Mizzou Women's Basketball To Host Northern Iowa on Wednesday

Wednesday, November 13

Columbia, Mo.

7:00 P.M. CT

University of Missouri

Northern Iowa

Mizzou Women's Basketball To Host Northern Iowa on Wednesday

11/12/2019 4:36:00 PM | Women's Basketball

Mizzou and UNI to tip at 7 p.m. CT on SEC Network +

Mizzou vs. Northern Iowa
OPPONENT	LOCATION	DAY	TIME (CT)	TV	LISTEN	STATS	GAME NOTES
Northern Iowa	Mizzou Arena	Wednesday, Nov. 13	7 p.m. CT	SEC Network +	KTGR	Stats	Notes

THE MATCHUP

Mizzou Women's Basketball will host its third consecutive home game to start the season, as the Tigers welcome the Northern Iowa Panthers to Mizzou Arena on Wednesday, Nov. 10. Tipoff is slated for 7 p.m. CT on SEC Network +, with Ben Arnet and Lauren Aldridge on the call. After opening its 2019-20 season with an overtime victory over Western Illinois, 97-89, on Nov. 5, the Tigers dropped a 90-85 overtime game to Nebraska on Nov. 10. It mark the first time Mizzou has played in back-to-back overtime games since Feb. 21 (66-69 loss at Iowa State) and Feb. 25, 2012 (61-56 win vs. Kansas State), and is the first time in program history Mizzou has started a season with two consecutive overtime games.

THE SERIES

Wednesday's matchup will be the seventh all-time game between the two programs, as Mizzou holds a decisive 6-0 advantage in the all-time series. It will be the second time Mizzou has faced the Panthers under head coach Robin Pingeton, with the last meeting coming in a 69-61 win in the first round of the 2015 WNIT on March 19, 2015.

PRESEASON RECOGNITION FOR SMITH

Senior guard Amber Smith was named to the Citizen Naismith Trophy Watch List, and was tabbed as an All-SEC Preseason First Team selection by the league's coaches for her efforts in the Black & Gold. Smith has opened the season with back-to-back monster performances, recording double-doubles against Western Illinois (Nov. 5) and Nebraska (Nov. 10).
Her 27-point, 15-rebound performance against WIU was just the 18th game of 27+ points and 15+ rebounds in program history, while her 20 points and 14 rebounds against Nebraska was her 12th career double-double. Mizzou is an impressive 31-10 in Smith's career when she scores in double figures. Smith has improved in each season at Mizzou, as she averaged 12.4 points and 6.9 rebounds per game, while recording 28 blocks and 31 steals in 2018-19, all career-highs. Smith posted eight double-doubles on the season, as she became the fourth Mizzou player since 2010 (fifth occurrence) to record at eight or more double-doubles in a season.

THREE TIMES THE DOUBLE-DOUBLE

Mizzou had three players - Amber Smith, Jordan Roundtree and Hannah Schuchts - record double-doubles against Nebraska, marking the first time since Nov. 11, 2005 (vs. Clemson) Mizzou has had three players record a double-double.
With 20 points and 14 rebounds, Smith secured her second double-double of the season. She now has double-doubles in two straight games, and 12 for her career. Smith is the 11th Tiger in program history to post back-to-back 20-point games to start a season.
Roundtree tallied 16 points (matched a career-high) and set a career-high with 10 rebounds, as she secured her first career double-double. This is also the second straight game that Roundtree has scored in double figures, marking the first time in her career she has scored in double figures in back-to-back games.
For the second straight game, Schuchts recorded a double-double, as she scored 13 points and grabbed 10 rebounds against Nebraska. This is the first time in her career she has recorded two-straight double-doubles.

GOOD COMPANY

Mizzou freshman guard Aijha Blackwell was among good company in her second career collegiate game, as she scored 21 points with four rebounds and four assists.
With her 21 points, Blackwell recorded the most points by a Mizzou freshman since Sophie Cunningham scored 23 against Texas in the 2016 NCAA Tournament (3/21/16).
Blackwell and Smith's (20 points) scoring outputs marked the first time Mizzou has had two 20-point scorers since Sophie Cunningham (27) and Smith (20) did so vs. South Carolina on Jan. 17, 2018.

CHARITY STRIPE SUCCESS

Mizzou made an emphasis on getting to the free throw line early in the season, as the Tigers have connected on 81.5 percent of its freebies (44-for-54) this season.
Mizzou's mark of 31 made free throws against Nebraska (Nov. 10), was the most made free throws by a Tiger team since hitting the same mark against Wake Forest on Nov. 22, 2015. Mizzou made 31-of-38 shots from the free throw line against the Huskers.
Mizzou had four players set individual career marks from the free throw line against the Huskers, as senior guard Amber Smith went 10-for-11, senior guard Jordan Roundtree was a perfect 9-for-9, freshman guard Aijha Blackwell was 5-for-10 and freshman forward Hayley Frank was 2-for-2.
Through two games, Mizzou's season mark of 81.5 percent ranks second in the SEC, and 30th overall nationally.

