Thursday, January 3
Columbia, Mo.
7:00 P.M. CT
University of Missouri
vs
Ole Miss
@MizzouWBB Opens SEC Play with Home Contest Against Ole Miss
1/2/2019 8:46:00 PM | Women's Basketball
Mizzou and Ole Miss to Tip at 7 p.m. CT on Thursday
| Mizzou vs. Ole Miss | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| OPPONENT | LOCATION | DAY | TIME (CT) | LIVE STREAM | LISTEN | STATS | Game Notes |
| Ole Miss | Mizzou Arena | Thursday, Jan. 3 | 7 p.m. | SEC Network + | KTGR | Stats | Notes |
The Matchup
- Mizzou Women's Basketball will open Southeastern Conference play on Thursday, Jan. 3 as the Tigers host Ole Miss at Mizzou Arena. Tipoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. CT on the SEC Network +. Heading into conference play, Mizzou has won eight of its last nine games and is 11-3 overall. Mizzou's 11 victories marks the eighth straight season Mizzou has entered conference play with 10+ wins, dating back to the 2011-12 season. Mizzou is coming off a 70-50 win over Arkansas State on Dec. 30 to close conference play, as the Tigers held their opponent to under 65 points for the 12th time already this season. In Mizzou's 11 victories this season, the Tigers have surrendered just 53.0 points per game. Mizzou has won the last eight matchups between the two schools, all coming since the Tigers joined the SEC prior to the 2012-13 season, and leads the all-time series between the two schools, 8-1.
1-2 PUNCH
- Mizzou has been led all season by the dynamic duo of senior guard Sophie Cunningham and junior guard Amber Smith. Cunningham leads the team in scoring with 15.9 points per game, while Smith leads the team in rebounding at 8.1 rebounds per game. Cunningham and Smith are one of just two teammate duos to rank in the top-20 of the SEC in both scoring and rebounding, as Cunningham's 15.5 PPG ranks 11th and her 6.0 RPG ranks 18th, while Smith's 14.2 PPG ranks 14th and her 8.1 RPG ranks ninth. The only other pair of teammates in the SEC to rank in the top-20 of both categories is Mississippi State's Teaira McCowan and Anriel Howard. Cunningham has began to heat up lately, as she averaging 18.3 points per game in her last five games which includes five games with 18+ points. Smith has been a double-double machine in her junior campaign, as she has recorded six double-doubles in 14 games this season, a mark which ranks second in the SEC and 25th in the NCAA.
CIERRA PORTER IS BACK
- After originally medically retiring in June, senior forward Cierra Porter decided to return to the basketball court over the holiday break, first returning for Mizzou's game against Arkansas State (Dec. 30). Porter scored four points, grabbed two rebounds and had two steals in 11 minutes of action in her return to the court, and notched the 1,000-point of her career in the win. Porter became the 36th member of Mizzou's 1,000-point club, and is the fourth Tiger to reach the plateau in the last three seasons, following Jordan Frericks, Sierra Michaelis and Sophie Cunningham.
- Porter's career totals are among the best in the SEC, as she currently ranks 14th in scoring (1,000), fourth in rebounding (661) and fifth in blocks (98).
- Between 2015-18, Porter averaged 10.6 points and 7.0 rebounds per game while recording 98 blocks and 68 steals. Porter earned All-SEC Freshman Team honors in 2015-16 after scoring 8.6 points and grabbing 5.4 rebounds per game.
- In a stellar sophomore campaign, Porter averaged 13.2 points and 8.1 rebounds per game while shooting 81.0 percent from the free throw line (141-for-174). Porter led the team in rebounds (266) and blocks (45).
- Last season, Porter helped Mizzou advance to the NCAA Tournament for the third consecutive season after averaging 9.8 points and 7.6 rebounds per game while leading the team with 31 blocks.
- Her 266 total points in her debut season rank as the tenth-most in school history. Among program records, Porter ranks seventh all-time in free-throw percentage (.794) and career rebounding average (7.0), and ninth in free throws made in a season (141, 2016-17).
DOUBLE-DOUBLE MACHINE
- Junior guard Amber Smith has become a double-double machine this season, as she has turned in six double-doubles in 14 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-25th in the NCAA.
- Smith has been especially hot in Mizzou's last nine contests, as she is averaging 15.2 points and 9.0 rebounds per game with four double-doubles.
- On the season, Smith is averaging 14.2 points per game and leads the team in rebounds per game (8.1) and blocks (21). Smith's rebounds per game ranks ninth 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 14 games, Smith has also recorded 21 blocks, including a career-high five in Mizzou's most recent win against Arkansas State (Dec. 30). Smith recorded eight blocks as a freshman in 2016-17 and 25 as a sophomore in 2017-18. Smith's 54 career blocks ranks tied-for-firth among all Mizzou players, and ranks eighth 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 18.3 points per game over her last six contests, which includes five games of 18+ points.
- Getting to the free throw line has been key in Cunningham's recent scoring burst, as she has shot 34-for-38 from the charity stripe in Mizzou's last six games, including a 16-for-18 performance against Arkansas (Dec. 30). Cunningham's 16 made free throws were the second-most ever by a Tiger, and the most since Kerensa Barr set the school record of 17 against Colorado on Jan. 24, 1987.
- On the season, Cunningham is averaging 15.5 points per game, marks which rank 11th 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 377 career assists, Aldridge is the team leader in career assists, ranks third among active SEC leaders and 30th among active NCAA D-I players. Aldridge recorded 228 assists in her first two seasons at Kansas.
- Through 14 games in 2018-19, Aldridge's three-point percentage as made significant leaps, as she is currently shooting 40.9 percent (27-for-66) from deep. That mark is up from her previous best of 36.6 percent (45-for-123) from deep in 2017-18.
- 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.
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 53.0 points in its 11 victories. Mizzou has held its opponents to 65 points or less in 12 of 14 games this season.
- Mizzou ranks fourth in the SEC in field goal percentage defense at 36.1 percent, and fifth in scoring defense at 55.9 points per game. The Tigers have forced 10 or more turnovers in 10 of 14 games this season, and have held their opponents to less than 40 percent from the field in 10 games.
- The Tigers held Illinois to 45 points on Dec. 21, the second-lowest point total Mizzou has allowed this season. Mizzou was able to keep the Illini to a smouldering 14.3 percent shooting from the three-point line (2-for-14).
- 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 SIUE 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.
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