Sunday, February 28
Starkville, Miss.
3:00 P.M. CT
University of Missouri
at
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Mississippi State
Mizzou Women's Basketball Finishes Regular Season at Mississippi State on Sunday
2/27/2021 8:43:00 PM | Women's Basketball
Mizzou and Mississippi State to tip at 3 p.m. CT on SEC Network
| MIZZOU at MISSISSIPPI STATE | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| OPPONENT | LOCATION | DAY | TIME (CT) | TV | LISTEN | STATS | GAME NOTES |
| Mississippi State | Starkville, Miss. | Sunday, Feb. 28 | 3 p.m. CT | SEC Network | KTGR | Stats | Notes |
THE MATCHUP
- Mizzou Women's Basketball will finish its regular season with a road trip to Starkville, Miss., to face the Mississippi State Bulldogs on Sunday, Feb. 28. Tipoff from Humphrey Coliseum is scheduled for 3 p.m. CT on SEC Network with Tiffany Greene and Steffi Sorensen on the call. In Mizzou's last time out, the Tigers nearly pulled of an upset of the No. 20/21 Tennessee Lady Volunteers, as a five-point lead heading into the fourth quarter quickly turned into a five-point win, 78-73, for the Lady Vols on Thursday. Mizzou has played in many close contests during the conference slate, as five of the Tigers nine losses in SEC play have come by a combined 25 points. Four of those five setbacks happening against ranked opponents as the Tigers continue to search for a signature win for its season. The Bulldogs enter Sunday's regular season finale winners of its last two games, winning 81-68 over Auburn on Feb. 23 and 68-59 over LSU on Thursday. Mizzou and Mississippi State have been two of the most-affected teams by the COVID-19 pandemic, as each team has had seven games postponed, canceled or rescheduled.
THE SERIES
- Sunday's matchup will be the 12th all-time meeting between the two schools, as the Bulldogs hold a 9-2 advantage in the all-time series. In Starkville, Mizzou is 1-3 against the Bulldogs, earning its first win in its trip to the Hump a 75-67 win over the No. 5-ranked Bulldogs on Valentine's Day 2019. Mississippi State has won the last two games in the series, including a 79-64 win in the last meeting on Jan. 9, 2020.
HIGH-POWERED OFFENSE
- Mizzou's high-powered offense has steered the way for the Tigers in 2020-21, as Mizzou leads the SEC and ranks fifth in the NCAA in field goal percentage at 48.9 percent (507-of-1,036). Mizzou has shot 50 percent or better from the field in nine of 18 games this season and 60 percent or better in two contests. More on Mizzou's hot shooting later. Mizzou's scoring has been a balanced attack as well, as four players are currently averaging double figures: sophomore guard Aijha Blackwell (14.1 ppg), redshirt junior forward LaDazhia Williams (14.0 ppg), sophomore forward Hayley Frank (12.3 ppg) and redshirt senior guard Shug Dickson (10.2 ppg).
THREE WITH 20+
- In Mizzou's win over Florida (Feb. 21), 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.
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 22nd in the NCAA at 11.1 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 11.1 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 16 of 17 games played this season, and has produced 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.
HOT SHOOTING
- All season, Mizzou has been able to shoot the ball at an extremely high level. Mizzou currently leads the SEC and ranks fifth nationally in field goal percentage at 48.9 percent (507-of-1,036).
- Sophomore forward Hayley Frank has lit up the net so far this season, as her shooting percentages currently sit at 55.9 percent (80-of-143) from the field, 45.8 percent (33-of-72) 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 59.4 percent (95-of-160) from the field, a mark which ranks second in the SEC, 10th 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 18 games and 60 percent or better twice. Mizzou's 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.
BALANCED SCORING
- Through 18 games this season, Mizzou has had a balanced attack leading the way in scoring, as four are currently averaging double figures: sophomore guard Aijha Blackwell (14.1 ppg), redshirt junior forward LaDazhia Williams (14.0 ppg), sophomore forward Hayley Frank (12.8 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.
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Players Mentioned
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