University of Missouri
8-3, 0-0
South Dakota
10-1, 0-0
No. 22 @MizzouWBB's Comeback Bid Falls Short to South Dakota, 74-61
12/15/2018 5:33:00 PM | Women's Basketball
Cunningham records 11th career double-double with 19 points and 11 rebounds
COLUMBIA, Mo. – Mizzou Women's Basketball fell at home on Saturday afternoon, 74-61 to South Dakota at Mizzou Arena. Despite a furious comeback bid that saw a 13-point lead down cut down to just two with 4:16 to play, the Tigers saw their five-game winning streak snapped at the hands of the Coyotes.
Senior guard Sophie Cunningham (Columbia, Mo.) registered her third double-double of the season to lead Mizzou, tallying 19 points and 11 rebounds. Cunningham's scored 14 of her team-high 19 points in the second half. Redshirt senior guard Lauren Aldridge (Marshfield, Mo.) also scored in double-figures with 12 points, her first double-digit scoring effort since the Tigers beat Duke (Nov. 15) during the Gulf Coast Showcase.
TURNING POINT
The Tigers trailed by 13 in the early stages of the fourth period, as the South Dakota zone was forcing them into low percentage shots and turnovers throughout most of the game. Then, when it mattered most, Mizzou's offense started clicking. The run started with an Aldridge three from the corner to cut the lead down to 10. Junior guard Amber Smith (Shreveport, La.) followed that up with a left-handed layup that was heavily contested. After another defensive stop, Cunningham teed off a three-pointer from the wing and drilled it to cut the lead down to just five.
With just over five minutes remaining, Smith did some great work on both ends, playing lockdown defense to force a miss and then converting a tough lay-in on the other end of the floor after a nifty drop step. After a bucket from South Dakota, Cunningham was able to answer yet again, getting a friendly roll on a three-pointer from the top of the key to cut the deficit down to just two.
However, the comeback bid fell just short, as the Coyotes ended the game on a 11-0 run to seal the win.
TOP TIGERS
- Cunningham registered her third double-double of the season and the 11th of her career against South Dakota, going for 19 points and 11 rebounds.
- Smith scored in double-digits for the fourth-straight game, collecting 10 points in 29 minutes played.
- Aldridge dropped 12 points, using the three-ball (3-for-8) to great effect against South Dakota.
NOTES
- With her double-double, Cunningham extended Mizzou's double-double streak to three straight games, as Smith double-doubled against UMKC (Dec. 6) and Saint Louis (Dec. 9).
- Cunningham's four three-pointers made against the Coyotes is her most made threes in a single game this season. She last had more last season at Texas A&M, when she went 5-for-9 from beyond the arc.
- Mizzou continued its hot shooting from beyond the arc, as the Tigers splashed home 12 threes against the Coyotes, their second-most three-balls made in a game this season. Mizzou made 16 against Duke earlier this season (Nov. 25).
UP NEXT
Mizzou will play its second consecutive game at Mizzou Arena, as the Tigers will host Texas State on Monday, Dec. 17. That game will tip at 7 p.m. CT, and can be viewed 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).
