Friday, November 16
Columbia, Mo.
6:00 P.M. CT
University of Missouri
vs
Green Bay
@MizzouWBB Continues Homestand with Green Bay on Friday
11/15/2018 6:56:00 PM | Women's Basketball
Tipoff is slated for 6 p.m. CT on SEC Network
| #16 Mizzou vs. Green Bay | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| OPPONENT | LOCATION | DAY | TIME (CT) | WATCH | LISTEN | STATS | Game Notes |
| Green Bay | Mizzou Arena | Friday, Nov. 16 | 6 PM | SEC Network | KTGR | Stats | Notes |
The Matchup
- Mizzou Women's Basketball continues its three-game homestand Friday as the Tigers host Green Bay on Friday, Nov. 16. Tipoff from Mizzou Arena is slated for 6 p.m. (CT) and will be broadcast on SEC Network with radio coverage on KTGR. The game will be the second of a three-game stretch at Mizzou Arena for the Tigers, who opened up the home portion of its schedule with a 65-61 win over Missouri State on Nov. 13. Mizzou was led by a duo of freshman, as forward Grace Berg scored 12 points and was 6-for-6 from the free throw line while gurad Akira Levy chipped in 11 points, five rebounds and three steals.
BUILDING OFF ANOTHER HISTORIC CAMPAIGN
- Mizzou reached the NCAA Tournament for the third straight season in 2017-18, marking the first time since 1984-86 the Tigers have reached the Big Dance. Mizzou was a five-seed in the Tournament, the highest seed Mizzou has been ranked since the tournament moved to 64 teams. Mizzou went 24-8 in 2017-18, its most wins as a program since 1983-84 and its third straight season with 22+ wins (first time with three consecutive seasons with 22+ wins since 1982-85).
APPROACHING MILESTONES
- Mizzou Head Coach Robin Pingeton will be chasing down coaching milestones in 2018-19, as she currently stands one wins away from 150 wins at Mizzou (149-108, .580) and 18 wins away from 500 career victories (484-265, .646). In her ninth season, Pingeton ranks second in winning percentage (.576) in program history, trailing only coach Joann Rutherford (.617, 422-262). Among active coaches, Pingeton's 484 career wins ranks second in the Souteastern Conference behind only Texas A&M's Gary Blair (766 wins) and 37th overall among D-I head coaches. After an outstanding 2017-18 season, Pingeton was a top-10 finalist for both the Naismith National Coach of the Year Award and the WBCA National Coach of the Year Award.
WATCH LIST SOPH
- The early season honors keep coming in for Mizzou senior guard Sophie Cunningham, as she has been named to the watch list for three of the most prestigous awards in college basketball. First, Cunningham was named to the Preseason Watch List of the Cheryl Miller Small Forward of the Year award (Oct. 24). She was one of five finalists for the award last year, and is the only one returning from last year. Next, the Tiger senior was named to the watch list of both the Wooden Award (Nov. 7) and the Naismith Trophy Award (Nov. 12). In addition, Cunningham was also tabbed Preseason All-SEC first team by both the league's coaches and media.
- All eyes will be on senior guard Sophie Cunningham's senior season as she continues to climb up the Mizzou record book. She currently ranks No. 7 in all-time scoring (1,606 points), No. 4 in career 3-pointers made (155), No. 4 in PPG (16.7), No. 4 in free throws made (395), No. 4 in three-point percentage (.398), No. 3 in free throw percentage (.833) and No. 8 in field goal percentage (.509).
- With 1,606 career points, Cunningham is the active points leader in the SEC. She leads the conference by more than 250 points, as the second-leading active scorer, Mississippi State's Teaira McCowan currently has 1,316 points. Among SEC career leaders, Cunningham also ranks fourth in assists (296) and fourth in career rebounds (511).
- Cunningham will need to score 521 points and connect on 87 free throws to become the most prolific player in those categories.
| Mizzou Career All-Time Leading Scorers | ||
| Player | Seasons | Points |
| 1. Joni Davis | 1981-85 | 2,126 |
| 2. Renee Kelly | 1983-87 | 2,119 |
| 3. Julie Helm | 1996-00 | 1,925 |
| 4. Sharon Farrah | 1975-79 | 1,820 |
| 5. Nancy Rutter | 1974-78 | 1,641 |
| 6. Lorraine Ferret | 1979-83 | 1,624 |
| 7. Sophie Cunningham | 2015-19 | 1,606 |
| 8. Evan Unrau | 2000-04 | 1,597 |
| 9. Erika Martin | 1992-96 | 1,535 |
| 10. Sandie Prophete | 1985-89 | 1,480 |
- In 2017-18, Cunningham was the only player in the nation to shoot better than 54 percent from the field (54.2 percent, 186-for-343), 45 percent from three (45.7 percent, 69-for 151) and 83 percent from the free throw line (83.6 percent, 133-for-159). Her three-point percentage ranked fourth in the NCAA.
