THE MATCHUP

• Mizzou Women's Basketball (19-8, 8-5 SEC) heads to Auburn, Ala., for a Sunday matchup against Auburn (19-7, 7-6 SEC) on Sunday, Feb. 24. Tipoff from Auburn Arena is slated for 2 p.m. CT on SEC Network +. Mizzou is coming off a 62-60 loss to Tennessee on Feb. 17, while Auburn is coming off a 77-38 win over Alabama on Feb. 17. Earlier this season, Mizzou defeated Auburn, 74-65, on Jan. 27 behind 30 points from senior guard Sophie Cunningham.  A win on Sunday would be Mizzou's 20th of the season, giving the Tiger their fourth consecutive 20-win season, a feat which has not been accomplished since Mizzou won 20 games between the 1983-84 and 1986-87 seasons.

#S3NIORSOPH

• Senior guard Sophie Cunningham has played some of her best basketball over Mizzou's last nine games, as she is averaging 21.5 points per game over the last month with six 20-point games. In Mizzou's win over Mississippi State (Feb. 14), Cunningham reached 2,000 career points, becoming just the third player in program history to reach that mark. Cunningham ranks near the top of numerous statistical categories in the SEC, as she ranks fourth in scoring (17.2 ppg), second in three-point percentage (41.4 percent) and fifth in three-pointers made (2.4). In conference games only, Cunningham leads the SEC in three-point percentage (49.4 percent) and three-pointers made per game (3.1). The Tiger senior has been recognized among the best in the nation this season, as she currently sits on the watch lists for the Wooden Award, the Wade Trophy, the Naismith Player of the Year and the Cheryl Miller Small Forward of the Year Award. 
• Cunningham scored 24 points to lead Mizzou to victory over Mississippi State on Thursday, as she became the third player in program history to reach 2,000 career points as the Tiger senior joins Joni Davis (1981-85 – 2,126 points) and Renee Kelly (1983-87 – 2,199 points). Cunningham has now scored 2,015 points in her career. Cunningham also became Mizzou's most prolific free throw shooter in the game, as she has now sank 484 career free throws, surpassing Nancy Rutter (1974-78) and Renee Kelly's (1983-87) mark of 481 free throws made. Cunningham's 24-point performance is her 12th 20-point game of the season and the 45th of her career. 
• Cunningham was named SEC Player of the Week for the second time this season after averaging 24.5 points and 10.0 rebounds per game in Mizzou's wins over No. 18 Texas A&M (Feb. 7) and Vanderbilt (Feb. 10). Cunningham continues to lead active SEC players with 11 weekly honors in her career.
• Cunningham scored 27 points, grabbed eight rebounds and matched a career-high with seven three-pointers vs. Vanderbilt. Cunningham became the second Tiger to ever make seven threes in an SEC game, as she joined Morgan Eye, who made 11 against Auburn on Jan. 6, 2013. It marked the 11th time this season and the 44th time in her career she has reached 20 points, as Mizzou moved to 10-1 in games this season in which she has scored 20+ points.
• Cunningham has now recorded 10 or more 20-point games in each season of her collegiate career (10 in '15-16, 10 in '16-17, 13 in '17-18, 11 in '18-19).
• Cunningham produced her 12th career double-double with 22 points and 12 rebounds against Texas A&M (Feb. 7). Cunningham accounted for six of Mizzou's nine total points in overtime, and was a perfect 4-for-4 from the free throw line in the extra period.
• Cunningham was named the SEC Player of the Week on Jan. 29 after averaging 23.5 points per game t nationally-ranked Kentucky (Jan. 24) and Auburn (Jan. 27). 
• Cunningham scored 30 points and drained a season-high six three-pointers in Mizzou's 74-65 win over Auburn (Jan. 27), moving the Tiger senior into third-place on Mizzou's all-time scoring list with 1,928 points. She surpassed Julie Helm, who scored 1,925 points from 1996-00. Cunningham also reached 200 made three-pointers in the game, becoming just the third player in Mizzou history to reach that mark.
• Cunningham's 30-point game was her second of the season, and the ninth of her career. She is the SEC's only player this season to record multiple 30-point games, and now has the third-most 30-point games of any Mizzou player (nine), trailing only Renee Kelly's 16 and Joni Davis' 13. In Cunningham's 30-point performances, Mizzou is 7-2 overall.
• Cunningham shot 16-for-18 from the free throw line against Arkansas (Dec. 30). Cunningham's 16 made free throws were the second-most ever by a Tiger, and the most since Kerensa Barr set the school record of 17 against Colorado on Jan. 24, 1987.
• Cunningham posted her 40th career 20-point game against Georgia (Jan. 17), as she led the Tigers in points (23), rebounds (eight) and steals (five). Cunningham's five steals were a career-high, besting her three steals which she recorded multiple times. With her 23 points, eight rebounds and five steals, Cunningham is just the third Tiger in the last 21 seasons to record such a stat line, joining Jordan Frericks (27 points, 17 rebounds, six steals at Bradley, 12-6-14) and Christine Flores (25 points, 14 rebounds, five steals vs. Eastern Illinois, 12-7-11).  
• Cunningham has recorded two games of 20+ points and 5+ assists this season, giving her nine for her career, giving her nine of her career, the most by a Tiger since the 2000-01 season.

