University of Missouri
12-1
Illinois
9-5
No. 16 @MizzouWBB Regains Braggin' Rights, 72-55
12/22/2017 2:23:00 PM | Women's Basketball
Tigers beat Illini for first time since 1993
COLUMBIA, Mo. – Behind a game-high 27 points and five assists from junior guard Sophie Cunningham (Columbia, Mo.), the Mizzou Women's Basketball team (12-1) cruised to a 72-55 win over Illinois at Mizzou Arena on Friday afternoon. It's the first Braggin' Rights win for the Tiger women since Jan. 3, 1993, as Mizzou extended its winning streak to 12 games, just one victory shy of tying the longest win-streak in program history.
Turning Point
After ending the first quarter trailing 21-18, the Tigers held Illinois to just six points in the first nine minutes of the second quarter. Cunningham scored 10 of her 27 in the frame, and Mizzou held the Illini to just 4-of-15 shooting from the field (27 percent) to build a 37-29 halftime lead.
Despite Cunningham not attempting a shot in the third quarter, the Tigers extended the lead after the break. Three of her five assists came in the third quarter, and the sensational junior went 6-for-6 from the foul line as Mizzou put the game away with a 63-44 lead after 30 minutes.
Top Tigers
- Cunningham's game-high 27 points came on just 11 shots (8-11 from the field, 3-5 3FG and 8-8 FT). It's the fifth time this season, and the 25th game of her career in which she's scored 20 or more points.
- Junior Cierra Porter added 11 points and a game-high-tying seven rebounds.
- Redshirt senior Jordan Frericks chipped in 10 points and a game-high-tying seven rebounds in just 19 minutes of action.
- Redshirt sophomore Hannah Schuchts matched her season-high with eight points. Schuchts has scored 23 points over the last four games combined.
- Redshirt senior Kayla Michael grabbed a season-best six rebounds and added two points in 17 minutes.
Notes
- Mizzou pushed its regular season nonconference home winning streak to 52 games with the win over Illinois.
- Additionally, the Tigers increased their consecutive nonconference wins at Mizzou Arena to 37.
- The win snapped an eight-game losing streak to the Fighting Illini. Mizzou's last win against Illinois was a 80-54 victory on Jan. 3, 1993.
- The 12-game winning streak this season is Mizzou's longest since Nov. 13–Dec. 29, 2015, when the Tigers won 13 in a row.
- The victory also gave Mizzou its fifth win streak of 12 or more games in program history.
- Over her last four games, Cunningham is averaging 25.3 points per game on 68.1 percent shooting (32-of-47) from the floor, 61.5 percent (16-of-26) from beyond the arc and 91.3 percent (21-of-23) from the free throw line.
- Cunningham moved into a tie with Carlynn Savant as Mizzou's career free throw percentage leader. The junior was a perfect 8-of-8 on the day to up her career percentage to .845 to tie Savant.
- The Tigers improved to 11-0 on the season when holding their opponents under 60 points. Today's win was the 10th-straight game Mizzou allowed fewer than 60 points.
- Mizzou entered the contest as one of only seven teams nationally ranked in the top 25 in both field goal percentage and field goal percentage defense, with averages of 46.6 percent and 34.2 percent, respectively. The Tigers shot 51 percent from the floor and held Illinois to 33.9 percent, improving in both categories.
- The Tigers held the Fighting Illini to only 25 rebounds, bettering on their SEC-leading opponents rebounding average of 30.3 per game.
Up Next
Mizzou now turns its focus to conference play as the Tigers open the SEC portion of their schedule on Dec. 31 at Alabama. Tip off vs. the Crimson Tide is scheduled for 2 p.m. in Tuscaloosa, Ala., on SEC Network +.
