Thursday, December 5
Columbia, Mo.
7:00 P.M. CT
University of Missouri
vs
Saint Louis
Mizzou Women's Basketball Returns Home to Host Saint Louis Thursday
12/4/2019 3:54:00 PM | Women's Basketball
Tigers and Billikens to Tipoff at 7 p.m. CT on SEC Network +
| Mizzou vs. Saint Louis | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| OPPONENT | LOCATION | DAY | TIME (CT) | TV | LISTEN | STATS | GAME NOTES |
| Saint Louis | Mizzou Arena | Thursday, Dec. 5 | 7 p.m. CT | SECN + | KTGR | Stats | Notes |
THE MATCHUP
- Mizzou Women's Basketball returns home to host in-state foe Saint Louis on Thursday, Dec. 5. Tipoff from Mizzou Arena is slated for 7 p.m. CT on SEC Network + with Ben Arnet and Lauren Aldridge on the call. Mizzou will look to snap a two-game skid after dropping back-to-back contests to New Mexico and North Carolina at the Cancun Challenge over the Thanksgiving week.
THE SERIES
- Thursday's matchup will the 24th matchup between the two schools, as Mizzou holds a decisive 22-1 advantage in the all-time series, including a 74-62 Tiger win last season in St. Louis (Dec. 9), as senior guard Amber Smith posted a double-double with 15 points and 13 rebounds. Mizzou's only set-back to the Billikens came on Dec. 21, 2016 as the Tigers fell 72-61.
FRANK'S HOT STRETCH
- Freshman forward Hayley Frank has settled into her freshman campaign quite well, as she has scored in double figures in six consecutive games, a stretch where she has averaged 16.3 points and 4.5 rebounds 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 leads the SEC in free throw percentage (94.3 percent, 33-of-35), and ranks second in points per game (14.0) and three-pointers per game (1.6) among SEC freshmen. She is one of only two freshmen in program history to record one or more three-pointers in each of her first eight games, joining Kassie Drew who made a three-pointer in her first nine games in 2004-05.
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).
- In the preseason, 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.
- In '18-19, 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 32-13 in her career when she scores in double figures.
- Smith has opened the 2019-20 season with a stat line of 15.3 points, 8.1 rebounds and 1.6 assists per game.
- 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.
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 42.9 percent (9-of-21) 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 38.5 percent (52-of-135), 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).
- 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 36.7 percent (104-of-283) 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 11th and 13th with 111 and 104 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).
- Blackwell has scored eight or more points in all but one game this season, and has grabbed five or more rebounds in five contests. She is currently averaging 9.9 points, 4.4 rebounds and 1.8 assists per game.
- Frank has posted six consecutive double-digit scoring efforts in Mizzou's most recent games, a stretch where she is averaging 16.3 points and 4.5 rebounds per game while shooting 93.9 percent (31-for-33) 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).
- 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.
CHARITY STRIPE SUCCESS
- Mizzou has put an emphasis on getting to the free throw line this season, as the Tigers have connected on 76.4 percent of its freebies (123-for-161) this season. Mizzou has posted marks of 75 percent or better from the free throw line in six of eight games this season, including five 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.
- Frank currently leads the SEC in free throw percentage at 94.3 percent (33-of-35), while Smith ranks eighth in the conference at 81.5 percent (22-of-27).
Players Mentioned
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