Friday, December 21
Urbana-Champaign, Ill.
12:00 P.M. CT
University of Missouri
at
Illinois
@MizzouWBB Heads to Champaign for Braggin' Rights Matchup with Illinois Friday
12/20/2018 11:38:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Mizzou and Illinois will tipoff at Noon CT on Friday on BTN+
| Mizzou at Illinois | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| OPPONENT | LOCATION | DAY | TIME (CT) | LIVE STREAM | LISTEN | STATS | Game Notes |
| Illinois | Champaign, Ill. | Friday, Dec. 21 | NOON | BTN + | KTGR | Stats | Notes |
The Matchup
- Mizzou Women's Basketball heads to Champaign, Ill., for a Braggin' Rights matchup with Illinois on Friday, Dec. 21. Tipoff from the State Farm Center will take place at Noon CT on the Big Ten Network +. Mizzou is coming off a bounce back 69-50 victory over Texas State on Dec. 17, where three Tigers scored in double figures, led by senior guard Sophie Cunningham's 19 points. Last season, Mizzou snapped an eight-game losing streak to the Fighting Illini with a 72-55 win over Dec. 22, 2017. It was Mizzou's first meeting with Illini since 2008, and its first win since Jan. 3. 1993 when Mizzou won 80-54 in Champaign.
DOUBLE-DOUBLE MACHINE
- Junior guard Amber Smith has become a double-double machine this season, as she has turned in six double-doubles in 12 games after only recording two in her freshman and sophomore seasons combined. Among conference and national ranks, Smith's six double-doubles rank second in the SEC and tied-for-18th in the NCAA. Smith has been especially hot in Mizzou's last six contests, as she is averaging 16.0 points and 8.6 rebounds per game with four double-doubles. Smith turned in a career performance on the road against West Virginia on Dec. 2, as Smith set career-highs in points and rebounds with 28 and 13, respectively. On the season, Smith is averaging 14.5 points per game and leads the team in rebounds per game (7.8) and blocks (15). Smith's rebounds per game ranks 10th in the SEC, while her points per game ranks 14th.
- Smith had her third consecutive double-double and sixth of the season in Mizzou's 72-64 road win over Saint Louis on Dec. 9. The Tiger junior scored 15 points and matched a career-high with 13 rebounds.
- The Tiger junior posted her fifth double-double of the season and her third in four games in a 66-59 win over UMKC on Dec. 6. Smith had 19 points and 8-for-15 shooting from the field while corraling 10 rebounds.
- Smith posted career highs in points (28) and rebounds (13) in Mizzou's road win over West Virginia (Dec. 2). The 28-point performance was Smith's fifth 20-point game of her career, as she shot 10-for-15 from the field, 4-for-6 from three and 4-for-5 from the free throw line. With the win, Mizzou improved to 19-3 all-time in games in which Smith scores in double figures.
- The Tiger junior had 17 points and 10 rebounds for her fifth career double-double in a win over Quinnipiac (Nov. 24). Smith scored 11 of her 17 points in the second half.
- Smith posted her fourth career game 20-point game and fourth career double-double with 23 points and 10 rebounds against Green Bay (11/16). Smith got the scoring early, as she scored Mizzou's first nine points of the game, and was successful on a career-high 8-of-10 trips to the free throw line in the game.
- Smith led Mizzou on the glass in Mizzou's season-opening win over Western Illinois (11/6), snagging 12 rebounds while scoring 14 points to record her third career double-double.
- Through 12 games, Smith has also recorded 15 blocks, including a career-high four against Missouri State (11/16). Smith recorded eight blocks as a freshman in 2016-17 and 25 as a sophomore in 2017-18. Smith's 48 career blocks ranks second among all Mizzou players, and ranks 10th in the SEC among active leaders.
CUNNINGHAM HEATING UP
- Mizzou's leading scorer for each of the last three seasons - senior guard Sophie Cunningham - is beginning to heat up, as she is averaging 20.3 points per game over her last three contests. After an abnormal stretch of being held to single-digit scoring figures in four of six games, Cunningham has scored 24, 18, 19 and 20, respectively, in her last four outings. Getting to the free throw line has been key in Cunningham's recent scoring byrst, as she has shot 18-for-20 from the charity stripe in Mizzou's last four games, including a 6-for-6 performance against UMKC (Dec. 6). On the season, Cunningham is averaging 16.1 points and 6.2 rebounds per game, marks which rank 11th and 18th, respectively, in the SEC.
MAKING THE MOST OF THE OPPORTUNITY
- Junior guard Jordan Roundtree made the most of her first career start against Texas State (12/17), as the Tiger junior responded with career highs in points, steals and minutes.
- Roundtree contributed 10 points, five rebounds and three steals in 29 minutes, as she added an instant impact on the dfensive end of the court for the Tigers.
- The increased playing time was a significant jump for the Tiger junior, who hadn't played more than 18 minutes in a game this season prior to Dec. 17. With 10 points, Roundtree's points per game on the season jumped from 1.8 to 2.5 points per game.
LAWYER LAUREN
- Senior guard Lauren Aldridge is helping lead the Mizzou 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.
- With 374 career assists, Aldridge is the team leader in career assists, ranks third among active SEC leaders and 28th among active NCAA D-I players. Aldridge recorded 228 assists in her first two seasons at Kansas.
- Through 12 games in 2018-19, Aldridge's three-point percentage as made significant leaps, as she is currently shooting 42.3 percent (22-for-52) from deep. That mark is up from her previous best of 36.6 percent (45-for-123) from deep in 2017-18, and currently ranks fourth in the SEC this season.
- 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.
