University of Missouri
Western Illinois
Cunningham’s 31 Points, Smith’s Double-Double Leads @MizzouWBB to Season-Opening Win over Western Illinois
11/7/2018 12:25:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Mizzou outscores Western Illinois 54-37 in second half to pull away
COLUMBIA, Mo. – Mizzou Women's Basketball opened its 2018-19 campaign with an 89-64 road victory over Western Illinois on Tuesday night in Macomb, Ill. 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 (Columbia, Mo.) led the way for Mizzou with 31 points on 12-for-20 shooting from the field, while junior guard Amber Smith (Shreveport, La.) 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 (Marshfield, Mo.) sank in four three-pointers on the way to 14 points.
TURNING POINT
Mizzou closed the third quarter on a 16-9 run over the final 6:17 of the period, extending its lead from 10 to 17 to close the period with a 61-44 lead. Mizzou spread the ball out equally during the run, as five different Tigers scored the close the quarter, including back-to-back baskets from Cunningham at the end of the quarter. From there, Mizzou was able extend its lead in the fourth quarter, leading by as much as 27 points before finishing the game with a 89-64 win.
TOP TIGERS
- Cunningham led the way for Mizzou in the first game of the season, as she scored 31 points on 12-for-20 shooting from the field while recording eight rebounds, three assists, two blocks and two steals.
- Smith notched her third career double-double in the game with 14 points and 12 rebounds, and had three blocks and three assists in the game. Smith matched her career highs in rebounds and blocks
- Aldridge scored 14 points and shot 4-for-7 from beyond the three-point arc.
GAME NOTES
- With 31 points, Cunningham now just stands three points away from Evan Unrau (1,597 points) for seventh all-time in Mizzou history with 1,594 points. The 31-point output is her eight career game with 30+ points and her second straight after scoring 35 against Florida Gulf Coast (March 17) in last season's NCAA Tournament.
- Mizzou sank 82.4 percent (14-for-17) of its shots from the free throw line in the game, picking up right where they left off a season ago. In 2017-18, Mizzou sank 80 percent or more of its shots from the free throw line in 10 games, and shot 76.2 percent overall on the season.
- The Tigers outrebounded the Leathernecks, 52-32 on the glass in the game. Mizzou outrebounded its opponent by 20 or more just three times in the 2017-18 season.
UP NEXT
Mizzou will return home to Mizzou Arena for its next contest, as it hosts in-state rival Missouri State on Tuesday, Nov. 13. Tipoff from Mizzou Arena is slated for 7 p.m. (CT), and will be streamed live on SEC Network +.
For all the latest on Mizzou Women's Basketball, stay tuned to MUTigers.com and follow the team @MizzouWBB (Twitter, Instagram, Facebook).