- Cunningham returns for her senior season after earning AP All-America Honorable Mention honors and All-SEC First Team Honors each of the last two seasons (2016-17, 2017-18), as well as being named the 2016 SEC Freshman of the Year and earning All-SEC Second Team honors in her freshman campaign (2015-16).
- Cunningham was Mizzou's leading scorer for the third consecutive season in her junior campaign, scoring 18.5 points per game while grabbing 4.7 rebounds per game and recording 93 assists, the second-most on the team. She reached double figures scoring marks in 28 of 31 games she played in, and scored 20+ points 13 times during the season.
- Among SEC season leaders, she ranked second in three-point percentage (45.7 percent), fourth in the SEC in points per game (18.5 ppg), fourth in field goal percentage (54.2 percent), fifth in total points scored (574) and fifth in three-pointers (69)
- This season, Cunningham was named to the Wooden Award Preseason Watch List, and WBCA Cheryl Miller Small Forward of the Year Watch List, an award in its second year given out to the top small forward in the country. Cunningham was a one of five finalists for the award in 2017-18, and is the only returning finalist from a season ago. Cunningham was also named Preseason All-SEC First Team by both the media and coaches.
TOP 25 ONCE AGAIN
- Mizzou was ranked in the top-25 of both the Associated Press and USA Today Coaches Poll to begin the 2018-19 campaign. The Tigers checked in at No. 14 in the Coaches Poll and No. 16 in the AP poll. Mizzou has now been ranked in 25 consecutive AP polls, the 11th-longest streak in the nation. In 2017-18, Mizzou spent the entire campaign in the Top 25, climbing as high as No. 11 in the AP Poll, its highest ranking since 1984, and No. 9 in the Coaches' Poll, its highest ranking in that poll in program history. Mizzou was 3-4 against teams ranked inside the Top-25 in 2017-18, including a win over No. 4 South Carolina on Jan. 7, 83-74 and a win over No. 11 Tennessee, 77-73, on Feb. 18.
HOME SUCCESS
- Mizzou has enjoyed much success at Mizzou Arena over the last three seasons, as they have posted a record of 41-6 overall and 18-6 in SEC play in front of the Black & Gold faithful.
- Some of Mizzou's highest-ranked wins in program history have come at home, including wins over No. 4 South Carolina (83-74, 1-7-18) No. 11 Tennessee (77-73, 2-18-18) last season. Mizzou's win over the previously NCAA Champion Gamecocks was Mizzou's highest win over a ranked opponent since defeating No. 4 Baylor on Jan. 4, 2006.
- Mizzou set a Mizzou Arena home attendance record in its win over the Volunteers, as 11,092 fans showed up to cheer on the Black & Gold.
- Prior to last season, Mizzou also recorded wins over No. 6 South Carolina (62-60, 2-19-18) in 2016-17 and No. 6 Mississippi State (66-54, 1-14-16) in 2015-16.
- Overall, Mizzou is 7-2 overall on its own home floor against ranked opponents since the start of the 2015-16 season, including a 3-0 mark in the 2016-17 season.
| Mizzou at Mizzou Arena (2015-18) | |||
| Season | Overall | SEC | Ranked Wins |
| 2015-16 | 13-3 | 5-3 | 1-14 vs. No. 6 Miss. State, 66-64 1-24 vs. No. 22 Florida, 79-64 |
| 2016-17 | 15-1 | 7-1 | 1-19 vs. No. 25 Texas A&M, 78-76 (OT) 1-30 vs. No. 25 Kentucky, 73-67 2-19 vs. No. 6 South Carolina, 62-60 |
| 2017-18 | 12-2 | 6-2 | 1-7 vs. No. 4 South Carolina, 83-74 2-19 vs. No. 11 Tennessee, 77-73 |
| 2018-19 | 1-0 | 0-0 | |
| Totals | 40-6 | 18-6 | |
NONCONFERENCE HOME WIN STREAK
- Mizzou has won 54 consecutive nonconference regular season home games at Mizzou Arena, a stretch which dates back to Dec. 7, 2011.
- Mizzou's last lost to a nonconference foe in a regular season game came against Northwestern, 74-70, on Dec. 3, 2011, which was Coach Pingeton's second season as head coach.
MIZZOU OPENS SEASON WITH ROUT OF LEATHERNECKS
- Mizzou opened its 2018-19 campaign with an 89-64 road victory over Western Illinois on Nov. 6 After leading 35-27 at halftime, Mizzou shot 58.3 percent (21-for-36) from the field and outscored the Leathernecks, 54-37, in the second half to pull away and seal the victory.
