Mizzou Women's Basketball Set for Road Contest at Missouri State

Sunday, December 15

Springfield, Mo.

3:00 P.M. CT

University of Missouri

Missouri State

Mizzou Women's Basketball Set for Road Contest at Missouri State

12/14/2019 11:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball

Mizzou and Missouri State to Tip off at 3 p.m. CT on ESPN+ on Sunday

Mizzou at Missouri State
OPPONENT	LOCATION	DAY	TIME (CT)	TV	LISTEN	STATS	GAME NOTES
Missouri State	Springfield, Mo.	Sunday, Dec. 15	3 p.m. CT	ESPN +	KTGR	Stats	Notes

THE MATCHUP

Mizzou Women's Basketball continues its tour of in-state matchups, as the Tigers head south to Springfield to face No. 20/18 Missouri State on Sunday, Dec. 15. Tipoff from the JQH Arena is slated for 3 p.m. CT and will be streamed on ESPN +. In its most recent contest, Mizzou dropped a nail-biter, 59-56, to Kansas City on Dec. 8. Missouri State is riding a 8-1 start to the season, and is coming off a NCAA Sweet 16 appearance in 2019.

THE SERIES

Sunday's matchup will the 30th matchup between the two schools, as Mizzou holds a 21-8 advantage in the all-time series. Last season, Mizzou outlasted the Bears, 65-61, in an early season matchup at Mizzou Arena (Nov. 13). Mizzou has won the last four matchups between the two schools dating back to 2015, including a 69-59 win in its last visit to Springfield on Nov. 19, 2017.

BLACKWELL NAMED SEC FRESHMAN OF THE WEEK

Mizzou freshman guard Aijha Blackwell was named the SEC Freshman of the Week after averaging 14.0 points, 6.5 rebounds and 4.5 assists per game in contests against Saint Louis (Dec. 5) and Kansas City (Dec. 8). The weekly conference honor is the first of Blackwell's career, and the first of the year for Mizzou.
Blackwell paced the Tigers with 17 points in a 83-58 win over Saint Louis and stuffed the stat line with six rebounds, two blocks and two steals. With 11 points against Kansas City, Blackwell scored in double figures for the third consecutive game and the fourth time in her career. Blackwell also recorded career-highs in rebounds (seven) and assists (six), and matched her career high in blocks (two).

FRANK'S HOT STRETCH

Freshman forward Hayley Frank has settled into her freshman campaign quite well, as she has scored in double figures in eight consecutive games, a stretch where she has averaged 15.7 points per game. Against New Mexico (Nov. 28) at the Cancun Challenge, Frank scored 29 points and grabbed six rebounds while shooting 9-of-14 from the field, 4-of-5 from three and 7-of-7 from the free throw line. Her 29 points was a new career-high, the most by a Tiger this season, the third-most by an SEC player this season and the most by a Mizzou freshman since Sophie Cunningham scored 29 points against Kentucky on Feb. 25, 2016.
Frank ranks ninth nationally and leads the SEC in free throw percentage (92.9 percent, 39-of-42), and among SEC freshmen, ranks first in points per game (14.0) and second in three-pointers per game (1.7). With a late fourth quarter three against UMKC (Dec. 8), Frank became the first Tiger in program history to record one or more three-pointers in each of her first 10 games, surpassing Kassie Drew, who made 1+ three in her first nine games in 2004-05.

FRESHMEN STAND OUTS

Mizzou freshmen Aijha Blackwell and Hayley Frank have each impressed early on in the season, solidifying their top-30 ranks in the 2019 recruiting class.
Blackwell, the No. 9-ranked recruit in the Class of 2019, 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).
Blackwell was named the SEC Freshman of the Week on Dec. 10 after averaging 14.0 points, 6.5 rebounds and 4.5 assists per game against Saint Louis (Dec. 5) and Kansas City (Dec. 8). She paced the Tigers a 17-point performance against Saint Louis (Dec. 5), filling the stat sheet while leading the Tigers to victory, as she also contributed six rebounds, three assists, two blocks and two steals. With 11 points against Kansas City, Blackwell scored in double figures for the third consecutive game and the fourth time in her career. Blackwell also recorded career-highs in rebounds (seven) and assists (six), and matched her career high in blocks (two).
Blackwell has scored eight or more points in all but one game this season, and has grabbed five or more rebounds in seven contests. She is currently averaging 10.7 points, 4.8 rebounds and 2.3 assists per game.
Frank has posted eight consecutive double-digit scoring efforts in Mizzou's most recent games, a stretch where she is averaging 15.7 points and 3.7 rebounds per game while shooting 92.5 percent (37-for-40) from the free throw line.
Against Northern Iowa (Nov. 13), she posted 17 points and was a career-high 9-of-10 from the free throw line. She then followed that performance with 12 points, four rebounds and three steals against Green Bay (Nov. 16).
Frank scored 29 points and grabbed six rebounds against New Mexico (Nov. 28), and shot 9-of-14 from the field, 4-of-5 from three and 7-of-7 from the free throw line. Her 29 points was a new career-high, the most by a Tiger this season, the third-most by an SEC player this season and the most by a Mizzou freshman since Sophie Cunningham scored 29 points against Kentucky on Feb. 25, 2016.

THREE-POINT SPECIALISTS

One thing that has carried over 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 42.3 percent (11-of-26) 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 38.6 percent (54-of-140), which ranks fifth all-time in program history, trailing only Lindsey Cunningham's (40.6 percent), Sophie Cunningham (40.0 percent), Carlynn Savant (40.0 percent) and Morgan Eye (38.9 percent).
Smith's career three-point percentage of 37.1 percent (106-of-286) ranks ninth all-time at Mizzou.
Against Saint Louis (Devc. 5), Chavis entered Mizzou's top-10 all-time for career three-pointers made, as she now ranks 10th all-time with 117 three-pointers, passing Amanda Hanneman (113, 2006-10). Smith will look to join Chavis on the all-time three-pointers list, as she currently ranks 13th with 106 career threes.

CHARITY STRIPE SUCCESS

Mizzou has put an emphasis on getting to the free throw line this season, as the Tigers have connected on an SEC-leading 77.2 percent of its freebies (138-for-177) this season. Mizzou has posted marks of 75 percent or better from the free throw line in seven of 10 games this season, including six games of 80 percent or better.
Freshman forward Hayley Frank currently leads the SEC and ranks ninth nationally in free throw percentage at 92.9 percent (39-of-42).
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.
Mizzou shot an impressive (93.8 percent, 15-of-16) from the charity stripe against Arkansas (Dec. 5), its best mark since Feb. 28, 2019 (96.3 percent, 26-of-27 at Arkansas).