University of Missouri
24-11
Iowa
28-6
@MizzouWBB’s Season Closes after NCAA Tournament Second Round Loss to Iowa
3/24/2019 5:22:00 PM | Women's Basketball
Mizzou finishes 2018-19 campaign with 24-11 record
IOWA CITY, Iowa – Mizzou Women's Basketball (24-11, 10-6 SEC) dropped an NCAA Second Round contest to No. 8 Iowa on Sunday afternoon, 68-52. The Tigers 2018-19 campaign comes to a close after 24 wins and a trip to the NCAA Tournament's Second Round for the third time in the last four seasons. In 2018-19, Mizzou recorded 24 wins in back-to-back seasons for the first time since 1982-84 and reached the Big Dance in for the fourth consecutive season for the first time since 1983-86.
Junior guard Amber Smith (Shreveport, La.) led the way for Mizzou on offense with 21 points while grabbing nine rebounds and dishing out four assists.
TURNING POINT
Mizzou had the momentum after a half court buzzer-beating three-pointer from junior Jordan Roundtree (St. Louis, Mo.) ended the first quarter, but Iowa turned the momentum quickly in the second quarter. The Hawkeyes outscored Mizzou, 19-7 in the second frame to take a four-point lead at 33-29 into the locker room at halftime. Iowa scored 10 of its points in paint during the second frame, as Big Ten Player of the Year Megan Gustafson notched eight of her game-high 24 points in the second.
TOP TIGERS
- Smith played the best NCAA Tournament game of her career, as she led the team in scoring with 21 points while grabbing nine rebounds and dishing out four assists.
- In her final game as a Tiger, senior guard Sophie Cunningham (Columbia, Mo.) scored eight points and had two assists.
- Also playing in her final game in the Black & Gold, senior forward Cierra Porter (Columbia, Mo.) scored nine points and grabbed six rebounds.
- Redshirt senior Lauren Aldridge (Marshfield, Mo.) closed out her collegiate career with six points and three assists.
NOTES
- Mizzou now moves to 7-13 all-time in 13 NCAA Tournament appearances.
- Coach Pingeton's three wins as Mizzou's head coach in the NCAA Tournament are the most by a Mizzou head coach, while seniors Cunningham and Porter are the only Tigers to record three wins in the NCAA Tournament.
- With a third quarter board, Smith notched her 500th career rebound in the game. She grabbed a team-high nine in the game and now has 504 career rebounds.
- Mizzou made nine three-pointers in the game, which matched its total from the Tigers first round matchup against Drake (March 22) for the most by a Mizzou team in the NCAA Tournament.
- Cunningham closes her career as Mizzou's all-time leading scorer with 2,187 points.
- Among program career records, Cunningham finishes ranked No. 1 in free throws made (537), No. 2 in career 3-pointers made (238), No. 3 in 3-point percentage (.403), No. 3 in free throw percentage (.839), No. 4 in PPG (17.0), No. 4 in assists (390), No. 4 in career field goals made (706) and No. 8 in field goal percentage (.501).
- Among program single-season records, Cunningham's senior campaign including top-10 marks in points (fifth – 624), three-pointers (fourth – 85) and free throws made (fifth – 151).
- Porter closes her career ranked ninth in career rebounds (769), 10th in blocks (112) and 25th in scoring (1,167).
- Porter's 85.7 percent clip from the free throw line (48-for-56) this season ranks as the fifth-best mark in a single-season in program history.
- Aldridge closes her career with 1,044 points and 434 assists.
For all the latest on Mizzou Women's Basketball, stay tuned to MUTigers.com and follow the team @MizzouWBB (Twitter, Instagram, Facebook).
