Mizzou Women's Basketball Heads West for Matchup with Kansas City on Sunday

Sunday, December 8

Kansas City, Mo.

2:00 P.M. CT

University of Missouri

Kansas City

Mizzou Women's Basketball Heads West for Matchup with Kansas City on Sunday

12/7/2019 12:00:00 PM | Women's Basketball

Mizzou and Kansas City to tip at 2 p.m. CT on Sunday

Mizzou at Kansas City
OPPONENT	LOCATION	DAY	TIME (CT)	TV	LISTEN	STATS	GAME NOTES
Kansas City	Kansas City, Mo.	Sunday, Dec. 8	2 p.m. CT	Roo Sports Network	KTGR	Stats	Notes

THE MATCHUP

Mizzou Women's Basketball makes the short drive west to face in-state foe Kansas City on Sunday, Dec. 8. Tipoff from the Swinney Center is scheduled for 2 p.m. CT on the Roo Sports Network. Mizzou got back into the win column on Thursday, as the Tigers shot a blistering 51.9 percent from the field (28-of-54), 66.7 percent from three (12-of-18) and 93.8 percent from the free throw line (15-of-16). All three marks were season-highs, while Mizzou's mark from beyond the arc was its best since 2002 (minimum 10 attempts).

THE SERIES

Sunday's matchup will the 15th matchup between the two schools, as Mizzou holds a decisive 13-1 advantage in the all-time series, including a 66-59 Tiger win last season in at Mizzou Arena (Dec. 6), as senior guard Amber Smith posted a double-double with 19 points and 10 rebounds. Mizzou's only set-back to the Roos came on Nov. 25, 1991 as the Tigers fell 60-58.

FRANK'S HOT STRETCH

Freshman forward Hayley Frank has settled into her freshman campaign quite well, as she has scored in double figures in seven consecutive games, a stretch where she has averaged 16.3 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 14th nationally and leads the SEC in free throw percentage (92.7 percent, 38-of-41), and among SEC freshmen, ranks first in points per game (14.2) and third in three-pointers per game (1.8). She is one of only two freshmen in program history to record one or more three-pointers in each of her first nine games, joining Kassie Drew who also accomplished the feat in 2004-05.

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, 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 has scored in double figures in back-to-back games, including a 17-point performance that paced Mizzou against Saint Louis (Dec. 5). Blackwell filled the stat sheet while leading the Tigers to victory, as she also contributed six rebounds, three assists, two blocks and two steals.
Blackwell has scored eight or more points in all but one game this season, and has grabbed five or more rebounds in six contests. She is currently averaging 10.7 points, 4.6 rebounds and 1.9 assists per game.
Frank has posted seven consecutive double-digit scoring efforts in Mizzou's most recent games, a stretch where she is averaging 16.3 points and 4.0 rebounds per game while shooting 92.3 percent (36-for-39) 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.

HOT SHOOTING AGAINST THE BILLIKENS

Mizzou played its most complete offensive performance of the season against Saint Louis (Dec. 5), as the Tigers had four players score in double figures. Freshman guard Aijha Blackwell led all scorers with 17 points, while freshman forward Hayley Frank recorded 16 points of her own, her seventh straight game in double figures. Senior guards Jordan Chavis and Amber Smith each chipped in 14 points.
The Tigers were red hot in all aspects of shooting in the game, shooting 51.9 percent from the field (28-of-54), 66.7 percent from three (12-of-18) and 93.8 percent from the free throw line (15-of-16).
It marked the best shooting performance as a team from the field since March 9, 2019 (52.5 percent, 31-of-59 vs. Florida), the best three-point percentage (min. 10 attempts) since Dec. 11, 2002 (66.7 percent, 7-of-10) and the best free throw percentage since Feb. 28, 2019 (96.3 percent, 26-of-27 at Arkansas).

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 44.0 percent (11-of-25) 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 38.8 percent (54-of-139), 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 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 115 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.
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.

CHARITY STRIPE SUCCESS

Mizzou has put an emphasis on getting to the free throw line this season, as the Tigers have connected on 78.0 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 nine games this season, including six 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.
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).
Frank currently leads the SEC and ranks 14th nationally in free throw percentage at 92.7 percent (38-of-41).