COLUMBIA, Mo. – Mizzou Women's Basketball announced its 13-game 2019 nonconference schedule Wednesday, which includes a pair of home exhibition games, seven home contests at Mizzou Arena and a trip to Cancun, Mexico, for a Thanksgiving tournament.
In her 10th season as Mizzou head coach, Robin Pingeton's Tigers will face seven teams who advanced to the postseason in 2018-19, including four who reached the NCAA Tournament. Mizzou will face five opponents who won 20 games in 2018-19, and five who finished in the top-80 of the RPI a season ago.
After facing Truman State (Oct. 24) and Fontbonne (Oct. 29) in exhibition contests, Mizzou will open the season with three home games at Mizzou Arena. Mizzou will begin its 2019-20 slate with Western Illinois on Nov. 5, followed by old Big 12 foe Nebraska (Nov. 10) and Northern Iowa (Nov. 13). Mizzou opened up last season with an 89-64 win over Western Illinois, as senior Amber Smith (Shreveport, La.) recorded the first of eight double-doubles in the season with 14 points and 12 rebounds. The Tigers last played Nebraska on Nov. 14, 2016, in Lincoln, Neb., in a Preseason WNIT quarterfinals matchup, where Mizzou won 55-35.
Mizzou will then hit the road for its next two games, squaring up against Green Bay (Nov. 16) and South Dakota (Nov. 21) before returning home for a home game against SIU Edwardsville (Nov. 24). Mizzou will look to improve to 6-0 all-time against SIUE.
The Tigers will spend Thanksgiving weekend in sunny Mexico, as Mizzou is slated to play in the Cancun Challenge for the second time in program history. Mizzou will face New Mexico on Thanksgiving Day (Nov. 28), followed by North Carolina on Nov. 29. The Tigers last played in the Cancun Challenge in 2012, where the Tigers went 1-2 with a win over Wichita State (49-44) on Nov. 22, 2012.
Mizzou returns to Mizzou Arena for its first game in December, matching up against Saint Louis on Dec. 5. Last season, Mizzou beat the Billikens, 74-62, in Chaifetz Arena behind 15 points and 13 rebounds from Smith. Next, Mizzou will face in-state opponents UMKC and Missouri State for back-to-back road contests on Dec. 8 and Dec. 15. The Tigers are a combined 34-9 against the Roos and Bears.
The Tigers will close out the 2019-20 nonconference slate with back-to-back home games against Princeton (Dec. 18) and Illinois (Dec. 20) in a Braggin' Rights matchup. Mizzou and the Fighting Illini will tip for a third consecutive season, with the Tigers winning each of the last two seasons, 72-55, in Columbia on Dec. 22, 2017 and 67-45, in Champaign on Dec. 21, 2018.
All game times and dates are subject to change. Season ticket purchases are on sale now, available at MUTigers.com/WBBTix, or by contacting the Mizzou ticket office via phone at 1-800-CAT-PAWS. For all the latest on Mizzou Women's Basketball, stay tuned to MUTigers.com and follow the team @MizzouWBB (Twitter, Instagram, Facebook).
2019-20 NONCONFERENCE SCHEDULE (All tipoff times TBD)
Oct. 24 vs. Truman State (exhibition)
Oct. 29 vs. Fontbonne (exhibition)
Nov. 5 vs. Western Illinois
Nov. 10 vs. Nebraska
Nov. 13 vs. Northern Iowa
Nov. 16 at Green Bay
Nov. 21 at South Dakota
Nov. 24 vs. SIU Edwardsville
Nov. 28 vs. New Mexico*
Nov. 29 vs. North Carolina*
Dec. 5 vs. Saint Louis
Dec. 8 at UMKC
Dec. 15 at Missouri State
Dec. 18 vs. Princeton
Dec. 20 vs. Illinois
Bold denotes home
* - Cancun Challenge in Cancun, Mexico