University of Missouri
23-9
Kentucky
24-7
@MizzouWBB Advances to SEC Tournament Semifinals with Win over Kentucky
3/8/2019 8:42:00 PM | Women's Basketball
Mizzou returns to a conference tournament semifinal for the first time since 1994
GREENVILLE, S.C. – Mizzou Women's Basketball (23-9, 10-6 SEC) advanced to the SEC Tournament semifinals for the first time in program history on Friday, as the Tigers defeated Kentucky (24-7, 11-5 SEC), 70-68, in an overtime thriller. Senior guard Sophie Cunningham (Columbia, Mo.) led the way for Mizzou as she scored an SEC Tournament career-high 30 points and was a solid 13-for-15 from the free throw line in the game.
The conference tournament semifinals appearance is the first for Mizzou since 1994 when the Tigers won the Big Eight Conference Tournament.
Cunningham's 30 points moved her to second place on Mizzou's all-time scoring list with 2,125 points. The Tiger senior surpassed Renee Kelly (1983-87, 2,119 points) and is now just one point away from Joni Davis' (1981-85) mark of 2,126 points.
TURNING POINT
Mizzou led for the entirety of the first three quarters, but Kentucky was able to come back and make it a tight game as the fourth quarter featured seven lead changes. The Tigers turned to their senior leader when the game mattered most, as Cunningham scored seven of Mizzou's 11 points in the overtime period. Cunningham went to the free throw line twice the game's final 20 seconds, and was able to sink 3-of-4 of her attempts from the line to help seal the contest.
TOP TIGERS
- Cunningham scored in double figures for the 14th consecutive game with 30 points, while pulling down seven rebounds, dishing out three assists and sinking 13-of-15 attempts from the free throw line.
- Junior guard Amber Smith (Shreveport, La.) scored 12 points on 5-for-10 shooting from the field while recording seven rebounds and two blocks.
- Junior guard Jordan Roundtree (St. Louis, Mo.) scored seven points and grabbed a team-high seven rebounds.
NOTES
- With the win, Mizzou advances to the SEC Tournament semifinals for the first time since joining the league prior to the 2012-13 season, and to a conference tournament semifinal for the first time since 1994 when the Tigers won the Big Eight Conference Tournament Championship.
- The win was Mizzou's second at this year's SEC Tournament, marking the first time the Tigers have won multiple games at the SEC Tournament, and the first time the Tigers have won multiple games at a conference tournament since the same 1994 Tigers captured the Big Eight title.
- With 30 points, Cunningham moved into second place on Mizzou's all-time scoring list with 2,125 points, surpassing Renee Kelly (1983-87), who scored 2,119 points. Cunningham is now just two points away from becoming Mizzou's all-time leading scorer, as she sits just two points away from Joni Davis' (1981-85) mark of 2,126 points.
- Cunningham's 30 points are the most she has second in an SEC Tournament game, surpassing the 13 points she scored against Texas A&M in 2017 and in yesterday's game against Florida.
- Roundtree matched a career-high with seven rebounds in the game, the third time in her career she has reached that total.
- Mizzou has now held Kentucky to its two lowest scoring halves of the season. Mizzou held the Wildcats to 19 in the first half of today's game, and 18 points in the first half of the team's matchup on Jan. 24.
- Mizzou shot 48.8 percent from the field, marking the 18th time in the last 20 games Mizzou has shot 40 percent or better from the field.
- The Tigers converted 82.8 percent (24-for-29) of their attempts from the free throw line, marking the 11th time this season Mizzou has shot 80 percent or better from the free throw line. Of those 11 games, six have occurred in the last eight contests.
UP NEXT
With the win, Mizzou advances to the SEC Tournament semifinals tomorrow where the Tigers will face Mississippi State. The game will begin at 4:00 p.m. CT, with broadcast coverage on ESPN U.
For all the latest on Mizzou Women's Basketball, stay tuned to MUTigers.com and follow the team @MizzouWBB (Twitter, Instagram, Facebook).
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