GAME NOTES | PRESEASON WNIT BRACKET

COLUMBIA, Mo. - Mizzou Women's Basketball launches the regular season with its home opener against Abilene Christian as part of the Preseason WNIT. Tip off is slated for 7 p.m. and the game is available on SEC Network + via WatchESPN. 

PROMOS

• Military veterans receive free admission with an ID.
• Dollar hot dogs and dollar popcorn are available at the concession stands. 

PRESEASON WNIT PARTICIPANTS    

• Mizzou officially opens the regular season against Abilene Christian in the first round of the Preseason WNIT. This is the first time in program history that Mizzou has competed in the Preseason WNIT. Mizzou is guaranteed three games in the tournament.
• The tournament features a 16-team field, including four power five programs (Mizzou, Notre Dame, Washington and Nebraska). 
• At No. 24, the Tigers are one of three ranked teams in the tournament alongside No. 17 Washington and No. 1 Notre Dame.
• In its last Postseason WNIT appearance in 2015, Mizzou went 2-1, reaching the 3rd round after road wins over Northern Iowa (69-61) and Kansas State (67-48).
• Future opponents, times and locations of tournament games have yet to be determined.

OF NOTE

• Mizzou is 34-8 all-time in season-openers. The Tigers have won their last seven season-opening contests.
• Mizzou is also 34-8 in home openers with the last loss coming at the hands of South Dakota State at the beginning of the 2008-09 season. 
• Dating back to the 2014-15 season, Mizzou is 17-3 in its last 20 nonconference games. The Tigers started last season on a 13-game win streak, which matched the program's longest sreak since 1985.
• While Mizzou and Abilene Christian have never faced eachother, Mizzou is 19-7 all-time against Southland Conference opponents. The Tigers faced one Southland opponent last season, beating Lamar 91-57. Abilene Christian is coming off a 2016 Southland title.
• Mizzou outscored its 2016 exhibition opponents by a combined 64 points.
• Despite having a shorthanded roster to open the season, Mizzou returns four starters who played in at least 31 games last season. Mizzou is one of six teams in the SEC with at least four starters coming back from the 2015-16 campaign.

LAST TIME OUT

• Mizzou trounced Truman State, 87-53, in its final exhibition matchup.
• Mizzou dominated the glass, outrebounding Truman State, 49-24. The Tigers added 14 steals and forced 18 turnovers in a stout defensive effort.
• Sophie Cunningham led four Tigers in double figures with 22 points and nine rebounds. Senior Sierra Michaelis chipped in 18 points, shooting 50 percent from the field. Freshmen Jordan Chavis and Amber Smith added 11 points and 10 points, respectively, and redshirt senior Lianna Doty stuffed the stat sheet with a team-high 13 rebounds, eight points, six steals and five assists.
• During the Robin Pingeton coaching era, the Tigers are 14-0 in exhibition contests with nine of those victories coming by 25 points or more. 
• In those 14 games, Mizzou has outpaced opponents 1,082-756, averaging wins by a 23.3 margin.

RANKED

• Mizzou officially opens the 2016-17 season ranked No. 24 in the Associated Press preseason poll.
• It's the first time Mizzou has cracked the preseason rankings since 1984 and the fourth time overall in program history.
• Mizzou spent eight weeks in the Associated Press Top 25 Poll last season with a ranking as high as No. 20 on Jan. 4.
• The Tigers were ranked in the AP Top 25 Poll for seven straight weeks (Dec. 21 - Feb. 7) for the first time since Jan. 29 - March 11, 1984.

For all the latest on Mizzou Women's Basketball, stay tuned to MUTigers.com and follow the team on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook @MizzouWBB.