is two more than any game last season.
Cierra Porter (Columbia, Mo.) finished with 12 points, six rebounds, three assists and two blocks. Sophie Cunningham (Columbia, Mo.) and Jordan Frericks (Quincy, Ill.) both scored 11 points and grabbed six rebounds. Cunningham added three assists and three steals. Kayla McDowell (Cincinnati, Ohio) scored 10 points in 15 minutes of reserve action.
For the game, Mizzou shot 48 percent (32-for-67) from the floor and 74 percent (14-for-19) from the foul line.
The Tigers limited UAPB to 29 percent shooting (15-for-52) from the field and 20 percent (3-for-15) from beyond the arc. Over the final two quarters, the Lady Lions shot only 24 percent (6-for-24) from the floor.
Destiny Brewer led UAPB with 13 points on 5-for-13 shooting from the field and a 2-for-4 mark from 3-point range.
Mizzou travels to Wichita State for a 7:05 p.m. CT tipoff on Wednesday evening. The game can be seen on ESPN3 and the WatchESPN app. The Tigers then return home for a 7 p.m. CT matchup vs. Wake Forest on Sunday evening at Mizzou Arena on SEC Network.
Postgame Quotes
Mizzou Head Coach Robin Pingeton
Opening Statement…
"I appreciate you guys coming out. There were some good things out there and some things that got a little sloppy at times. I thought for the most part we played pretty solid. Sometimes in games like this, when it gets away a little bit, you get a little bit sloppy but I thought overall we played a solid 40 minutes. Not perfect by any stretch of the imagination. I'm proud of our effort on the boards and really proud of our unselfish play. I thought we had some really good passing and possessions. I am very pleased with what we saw, and we know that the competition is just going to get tougher and tougher."
On Depth of the Bench…
"I think that is one of our strengths this year is our depth. And, we ask our players every day to do something that is really abnormal, and that is to sacrifice the back of the jersey for what's on the front. It's going to feel different for everybody this season. On any given night, you've got a number of players that can step up for us. I think it's going to be a very well-balanced offensive approach this season. And it's a really hard thing to do. We live in a society that is so me-driven and it's the here and now. We are asking our players to do something that can be challenging and that can go against the norm. But I think that they've really embraced that. That is something that sets our team aside. That's a special unique quality and we have to protect it with everything that we have. The normal thing to do is to focus on how many minutes I play and how many points that I have. We try to talk to them a lot that in the big picture they are going to forget that and what they are going to remember is the sister to the right and the sister to the left and just het experiences that we have together as a team, and I think that's what makes our culture so unique and so special."
On Different Player Combinations…
"You could put together a lot of different combinations out there depending on what you need any given night. I think the fun thing, as a coach, is that you can hold them accountable. They may have that one possession that they didn't sprint their lane or that one possession they didn't get two feet in the paint for that offensive rebound. It's a lot easier to rotate them out. The accountability piece for a coach makes it enjoyable for us because we get to coach the game and hold them accountable to play hard. They're not going to be perfect on every possession. But the controllable plays, how hard we run our lanes, when we're communicating on defense, our rotations, we have the depth this year that we can hold them to a pretty high standard."
On Upcoming Wichita State game…
"They've got history there and they do have tradition. Expectations are high. I think they draw really well for a women's program in The Valley. Regardless of where their roster is and who has graduated and who has transferred out, that is a program that has a very rich tradition. They are used to winning. Their expectations are high. They've been in the NCAA tournament the last couple seasons. Last season, they gave Tennessee all they could handle on the road. We're going to go in there very prepared and understanding that we need to bring our 'A' game in order to leave Wichita with a victory, which is what our hopes are."
Mizzou forward Bri Porter
On Physical Play Following Injury…
"I feel good. I feel better than I did this time last year. It feels good."
On Playing Inside Out Basketball…
"I think that we have a really balanced team. We can score inside but we also have shooters on the outside. We know that if we get in, that opens it up for our shooters. Overall, getting it in and out opens it up for everyone to score more."
On Moving Forward in the Season…
"I think all around we just need to work on being sharper and more efficient on offense and being more active on defense and getting our rotations down. Overall, we just need to pick up the level."
Mizzou forward Cierra Porter
On First Home Game…
"It was a lot of fun. We all just went out there and played hard. We did some good things and there are some things to work on but it was a fun game."
On Older Sister, Bri…
"I'm super proud of her. She's my biggest role model and it just shows perseverance, that you can accomplish anything that you can set your mind to."
Postgame Notes
- Mizzou improved to 34-8 all-time in regular season home openers. The Tigers have won all six under head coach Robin Pingeton and have won seven overall.
- The 34 points allowed were the least by an opponent since a 53-30 victory over UT Martin on Dec. 7, 2010.
- The 14 steals by Mizzou were two more than any single game last season. The Tigers had 12 steals vs. Mississippi State on Jan. 4, 2015 and also vs. Loyola Chicago on Dec. 3, 2014.
- Sophomore forward Bri Porter recorded a career-high eight rebounds.
- Maddie Stock moved into sole possession of seventh place in program history with 114 career 3-pointers, passing Amanda Hanneman (2007-10). She is two triples shy of tying Stacy Williams (1991-94) for sixth place.
- Mizzou's biggest lead was 53 points with 1:00 remaining in the game.