- Senior guard Sophie Cunningham led the way for Mizzou with 31 points on 12-for-20 shooting from the field, while junior guard Amber Smith recorded a double-double with 14 points and 12 rebounds. Smith matched her career high in rebounds with 12 and blocks with three, while senior guard Lauren Aldridge nailed four three-pointers on the way to 14 points.
- The Tigers outrebounded the Leathernecks, 52-32 in the game. Mizzou outrebounded its opponent by 20 or more just three times in the 2017-18 season.
ANOTHER 30-POINT PERFORMANCE FROM SOPH
- Senior guard Sophie Cunningham's 31 points in Mizzou's season-opening victory was her eighth career game with 30+ points, and her second consecutive game after scoring 35 points against Florida Gulf Coast in last year's NCAA Tournament game.
- Cunningham's eighth 30-point contest ranks third in Mizzou history, trailing only Renee Kelly's 16 and Joni Davis' 13. Davis is Mizzou's all-time leading scorer with 2,126 points, while Kelly ranks second with 2,119 points.
- Mizzou is an all-time 6-2 in games where Cunningham scores 30+ points.
- 30+ Points for Cunningham
| 30+ Points for Cunningham | |||||
| Date | Opponent | FG | 3FG | FT | PTS |
| 11-22-15 | Wake Forest (W, 84-81) | 13-18 | 6-8 | 10-12 | 42 |
| 1-12-17 | @ LSU (L, 71-80) | 12-17 | 5-7 | 3-3 | 32 |
| 1-19-17 | Texas A&M (W, 78-76 OT) | 10-19 | 2-5 | 14-15 | 36 |
| 2-23-17 | Ole Miss (W, 100-65) | 11-13 | 5-7 | 5-5 | 32 |
| 12-10-17 | SIUE (W, 78-48) | 11-16 | 7-12 | 6-7 | 35 |
| 2-18-18 | Tennessee (W, 77-73) | 9-14 | 3-6 | 11-12 | 32 |
| 3-17-18 | vs. Florida Gulf Coast (L, 70-80) | 10-16 | 1-5 | 14-16 | 35 |
| 11-6-18 | @ Western Illinois (W, 89-64) | 12-20 | 2-6 | 5-6 | 31 |
DOUBLE-DOUBLE FOR SMITH
- Junior guard Amber Smith led Mizzou on the glass in Mizzou's season-opening win over Western Illinois, snagging 12 rebounds while scoring 14 points to record her third career double-double.
- Smith had three blocks and three assists in the game, and matched career highs with 12 rebounds and three blocks.
- Smith was named the co-SEC Freshman of the Year in 2016-17 after averaging 5.9 points and 2.8 rebounds per game. She saw her contributions nearly double last season, as she averaged 9.3 points and 5.3 rebounds per game while shooting 43.5 percent (113-for-260) from the field, 36.4 percent from three (39-for-107) and 81.0 percent (34-for-42) from the free throw line.
ALL-SEC RECOGNITION
- Mizzou was picked to finish fifth in the Southeastern Conference in the SEC Preseason Coaches' Poll. Mizzou was picked to finish behind Mississippi State, South Carolina, Georgia and Tennessee. Each team picked ahead of the Tigers advanced to the NCAA Tournament last season, with South Carolina making the Elite Eight and Mississippi State ending the season as the national runner-up. Mizzou was also tabbed to finish fifth in the SEC in the preseason media poll.
- Senior guard Sophie Cunningham was named Preseason All-SEC First Team for the third consecutive season. In 2017-18, Cunningham averaged 18.5 points and 4.7 rebounds per game as she earned AP All-America Honorable Mention honors for the second consecutive season. She was the only player in the nation to shoot better than 54 percent from the field (54.2 percent, 186-for-343), 45 percent from three (45.7 percent, 69-for-151) and 83 percent from the free throw line (83.6 percent, 133-for-159). Cunningham will continue to climb up the Mizzou record book in her senior season, as she currently ranks No. 8 in all-time scoring (1,563 points), No. 4 in career 3-pointers made (153), No. 4 in PPG (16.6), No. 5 in free throws made (386), No. 3 in three-point percentage (.404), No. 3 in free throw percentage (.839) and No. 8 in field goal percentage (.508).
- Just like in the preseason media poll, Cunningham was one of three players to receive votes for the Preseason SEC Women's Basketball Player of the Year award, which ended up going to Mississippi State's Teaira McCowan.
- Junior guard Amber Smith, the 2016-17 SEC Co-Freshman of the Year, was named to the Preseason All-SEC Second Team. Smith started all 32 games for Mizzou as a sophomore in 2017-18, averaging 9.3 points and 5.3 rebounds per game. Smith scored a career-high 27 points vs. LSU (Jan. 4) on 11-for-18 shooting from the field while grabbing seven rebounds. She grabbed five rebounds in 15 contests and corralled 10 rebounds in four games.
