@MizzouWBB Opens SEC Play Sunday at Home Against Georgia

Sunday, January 1

Columbia, Mo.

12:00 P.M. CT

University of Missouri

Georgia

Buy Tickets

@MizzouWBB Opens SEC Play Sunday at Home Against Georgia

12/30/2016 4:26:00 PM | Women's Basketball

Tip off on New Year's Day is set for 12 p.m. on SEC Network

GAME DAY - Sunday, Jan. 1
Georgia	Mizzou Arena	Sunday	12 p.m. CT	SEC Network KTGR Tickets Live Stats

GAME DAY - Sunday, Jan. 1

OPPONENT

LOCATION

DAY

TIME

MEDIA

Georgia

Mizzou Arena

Sunday

12 p.m. CT

COLUMBIA, Mo. - Mizzou Women's Basketball (10-4) begins Southeastern Conference play on Sunday at Mizzou Arena. The Tigers host Georgia (8-5) for a nationally televised New Year's Day battle. Tip off on SEC Network is slated for 12 p.m.

PROMOS

Ring in 2017 with a pack of four tickets for just $17!
Catch a special halftime performance from the nationally-ranked Mizzou Gymnastics team.

OF NOTE

Mizzou is looking for its second victory in an SEC opener since joining the league in 2012-13.
This is just the third time Georgia and Mizzou have met in Columbia since the Tigers became official members of the SEC. The two squads split the previous two matchups.
Mizzou and Georgia also split its two meetings last season with both teams winning on the road.
Mizzou won a program-high five SEC home games last season, including two victories over ranked opponents.
Sophomore Cierra Porter ranks seventh in the nation in total free throws made with 71. She is the only true forward in the top ten on that list. Sophie Cunningham is 18th on the list despite playing in just 12 games. She's one of seven players in the top 20 in the nation in free throws made with 12 games or less under their belts.
Senior Sierra Michaelis has now drained at least four threes in a game 15 times in her career. She's just the third Tiger in program history to do so. Only Morgan Eye (43 times) and Alyssa Hollins (20 times) accomplished that feat more times than Michaelis.
Sophomore Cierra Porter has been Mizzou's most reliable offensive weapon this season. She reached double digits in all 14 of the Tigers' nonconference games. The last time a Tiger did that was when RaeShara Brown scored at least 10 points in all of Mizzou's first 15 games to open the 2011-12 campaign.
Over the last five games, Porter is averaging a double-double with 18.4 points and 11.2 rebounds per game. When Porter has recorded a double-double, Mizzou is 6-0.
Mizzou ranks 10th in the nation in free throw percentage as a team so far this season as the Tigers are shooting 78.3 percent from the line. That percentage currently tops the Southeastern Conference.
Mizzou ranks fourth in Division I in total free throws made with 227. They're the only team in the top five on the list with 290 attempts or less.

RETURNING STRONG

Since returning from a back injury that sidelined her for two games, Sophie Cunningham has averaged 18.7 points per contest over the last three outings.
Cunningham notched 21 points in a double-digit win over UT Martin and followed with 21 points in a loss at Saint Louis. She's now reached 20 points in a game three times this season and 13 times in her young career (which includes just 44 total games played).
After averaging 14.0 points per game a season ago on her way to capturing SEC Freshman of the Year honors, Cunningham has pushed her average to 16.1 points per game in 2016-17. That ranks 10th in the SEC thus far. She's also dishing out 4.3 assist per contest, which ranks sixth in the league.
Cunningham is the only player in the SEC ranking in the top ten in the conference in scoring and top six in the league in assists.

SCOUTING GEORGIA

Georgia is coming off a 78-43 blowout win over Western Carolina as the Bulldogs finished nonconference play 8-5.
Georgia is led by second-year head coach Joni Taylor, who led the Bulldogs to an NCAA Tournament appearance in her first campaign at the helm last season. Georgia placed sixth overall in the conference a season ago and finished 21-10.
The Bulldogs are led by sophomore forward Caliya Robinson, who is averaging 17.6 points per game, which ranks fourth in the SEC so far this season.
Redshirt senior Pachis Roberts is putting together the best campaign of her career, chipping in 12.6 points, 7.5 rebounds and 3.5 assists per game. Roberts has recorded three double-doubles this season. She leads the Bulldogs in assists and rebounds and also logs a team-high 33.9 minutes per contest.

LAST TIME OUT

Mizzou could not respond to an offensive explosion by SLU in the fourth quarter as the Tigers lost, 72-61, at Chaifetz Arena. Mizzou held a 15-point lead after three quarters but Saint Louis' hot shooting late propelled the Billikens to a win.
Sophomore guard Sophie Cunningham led all scorers with 21 points on 7-of-12 shooting (58.3 percent). Cunningham drained a season high four three-point shots on six attempts (66.7 percent).
Sophomore forward Cierra Porter wrapped up her strong nonconference season by chipping in 16 points and nine rebounds.
Redshirt junior Kayla McDowell set a new season high with nine rebounds. Mizzou outrebounded the Billikens, 35-32.
Saint Louis shot 10-of-16 in the final frame. A Billiken trey pushed Saint Louis in front 62-58 with three minutes remaining. The Billikens held on for the victory behind clutch free throws and defensive stops.

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