LETHAL FROM THREE
- Mizzou has begun to heat up from deep lately, as the Tigers have made seven or more three-pointers in seven of its last eight contests. As a team, Mizzou ranks third in the SEC in three-pointers made per game, as the Tigers average 8.1 threes per game (97 total). Mizzou's season three-point percentage of 32.3 percent (97-for-300) ranks seventh in the SEC.
- The Tigers drained 12 triples and shot 33.3 percent (12-for-36) from beyond the arc against South Dakota (Dec. 15). Senior guard Sophie Cunningham and redshirt senior guard Lauren Aldridge led the way with four and three, respectively.
- Mizzou sank 11 threes and shot 39.3 percent from deep in a 68-51 road win over West Virginia (Dec. 2). Junior guard Amber Smith led the way with four triples, while redshirt freshman guard Haley Troup and junior guard Jordan Chavis each drained three.
- Mizzou's three-point shooting led the Tigers to its win over Duke (Nov. 25) in the consolation finals of the Gulf Coast Showcase, as Mizzou made a season-high 16 three-pointers. Mizzou's 16 triples were the most made in a game as a team since Dec. 20, 2015 when Mizzou also made 16 against Lamar. Five Tigers made threes against Duke, led by junior forward Hannah Schuchts with six.
- Five Tigers are shooting better than 30 percent from deep on the season, led by Aldridge at 42.3 percent (22-for-52) and Schuchts at 38.7 percent (12-for-31). Following close behind is Cunningham at 34.4 percent (22-for-64), Smith at 33.3 percent (14-for-42) and Troup at 31.3 percent (10-for-32).
STIFLING DEFENSE
- A trademark of head coach Robin Pingeton-led team's, Mizzou has been suffocating on the defensive end this season, as it has held its opponents to 54.2 points in its nine victories. Mizzou has held its opponents to 65 points or less in 10 of 12 games this season.
- Mizzou ranks third in the SEC in field goal percentage defense at 35.6 percent, and ranks sixth in scoring defense at 57.3 points per game. The Tigers have forced 10 or more turnovers in eight of 12 games this season, and have forced their opponents to 40 percent or under from the field in nine games.
- Mizzou recorded a season-high 11 steals in a 69-50 victory over Texas State on Dec. 17. Senior guard Sophie Cunningham and junior guard Jordan Roundtree led the way with three steals each, while the Tigers held the Bobcats to 37.3 percent shooting from the field and 19.2 percent shooting from three.
- In Mizzou's 68-51 road win over No. 21 West Virginia, Mizzou's defense held the Mountaineers to 34.8 points below its season average as the Mountaineers scored 51 points on Sunday. West Virginia entered the game averaging 85.8 points. The Tigers were also able to hold West Virginia to season lows in field goal percentage (27.9 percent), three-point percentage (27.8 percent), field goals (17) and three-pointers (five). Junior guard Amber Smith, redshirt junior forward Hannah Schuchts and redshirt freshman guard Haley Troup all set career highs in rebounds with 13, nine and six, respectively, as Mizzou outrebounded West Virginia, 42-34. Smith also contributed a team-high three blocks in the game.
- Mizzou held SIU Edwardsville to 36 points on Nov. 19, the lowest point total Mizzou has given up since allowing 35 points to Nebraska on Nov. 14, 2016. The Tigers held the Cougars to 27.8 percent shooting from the field (15-for-54), the lowest field goal percentage Mizzou has allowed since last season when SIUE shot 25.8 percent (16-for-52) on Dec. 10, 2017.
- Freshman forward Grace Berg recorded a team-high four steals against SIUE, becoming the first freshman to record four steals in a game since Jordan Chavis did so against Indiana State on Nov. 22, 2016. As a team, Mizzou recorded nine steals in the game, the most since having nine steals against Indiana (Dec. 17, 2017).
- Mizzou held Qunnipiac (Nov. 24) to a season-low 21.4 percent shooting from the field as the Bobcats were only successful on 15-for-70 shooting from the field.
#S3NIORSOPH
- All eyes will be on senior guard Sophie Cunningham's senior season as she looks to lead Mizzou to a fourth consecutive NCAA Tournament appearance.
- A returning two-time AP All-America Honorable Mention selection and two-time First Team All-SEC honoree, Cunningham has named to the Wooden Award Preseason Watch List (Nov. 7), the Naismith Trophy Award Preseason Watch List (Nov. 12), and WBCA Cheryl Miller Small Forward of the Year Watch List (Oct. 24). The Cheryl Miller award is an award in its second year, and is 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.
- Cunningham continues to climb up the Mizzou record book, as she currently ranks No. 5 in all-time scoring (1,756 points), No. 4 in career 3-pointers made (175), No. 4 in PPG (16.6), No. 4 in free throws made (427), No. 4 in three-point percentage (.395), No. 3 in free throw percentage (.826), No. 8 in field goal percentage (.502), No. 6 in assists (324) and No. 8 in career field goals made (577).
- With 1,756 career points, Cunningham is the active career scoring leader in the SEC. She holds a slim lead on Florida's Funda Nakkasoglu by 36 points (1,720 points). Her career-point total ranks 18th among active players in the NCAA D-I. Among SEC career active leaders, Cunningham also ranks fifth in career rebounds (570) and seventh in career assists (324). Cunningham's career 82.6 percent success rate from the free throw line ranks ninth among active NCAA D-I players.
- 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.
| 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. Sophie Cunningham | 2015-19 | 1,756 |
| 6. Nancy Rutter | 1974-78 | 1,641 |
| 7. Lorraine Ferret | 1979-83 | 1,624 |
| 8. Evan Unrau | 2000-04 | 1,597 |
| 9. Erika Martin | 1992-96 | 1,535 |
| 10. Sandie Prophete | 1985-89 | 1,480 |
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