THE MATCHUP

• After a 10-day layoff, Mizzou Women's Basketball returns to action with its first Southeastern Conference matchup of the season as the Tigers host the undefeated Alabama Crimson Tide on Thursday, Dec. 31. The New Year's Eve tipoff is scheduled for 2:00 p.m. CT on SEC Network + with Nate Gatter and Brad Loos on the call. The Tigers enter SEC play on a three-game winning streak after defeating New Orleans (Dec. 16), Oral Roberts (Dec. 19) and Southern Illinois (Dec. 20) by a combined 38.0 points per game. Alabama enters the game with perfect 7-0 mark which includes road victories over Oklahoma State (Dec. 5, 76-72) and Memphis (Dec. 19, 74-68). COVID-19 has affected both programs greatly in the early going, as the Tigers have had five postponement or cancellations so far, while the Tide have had three.

THE SERIES

• Mizzou holds a 7-5 advantage in the all-time series between the two schools, but fell in their most recent contest, a 73-61 win for the Crimson Tide on March 1, 2020 in Tuscaloosa, Ala. Prior to that game, Mizzou had won four straight against Alabama dating back to Feb. 2017. The Tigers will look to even the all-time series in Columbia on Thursday, as the Tide hold a 3-2 advantage over the Tigers at Mizzou Arena. Of the team's 12 all-time contest, nine have come since the 2012-13 season, Mizzou's first as a member of the SEC.

THREE-HEADED SCORING MACHINE

• Through the non-conference portion of its schedule Mizzou has been led by the three-headed scoring threat of sophomore guard Aijha Blackwell, sophomore forward Hayley Frank and redshirt junior forward LaDazhia Williams, who have scored in double figures in 13 of 15 combined games. Blackwell, who led the Tigers in scoring in 2019-20, is currently leading the way this season with 14.2 points per game, while Frank and Williams are scoring 13.2 and 13.0 points per game, respectively. Each rank in the SEC's top-30 in scoring, ranking 20th, 23rd, and 24th, respectively, while each also rank in the league's top 10 in other categories. Blackwell ranks ninth in rebounding (8.2 rpg), Frank ranks second in FT% (.909), and Williams ranks second in FG% (.683) and ninth in blocks per game (1.6).

HOT SHOOTING

• One point of emphasis to point to the Tigers' hot start to the season is its ability to shoot the ball at an extremely high level. As of now, Mizzou leads the SEC in field goal percentage and three-point percentage by a wide margin, shooting 54.5 percent (158-290) from the field and 41.0 percent from deep (34-83). The next closest teams to the Tigers is Texas A&M (50.2 percent from the field) and Arkansas (38.3 percent from three). 
• In addition to leading the SEC in both categories, the Tigers rank second nationally in field goal percentage and 14th in three-point percentage.
• Redshirt junior forward LaDazhia Williams has led the charge from the field this season, as she currently ranks second in the SEC with a mark of 68.3 percent (28-41) from the field. Sophomore forward Hayley Frank leads the Tigers in shooting from deep, as she has made 8-of-14 shots from deep (57.1 percent) this season.
• Mizzou has shot the lights out this season, recording field goal percentages of 50 percent or better in four of its five games and 60 percent or better twice.
• Against New Orleans (Dec. 16), the Tigers shot an incredible 63.2 percent (36-of-57) from the field, the 10th-best mark in program history and their best mark since a 65.9 percent (27-of-41) performance against Ole Miss on Jan. 3, 2019. 
• Mizzou shot above 60 percent again in its win against Southern Illinois (Dec. 20), shooting 61.2 percent (30-of-49).
• Since the 1977-78 season (43 seasons), Mizzou has shot better than 60 percent from the field just 25 times, with six occurrences (24.0 percent) happening under head coach Robin Pingeton.
   

QUICK TO 500

• Sophomore guard Aijha Blackwell recorded her 500th career point against New Orleans (Dec. 19), needing only 34 games to accomplish the feat. 
• Blackwell is the quickest Tiger to reach 500 career points during the Pingeton era, and might be the quickest in program history (Mizzou does not have compelte game-by-game records prior to 2003).  In comparison, it took Sophie Cunningham, Mizzou's all-time leader with 2,187 points, 36 games to reach 500 points.
• With 537 points through 36 career games (14.9 points per game), Blackwell appears to be in good position to challenge Cunningham for Mizzou's all-time scoring record, a mark which was set in 2019, the season prior to her arrival in Columbia.

PROGRAM WIN 800

• In Mizzou's 88-49 win over Oral Roberts on Dec. 19, the Tigers earned their 800th program victory, becoming the 74th team in NCAA Division-I history to reach 800 wins. Mizzou has had four head coaches in its program history, with current head coach Robin Pingeton leading the Tigers for the past 11 seasons with a mark of 184-142. Mizzou was also previously coached by Alexis Jarrett (1974-75, 9-8), Joann Rutherford (1975-98, 423-261) and Cindy Stein (1998-10, 185-177).

MILESTONE CHASING

• A host of milestones will be in-play this season for the Tigers. Below is a rundown of career achievements that have/could happen during in the 2020-21 season.
• Mizzou senior forward Shannon Dufficy will get to finish her already decorated career with a senior campaign at Mizzou. The Aussie native reached the 1,000-point career mark in Mizzou's season-opener against North Alabama (Nov. 27), and needs just 137 rebounds to eclipse 1,000 career boards. In three seasons at Utah State, Dufficy averaged 279.3 rebounds per season, including a single-season program record of 339 rebounds in 2018-19.
• Also wrapping up her collegiate career in CoMo, senior guard Shug Dickson will have the 1,000-point mark in her sights, as she currently has 743 points, needing 257 to reach the mark. In her sophomore campaign at Tulsa (2017-18), Dickson scored 410 points (14.1 ppg) in 29 games. 
• In her 11th season, head coach Robin Pingeton record at Mizzou sits at 184-142 (.564). The Tiger head boss needs just two wins to move past Cindy Stein (1998-10, 185-77) for second-place on Mizzou's all-time win list. She already ranks second in winning percentage, trailing only Mizzou Hall of Famer Joann Rutherford, who had a 61.8 percent winning percentage in 23 seasons (1975-98, 423-261). Pingeton is just 1 of 16 Power 5 active coaches and 1 of 31 active D-I head coaches to win 500 or more career games. 
• As a program, Mizzou captured its 800th win against Oral Roberts (Dec. 19) becoming the 74th program to reach the 800-win mark in NCAA history. In 47 seasons, Mizzou owns a mark of 801-588 (.557) all-time.

DAY IN THE MIDDLE

• A much needed presence in the middle of the paint, redshirt junior forward LaDazhia Williams has become a go-to offensive option through her first five games in the Black & Gold. She has scored in double figures in four of Mizzou's five games, first scoring 18 points in her Mizzou debut over North Alabama (Nov. 27), then 15 points against Missouri State (Dec. 14),14 points against New Orleans (Dec. 16) and finally 14 points against Oral Roberts (Dec. 19). It marked the first time in her career she has scored in double figures in four consecutive games.
• She has been highly efficient in her offensive output as well, as she is shooting 68.3 percent (28-of-41) thorough Mizzou's first five games. That mark is good enough to rank second in the SEC and fourth nationally.