Thursday, November 28
Cancun, Mexico
3:00 P.M. CT
University of Missouri
vs
New Mexico
Mizzou Women's Basketball Set for Cancun Challenge
11/26/2019 9:40:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Mizzou will play New Mexico Thursday, North Carolina Friday
| Cancun Challenge | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| OPPONENT | LOCATION | DAY | TIME (CT) | TV | LISTEN | STATS | GAME NOTES |
| New Mexico | Cancun, Mexico | Thursday, Nov. 28 | 3 p.m. CT | FloHoops | KTGR | Stats | Notes |
| North Carolina | Cancun, Mexico | Friday, Nov. 29 | 5:30 p.m. CT | FloHoops | KTGR | Stats | Notes |
CANCUN CHALLENGE TOURNAMENT CENTRAL PAGE
THE MATCHUP
- Mizzou Women's Basketball hits the road to Cancun, Mexico, for its Thanksgiving tournament, the Cancun Challenge. The Tigers will face New Mexico at 3:00 p.m. CT on Thursday, Nov. 28, followed by a matchup with North Carolina on Friday, Nov. 29 at 5:30 p.m. CT. It will be the second time Mizzou has played in the Cancun Challenge, after recording a 1-2 mark at the 2012 Cancun Challenge. In that tournament, Mizzou defeated Wichita State (49-44 on Nov. 22, 2012) before falling to Green Bay (55-33 on Nov. 23, 2012) and Minnesota (59-54 on Nov. 24, 2012). The entire tournament will be streamed through FloHoops.com.
THE SERIES
- Thursday's Thanksgiving matchup with New Mexico will be the fourth game between the two programs, as Mizzou currently holds a 2-1 advantage in the all-time series. It will be the second game between North Carolina and Mizzou, as the Tar Heels claimed the only other matchup between the two schools, 87-80, on Dec. 28, 1985.
FAST START FOR SMITH
- Senior guard Amber Smith has become Mizzou's go-to scorer in her senior campaign, as she has opened the season with a stat line of 17.0 points, 9.5 rebounds and 2.5 assists per game. Against Green Bay (Nov. 16), Smith became the 37th member of Mizzou's 1,000-point club, and just the 25th player in program history to score 1,000 points and grab 500 rebounds. She recorded her 11th and 12th career 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. In the preseason, 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. Mizzou is an impressive 32-12 in Smith's career when she scores in double figures.
1K FOR SMITH
- Senior guard Amber Smith reached a career milestone against Green Bay (Nov. 16), as she became 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. Smith recorded her 500th career rebound in the NCAA Tournament Second Round vs. Iowa (March 24).
- With the departure of Mizzou's all-time leading scorer, Sophie Cunningham, the Tigers will look to lean on 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 32-12 in her career when she scores in double figures.
THREE-POINT SPECIALISTS
- One thing that will not change from past seasons is Mizzou's ability to connect from deep range. Seniors Jordan Chavis, Hannah Schuchts and Amber Smith, along with redshirt sophomore Haley Troup all have the capability to stretch the floor and drain the three-ball for the Tigers.
- Schuchts has connected on 50.0 percent (8-of-16) of her shots from three this season. Her success this season has raised her career three-point percentage from 37.7 percent (prior to season) to 39.2 percent (51-of-130), which ranks fourth all-time in program history, trailing only Lindsey Cunningham's (40.6 percent), Sophie Cunningham (40.0 percent) and Carlynn Savant (40.0 percent).
- Schuchts' career night against Duke (11/25/18) at the Gulf Coast Showcase set a program single-game record, as her 6-for-6 mark from deep was the most made threes in a game without a miss in program history. Schuchts joined Tracy Lozier (5-for-5, at Northern Iowa, 12/11/12) and Lindsey Cunningham (5-for-5, vs. Arkansas, 2/12/17) as the only players in program history to record a perfect mark from three when making at least five triples.
- Smith's career three-point percentage of 36.9 percent (103-of-279) ranks ninth all-time at Mizzou.
- Chavis and Smith will look to join Mizzou's top-10 all-time in threes made this season, as they rank 12th and 13th with 108 and 103 career threes, respectively.
- Troup's debut season in the Black & Gold (2018-19) was among the best in terms of three-point shooting from Mizzou freshmen, as she ranked sixth all-time in threes made (30) and seventh in three-point percentage (.361) among Mizzou freshmen.
- In 2018-19, Mizzou matched a program record for most threes made in as season, as their 292 tied a program record with the 2013-14 squad. The team's 36.0 percent success rate from deep also ranked fourth all-time in program history.
FRESHMEN STAND OUTS
- Mizzou freshmen Aijha Blackwell and Hayley Frank have each posted impressive performances early on in the season, solidifying their top-30 ranks in the 2019 recruiting class.
- Blackwell was among good company in her second career collegiate game, as she scored 21 points with four rebounds and four assists against Nebraska (Nov. 10). 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).
- Against South Dakota (Nov. 21), Blackwell scored 10 points and matched career-highs in rebounds (five) and three-pointers (two).
- Frank has posted four consecutive double-digit scoring efforts in Mizzou's most recent games, a stretch where she is averaging 14.0 points and 3.8 rebounds per game while shooting 90.9 percent (20-for-22) from the free throw line. Against Northern Iowa (Nov. 13), she posted career highs in 17 points and free throws (9-for-10). She then followed that performance with 12 points, four rebounds and three steals against Green Bay (Nov. 16).
- Against South Dakota (Nov. 21), Frank led Mizzou in scoring for the first time in her career with 15 points, while adding four rebounds and shooting 5-of-6 from the free throw line. Against SIUE (Nov. 24), Frank added 12 points with four rebounds while shooting a perfect 3-for-3 from the free throw line.
CHARITY STRIPE SUCCESS
- Mizzou has put an emphasis on getting to the free throw line this season, as the Tigers have connected on 77.0 percent of its freebies (97-for-126) this season. Mizzou has posted marks of 75 percent or better from the free throw line in five of six games this season, including four games of 80 percent or better.
- 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 three 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.
- Against Northern Iowa (Nov. 13), freshman forward Hayley Frank posted a 9-for-10 mark from the charity stripe.
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