Mizzou Women’s Basketball Falls to No. 22/23 Tennessee to Open SEC Play

Thursday, January 2

Knoxville, Tenn.

4:00 P.M. CT

University of Missouri

3-11,0-1SEC

Tennessee

11-2,1-0SEC

Missouri

Tennessee

Mizzou Women’s Basketball Falls to No. 22/23 Tennessee to Open SEC Play

1/2/2020 9:36:00 PM | Women's Basketball

Box Score Box Score (PDF)

Smith paces Mizzou with 22 points, Blackwell registers 16 points

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – Mizzou Women's Basketball (3-11, 0-1 SEC) held tough with No. 22/23 Tennessee, but ultimately fell, 77-66, to open SEC play on Thursday night in Knoxville, Tenn. The Tigers cut the Lady Vols lead to as little as four with 7:50 remaining in the game, but couldn't overcome the lengthy Tennessee team at Thompson-Boling Arena.

Mizzou was paced by senior guard Amber Smith (Shreveport, La.) and freshman guard Aijha Blackwell (Berkeley, Mo.), who scored 22 and 16 points, respectively.

TURNING POINT

Mizzou and Tennessee battled back-and-forth for much of the first half, as there were five lead changes and four ties in the game's first 20 minutes. Mizzou entered the locker room at halftime with a manageable four-point deficit at 32-28, but Tennessee came out of the locker room clicking on all cylinders with a 14-4 run to grow its lead to 14. Mizzou would cut the lead to as little as four, but could never gain the lead again.

TOP TIGERS

Smith registered her fourth 20-point game of the season with a team-high 22 points while setting a season-high with four three-pointers. Smith added four rebounds, two assists and two steals in the game.
Blackwell scored in double figures for the sixth time in the last seven games with 16 points. The Tiger freshman shot 4-of-8 from the field, 6-of-10 from the free throw line, and added two steals in the contest.
Senior guard Jordan Chavis (Lexington, N.C.) scored eight points and drained two three-pointers in the game.

NOTES

Mizzou shot 40.4 percent from the field (23-for-57), its eighth game shooting at least 40 percent from the field.
With her team-high 22 points, Smith recorded her fourth 20-point game of the season, a new career-high for a single season for the Tiger senior. It was Smith's 10^th career 20-point game, as she record three 20-point games as a sophomore (2017-18) and a junior (2018-19). It also marked the 50^th time in her career Smith has scored in double figures.
Smith drained a season-high four three-pointers and was one off her career-high of five triples.
With 16 points, Blackwell notched her eighth game in double figures and the sixth in the last seven games.
Blackwell matched a career-high with six free throws made, making 6-of-10 attempts from the charity stripe.
Chavis drained two three-pointers in the game, marking the ninth time this season and the 32^nd time in her career she has drained multiple threes.
Junior guard Nadia Green (Chicago, Ill.) grabbed five rebounds, marking the third time this season she has grabbed at least five boards.
Redshirt sophomore guard Haley Troup (Gadsden, Ala.) dished out a season-high four assists in the game.