CAREER HIGHS GALORE

With 67.4 percent of its scoring production departed from last season's roster, there is plenty of scoring opportunities to go around on this year's team. Mizzou responded soundly in its season-opening performance, as five Tigers scored in double figures, including two who posted career-high scoring outputs vs. Western Illinois. Below is a breakdown of all the career-highs set that were set by Mizzou against Western Illinois:
- Elle Brown: Points (15), Minutes (32), Field Goals (5), Field Goals Attempted (7), Free Throws (5), Free Throws Attempted (5), Rebounds (2), Assists (6), Steals (2)
- Jordan Chavis: Points (18), Minutes (41), Field Goals Made (7), Assists (8)
- Jordan Roundtree: Minutes (37), Free Throws Made (5), Free Throws Attempted (6)
- Hannah Schuchts: First Career Double-Double, Minutes (34), Field Goals Attempted (9), Rebounds (10), Steals (2)
- Amber Smith: Field Goals (11), Rebounds (15), Steals (3)

SEASON-OPENING THRILLER

Mizzou opened its season with an overtime thriller, as the Tigers overcame a nine-point third quarter deficit to defeat Western Illinois, 97-89, on Tuesday, Nov. 5.
Mizzou's 97 points scored were the most Mizzou has scored since Feb. 23, 2017 in a 100-65 victory over Ole Miss.
Mizzou had five players score in double figures for the first time since an 88-54 win over Arkansas on Jan. 21, 2018. Scoring in double figures was senior guard Amber Smith (27), senior guard Jordan Chavis (18), junior guard Elle Brown (15), senior guard Jordan Roundtree (14) and senior forward Hannah Schuchts (11).
Smith's 27-point, 15-rebound performance was her 11th career double-double, and the ninth since the beginning of last season. Her production was just the 18th occurrence of 27+ points and 15+ rebounds in program history, and the first since Jordan Frericks' 27-point, 17-rebound performance vs. Bradley on Dec. 6, 2014.
Schuchts notched her first career double-double with 11 points and 10 rebounds. The Tiger senior set a new career-high in rebounds with her first double-digit effort on the boards.
Mizzou had two players record double-doubles for the first time since Sophie Cunningham and Smith each had double-doubles vs. Quinnipiac on Nov. 24, 2018.
Freshman forward Hayley Frank and freshman guard Aijha Blackwell each started in their first collegiate contests.

LEANING ON SMITH

With the departure of Sophie Cunningham, Mizzou's all-time leading scorer, the Tigers will look to lean on senior guard Amber Smith in 2019-20. Smith was selected to the Citizen Naismith Trophy Watch List and was tabbed a Preseason All-SEC First Team selection by the league's coaches after starting all 35 games in 2018-19 while averaging 12.4 points, 6.9 rebounds and 2.2 assists in 28.5 minutes per game. Smith posted impressive shooting marks as well, as she shot 44.9 percent (169-for-376) from the field and 36.8 percent (39-for-106) from three.
The versatile Tiger led Mizzou in rebounds (243), rebound average (6.9) and double-doubles (eight) in 2018-19, while setting career highs in assists (76), blocks (28) and steals (31).
Good things seem to happen when Smith plays well, as Mizzou is 31-10 in her career when she scores in double figures.
Smith recorded her 500th career rebound in the NCAA Tournament Second Round vs. Iowa (March 24), and is 24 points away from 1,000 career points (976). When Smith records her 1,000th career point, she will become the 37th Tiger to join the 1,000-point club, and just the 25th player in program history to record 1,000 points and 500 rebounds.

DOUBLE-DOUBLE MACHINE

With less size on the roster, senior guard Amber Smith transitioned into more of a post-player role for Mizzou in 2018-19. She responded in great fashion for the Tigers, as she recorded eight double-doubles last season, a dramatic improvement from just two in her freshman and sophomore campaigns, combined.
Smith has kept the double-double momentum going to start the 2019-20 season, as she has recorded back-to-back double-doubles, her 11th and 12th of her career.
Among active players in the SEC, Smith's 12 career double-doubles currently ranks fifth, trailing only LSU's Ayana Mitchell (28), Auburn's Unique Thompson (21), Tennessee's Rennia Davis (20) and Texas A&M's Ciera Johnson (14).
Earlier on in the 2019-20 campaign, Smith's two double-doubles leads the nation, as she is tied with four other players, including teammate Hannah Schuchts.
With her eight double-doubles last season, Smith joined an elite class of Tigers to record eight or more double-doubles in a single season, as she is just one of four Tigers since 2010 to do so. Smith joined BreAnna Brock (9, 2011-12), Jordan Frericks (12, 2014-15; 8, 2015-16) and Cierra Porter (12, 2016-17).