THE MATCHUP

Mizzou Women's Basketball welcomes the No. 20/21-ranked Tennessee Lady Volunteers for its final home game of the 2020-21 campaign on Thursday, Feb. 25. Tipoff from Mizzou Arena is scheduled for 7 p.m. CT on SEC Network with Nate Gatter and Mizzou Women's Basketball alum Jordan Roundtree on the call. In Mizzou's last time out, the Tigers sank a program-tying 18 three-pointers in a 96-80 win over Florida on Sunday. The Tigers will be looking for back-to-back wins for the first time since the non-conference slate, last doing so on Dec. 19 and Dec. 20. Tennessee dropped its last game, a 57-55 setback on the road to No. 22/23 Georgia on Sunday, but beat No. 2/3 South Carolina, 75-67, last Thursday.

THE SERIES

• Thursday's matchup will be the 15th all-time meeting between the two schools, as the Lady Vols hold a 11-3 advantage in the all-time series. In Columbia, Tennessee is 4-2 against the Tigers, including a 62-60 win on Feb. 17, 2019, its most recent trip to CoMo. Mizzou's last win over the Lady Vols came on Jan. 6, 2019, a 66-64 win in Knoxville, Mizzou's only win ever at Thompson-Boling Arena.

HONORING DEBBIE WALKER

• During Thursday's game, Mizzou will be honoring the career of Debbie Walker, the first four-year African-American student-athlete for the Mizzou Women's Basketball team, joining the program for the 1980-81 season. A native of South Bend, Indiana, and a first-team All-State performer at South Bend La Salle High School, Debbie went on to become the eighth 1,000-point scorer in program history, finishing with 1,088 career points, a total that ranks 32nd today. She helped the Tigers to three-consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances from 1982-84, including the school's first-ever Sweet 16 trip in 1982. Mizzou won 21 or more games in each of her four seasons in Columbia, captured the 1983 Big 8 Tournament title and ended the season ranked among the AP Top 20 in her final three seasons. A 2011 inductee into the Indiana Basketball Hall of Fame, she played professionally in Switzerland and France following her collegiate career and now resides in the  Seattle area where she is a teacher and coach. 

THREE WITH 20+

• In the win over Florida, Mizzou had three players score 20+ in the game, as senior guard Shug Dickson (20 points on senior day) was joined by the electric sophomore duo of forward Hayley Frank and guard Aijha Blackwell, who had 26 and 21 points, respectively.
• It marked the first time three Tigers scored 20+ in the same game since Nov. 29, 2008, when Alyssa Hollins (27), Shakara Jones (22) and Jessra Johnson (21) did so in a three-overtime game.
• The last time Mizzou had three score 20+ in regulation was Jan. 6, 1995 vs. Oklahoma when Nikki Smith (23), Erika Martin (22) and Mandy Bryan (20) did so.

HOT SHOOTING

• All season, Mizzou has been able to shoot the ball at an extremely high level. Mizzou currently leads the SEC and ranks third nationally in field goal percentage at 49.1 percent (479-of-975).
• Sophomore forward Hayley Frank has lit up the net so far this season, as her shooting percentages currently sit at 57.0 percent (77-of-135) from the field, 46.9 percent (30-of-64) from three and 86.4 percent (38-of-44) from the free throw line. Frank would rank near the NCAA's top in each category, but her makes per game fall below the minimum threshold. 
• Redshirt junior forward LaDazhia Williams has also helped lead the charge from the field this season, as she is shooting 59.6 percent (93-of-156) from the field, a mark which ranks second in the SEC, eigth nationally and would be the second-best mark in a single season in program history. 
• Mizzou has shot the lights out this season, recording field goal percentages of 50 percent or better in nine of its 17 games and 60 percent or better twice. Mizzou's nine games of 50 percent or better is its best since 2018-19 (six), while its two games of 60 percent or better ties the most in the Coach Pingeton era with the 2016-17 squad.
• Mizzou's 18 three-pointers against Florida (Feb. 21) matched a program record, the third time its hit that mark after also doing so on Jan. 16, 2013 (vs. Auburn) and Dec. 8, 2013 (vs. Bradley).
• 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.

DOUBLE-DOUBLE MACHINE

• Always an elite scorer, sophomore guard Aijha Blackwell has elevated her rebounding production this season. 
• Blackwell currently ranks third in the SEC and 17th in the NCAA at 11.3 rebounds per game. Blackwell has produced 10 or more rebounds 12 times this season, including six consecutive games between Jan. 18 and Feb. 7. Over Mizzou's last seven games, Blackwell has recorded 94 rebounds (13.4 rpg), posting 11, 16, 16, 19, 12, 10 and 10 respectively. She is the first Tiger since at least 2002-03 to record 15 or more rebounds in consecutive games, let alone three straight. Her 19-board performance at Kentucky (Jan. 31) was the most since Jessra Johnson had 19 on Nov. 15, 2007.
• Her 11.3 rebounds per game would be the best mark-ever by a Mizzou sophomore and would rank second overall on the single-season list.
• Blackwell has scored in double figures in 15 of 16 games played this season, giving her 11 double-doubles, the most by a Tiger in a single season since Cierra Porter had 12 in the 2016-17 season. Her six consecutive double-doubles from Jan. 18 to Feb. 7 was the longest streak in her career as she became the first Tiger to reach that mark since Christelle N'Garsanet had six straight in the 2005-06 season.

BALANCED SCORING

• Through 17 games this season, Mizzou has had a balanced attack leading the way in scoring, as four are currently averaging double figures: redshirt junior forward LaDazhia Williams (14.5 ppg), sophomore guard Aijha Blackwell (14.0 ppg), sophomore forward Hayley Frank (13.1 ppg) and redshirt senior guard Shug Dickson (10.2 ppg).
• As the season winds down, the last Mizzou team to have four players average in double figures was the 2006-07 Mizzou Tigers.
• Already this season, Mizzou has had five games where five players have scored in double figures, the most since the 2005-06 Tigers did so in seven contests, including four straight between Nov. 27 and Dec. 11, 2005.