THE MATCHUP

• Mizzou Women's Basketball will host its final home game of the season as the Tigers host the Auburn Tigers on Thursday, Feb. 27. Tipoff from Mizzou Arena is scheduled for 7 p.m. CT on SEC Network + with Ben Arnet and Jarrett Sutton on the call. Mizzou enters the game on one of its best stretches on the season, as the Tigers have won two consecutive games and three of its last five entering Thursday's game. Auburn has lost four of its last five games entering Thursday's penultimate SEC contest.

THE SERIES

• Thursday's game will be the 13th meeting between the two programs, with Mizzou holding a 7-5 advantage in the all-time series. Last season, Mizzou and Auburn split two games, with the home team winning each matchup. Entering the game on Thursday, Mizzou's strength of schedule ranks 12th nationally.

ELITE FRESHMEN DUO

• Mizzou's elite freshmen duo of guard Aijha Blackwell and forward Hayley Frank have lived up to their billing so far this season, as they both currently rank among the SEC's top-25 in scoring. Blackwell's scoring average of 14.3 points per game ranks third among SEC freshmen and 10th overall, while Frank's mark of 12.6 points per game ranks seventh among SEC freshmen and 21st overall.
• The duo led Mizzou to victory over Vanderbilt (Feb. 20), as they combined for 42 points (Frank 24, Blackwell 18), the most by a Mizzou freshmen duo since Sophie Cunningham (42) and Cierra Porter (14) combined for 56 points against Wake Forest on Nov. 22, 2015.
• The duo combined for 42 points (Frank 22, Blackwell 20) once again in Mizzou's win over Ole Miss (Feb. 23), but this time they became the first Mizzou freshmen duo to score 20+ points in the same game since Jan. 31, 1996 when Julie Helm and Kesha Bonds did so. In program history, only seven freshmen have ever averaged double figures for the Tigers, and never has there been more than one in a single season. Currently, the duo's scoring averages ranks fourth and sixth, respectively, all-time among Mizzou freshmen.

CAN'T GET PAST SCHUCHTS

• Redshirt senior forward Hannah Schuchts has led the way on the defensive end this season for the Tigers, as she leads the team in blocks with 56 and ranks fourth in the SEC with 2.1 blocks per game.
• Schuchts ranks fourth in Mizzou's top-10 all-time with 136 career blocks, and her mark of 56 blocks this season already ranks seventh all-time in a single season in program history.
• The Tiger senior has recorded multiple blocks in 18 games this season, and three or more blocks in six games.
• Against Vanderbilt (Feb. 20), Schuchts set a career high with six blocks, surpassing her previous high of five, which she set three times beforehand.
• Schuchts produced two or more blocks in six consecutive games from Dec. 5 to Jan. 2, the longest streak of her career.

BLACKWELL EMERGES

• Mizzou freshman guard Aijha Blackwell has settled into her own during her freshman campaign, scoring in double figures in the last 11 games and in 18 of her last 20 games. The Tiger freshman has also recorded four double-doubles in her last five games.
• Blackwell has played her best basketball during the toughest competition, as the Tiger freshmen is averaging 16.9 points, 8.4 rebounds and 2.8 assists per game in SEC play, marks which rank fifth, fifth and 17th, respecitvely. 
• Blackwell, the No. 9-ranked recruit in the Class of 2019, has posted six 20-point games this season, becoming the third freshman in program history to record five or more 20-point games, joining Julie Helm (11, 1996-97) and Sophie Cunningham (10, 2015-16).
• Blackwell was named the SEC Freshman of the Week on Dec. 10 after averaging 14.0 points, 6.5 rebounds and 4.5 assists per game against Saint Louis (Dec. 5) and Kansas City (Dec. 8).
• Blackwell posted her first career double-double in Mizzou's win against LSU, scoring 15 points and grabbing a career-high 11 rebounds.
• The Tiger freshman produced her second career double-double against Georgia (Feb. 6), as she set a new career high with 26 points while grabbing 11 rebounds. 
• Blackwell recorded her fourth double-double of the season with 18 points and a career-high 14 rebounds against Vanderbilt (Feb. 20).
• Blackwell has scored eight or more points in all but two games this season, and has grabbed five or more rebounds in 23 contests. She is currently leads Mizzou in scoring (14.3 ppg), rebounds (7.0 rpg) and assists (2.4 apg).

FRANK'S SOLID DEBUT CAMPAIGN

• Freshman forward Hayley Frank has played quite well in her freshman campaign so far, as she has scored in double figures in 19 of 27 games, including back-to-back 20-point games.
• Frank ranks 20th nationally and leads the SEC in free throw percentage (87.2 percent, 75-of-88). Among SEC freshmen, Frank ranks seventh in points per game (12.6).
• Against New Mexico (Nov. 28) at the Cancun Challenge, Frank scored 29 points and grabbed six rebounds while shooting 9-of-14 from the field, 4-of-5 from three and 7-of-7 from the free throw line. Her 29 points was a new career-high, the most by a Tiger this season and the most by a Mizzou freshman since Sophie Cunningham scored 29 points against Kentucky on Feb. 25, 2016.
• Frank recorded her second career 20-point game against Vanderbilt (Feb. 20), as she paced the Tigers with 24 points and made a career-high five threes. She then scored 22 points to lead Mizzou to victory over Ole Miss (Feb. 23).
• Frank set a Mizzou freshman program record by making at least one three-pointer in each of her first 12 collegiate games. She surpassed Kassie Drew, who made 1+ three in her first nine games in 2004-05.