LAWYER LAUREN
- Senior guard Lauren Aldridge will help lead the offense once again this season after setting a season-season program record in assist-to-turnover ratio in 2017-18. Aldridge posted an outstanding 2.22 mark (113 assists, 51 turnovers), as she averaged 6.7 points and 3.0 assist per game.
- Off the court, Aldridge is in her second year as a law student after graduating with a Political Science degree in May 2017. Aldridge is the one of two players in Division-I NCAA Basketball who is currently in law school, as she is joined by Arizona State's Courtney Ekmark.
A FREHSMAN CLASS READY TO CONTRIBUTE
- Mizzou's freshmen class features three top-70 ranked recruits who have the potential to contribute right away for Mizzou.
- Forward Grace Berg from Indianola, Iowa joins the Black & Gold as the No. 36-ranked recruit in espnW's HoopsGurlz Recruiting Rankings and the No. 2-ranked recruit from Iowa. Berg was a three-time Class 5A Iowa Girls Coaches Association First Team All-State Honoree and the all-time leading scorer at Indianola High School. In her senior season, she averaged 20.3 points, 9.3 rebounds and 2.0 steals per game.
- Guard Akira Levy from Baxter, Tenn., is a dynamic point guard who won three state titles and was the No. 67-ranked recruit in espnW's HoopsGurlz Recruiting Rankings. She was a two-time Tennessee Class AA Miss Basketball, and a 2018 All-USA Tennessee First Team Honoree. She finished her career with 2,761 points, 921 assists, 591 rebounds and 504 steals. In her senior campaign, she averaged 25.3 points, 9.4 assists and 4.8 steals per game.
- Forward Brittany Garner was a late signee for Mizzou who will add size to the Tigers. The 6-foot-4 big was the No. 69-ranked recruit in Prospect Nation's Class of 2018 Rankings and was a 2018 First Team All-Conference Honoree. In her senior season, she average 17.0 points, 11.0 rebounds and 2.5 blocks per game.
A FIVE-STAR PAIR
- Mizzou signed a pair of five-star recruits on Nov. 14, as No. 8 Aijha Blackwell and No. 29 Hayley Frank each inked National Letters of Intent to continue their academic and athletic careers at Mizzou. The duo helped Mizzou bring in the No. 11-ranked recruiting class in the nation according to espnW.
- Blackwell, from Whitfield School in Berkeley, Mo., who was recruited by just about every Division-I program in the country, is ranked No. 8 in the nation and No. 1 in the state of Missouri in espnW's 2019 HoopGurlz Recruiting Rankings. She is a three-time Missouri Basketball Coaches Association (MBCA) Class 3 All-State selection (2016-18), and a USA Today first team Missouri selection in 2018. As a junior, Blackwell led Whitfield to the Class 3A state semifinals and a 22-7 record, as she averaged 24.2 points, 8.3 rebounds, 2.8 assists and 2.0 steals per game. Entering her senior season, Blackwell is one of 50 high school seniors named to the watch list for the 2019 Naismith High School Trophy.
- Blackwell was selected to play for the USA U18 National Team this past summer, where she helped lead Team USA to a gold medal in Mexico City at the 2018 FIBA Americas U18 Championship. She averaged 9.3 points, 3.7 rebounds and 2.7 assists per game over six games during USA's championship run, including eight points, four rebounds and three steals in the gold medal game win over Canada.
- Blackwell's father, Ernest, was a four-year letterwinner for Mizzou Football who played running back from 1994-97 and was drafted by the Kansas City Chiefs in 1998.
- Frank, from Strafford, Mo., is the No. 29-ranked player in the nation and the No. 2-ranked player in the state of Missouri. Coached by her dad, Steve, Frank has helped lead Strafford High School to three consecutive Missouri Class 3 state championships and 82 consecutive wins. She has been named to the MBCA Class 3A All-State team each of the last three seasons (2016-18), the MBCA Class 3 Player of the Year in 2016-17 and 2017-18, the 2017-18 Gatorade Missouri Girls Basketball Player of the Year and the 2018 Missouri Wendy's High Heisman state winner. Entering her senior campaign, Frank has already racked up 2,293 points and 1,213 rebounds.
- As a junior, the 6-foot-2 guard led the Indians to a 33-0 record and third straight state title after averaging 24.9 points, 12.7 rebounds, 7.1 assists, 3.3 steals and 3.0 blocks per game. Frank led Strafford to a second consecutive state title as a sophomore in 2016-17, averaging 24.0 points, 13.0 rebounds, 6.5 assists, 3.0 steals and 2.2 blocks per game en route to a 33-0 season. She was named the Class 3 Player of the Year in both seasons.
- Frank is an all-state infielder on the Strafford softball team and a state qualifier for the golf team. Away from the court, Frank has maintained a 4.05 GPA, is the vice president of the student body, and is a part of the National Honor Society.
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