HISTORIC ROAD WINS

• Mizzou has recorded two historic road wins this season, as the Tigers have beaten two top-10 ranked opponents on the road.
• Mizzou defeated No. 5 Mississippi State on Feb. 14, its first ever win in Starkville, as the Tigers snapped a 26-game SEC regular season win streak and 32-game home win streak for MSU.
• Mizzou's win over the fifth-ranked Bulldogs is the highest ranked win on the road in a regular season game in program history and the second-highest road win over a ranked opponent overall, trailing only Mizzou's win over No. 4 Georgia in the second round of the NCAA Tournament on March 18, 2001.
• Mizzou's first ever regular season road win over a top-10 ranked opponent came on Jan. 6, as the Tigers beat the then-No. 10-ranked Tennessee Volunteers, 66-64. 
• After coming up unsuccessful in its previous four trips to the Summitt, the victory was Mizzou's first ever at Thompson-Boling Arena in Knoxville. The loss was only the 40th loss ever suffered by the Lady Vols in Thompson-Boling Arena, which opened in 1987-88.

STIFLING DEFENSE

• A trademark of head coach Robin Pingeton-led team's, Mizzou has been suffocating on the defensive end this season, as it has held its opponents to 57.2 points per game. Mizzou has held its opponents to 65 points or less in 23 of 27 games this season.
• Mizzou ranks third in the SEC in scoring defense at 57.2 points per game and first in field percentage defense at 36.3 percent. In conference games, Mizzou ranks second the SEC in scoring defense (58.6) and first in field goal percentage defense (36.6 percent). The Tigers have forced 10 or more turnovers in 20 of 27 games this season, and have held their opponents to less than 40 percent from the field in 19 games.
• Mizzou held Vanderbilt to 29.5 percent shooting from the field and just 15 points in the first half. It was the third time this season that Mizzou has held an opponent to 15 points or below in one half.
• In Mizzou's 61-35 win over Georgia, the 35 points Mizzou allowed was the fewest points ever scored against Mizzou in a conference game. It was the fewest points allowed by the Tigers since Nebraska scored 35 during the 2016-17 season (11/14/16), and was the Bulldogs' lowest total since they were held to just 26 against Auburn during the 2014-15 season (2/22/15). The previous low Mizzou held a conference opponent to was 36 against Iowa State on Jan. 28, 1977.
• The Tigers held Illinois to 45 points on Dec. 21, the second-lowest point total Mizzou has allowed this season. Mizzou was able to keep the Illini to a smouldering 14.3 percent shooting from the three-point line (2-for-14).
• In Mizzou's 68-51 road win over No. 21 West Virginia, Mizzou's defense held the Mountaineers to 34.8 points below its season average as the Mountaineers scored 51 points on Sunday. West Virginia entered the game averaging 85.8 points. The Tigers were also able to hold West Virginia to season lows in field goal percentage (27.9 percent), three-point percentage (27.8 percent), field goals (17) and three-pointers (five). Junior guard Amber Smith, redshirt junior forward Hannah Schuchts and redshirt freshman guard Haley Troup all set career highs in rebounds with 13, nine and six, respectively, as Mizzou outrebounded West Virginia, 42-34. Smith also contributed a team-high three blocks in the game.
• Mizzou held SIUE to 36 points on Nov. 19, the lowest point total Mizzou has given up since allowing 35 points to Nebraska on Nov. 14, 2016. The Tigers held the Cougars to 27.8 percent shooting from the field (15-for-54), the lowest field goal percentage Mizzou has allowed since last season when SIUE shot 25.8 percent (16-for-52) on Dec. 10, 2017.
• Mizzou held Qunnipiac (Nov. 24) to a season-low 21.4 percent shooting from the field as the Bobcats were only successful on 15-for-70 shooting from the field.