University of Missouri
Texas
Women's Basketball Opens SEC Play Against No. 2 Texas Thursday
12/31/2025 2:00:00 PM | Women's Basketball
Mizzou women's basketball opens Southeastern Conference play against No. 2 Texas at 6:30 p.m. on Thursday in Mizzou Arena.
Mizzou (12-3, 0-0 SEC) enters the contest following an overtime victory over Kansas City on Sunday.
In her first season at the helm, head coach Kellie Harper is off to the best start by a coach in their debut season in program history.
Sophomore guard Chloe Sotell led the Tigers in the scoring column for the first time this season with 23 points behind a career-best seven 3-pointers.
With double-double performances by junior guard Grace Slaughter and senior forward Jordana Riesma, Mizzou had four players in double figures for the 10th time this season.
Slaughter currently ranks fifth in the SEC and 32nd in the nation with 18.9 points per game.
Missouri is fourth in the conference and 14th in the country in 3-point percentage at 38.3 percent.
To supplement the outside shooting, the Tigers rank seventh in the country and lead the SEC in efficiency at the free-throw line at 80.7 percent.
Mizzou made its first eight free throws against Illinois, which marked 31 consecutive attempts at the line dating back to the win over Cal on Dec. 4. This is the most consecutive made free throws for the Tigers dating back to the 2000-01 season.
Spearheading the offense in the early campaign, Slaughter and junior guard Shannon Dowell became the first Mizzou duo to score in double figures in the first 11 games of a season in program history.
Dowell ranks 14th in the SEC at 16.4 points per game this season. The junior also ranks 12th in the country and first in the conference with 67 made free throws this year.
Closing games late, Mizzou has outscored its opponents by 54 points in the fourth quarter this season.
Texas enters Thursday at 15-0 following a 120-38 victory over Southeastern Louisiana on Sunday.
Last season, the Longhorns were defeated by South Carolina in the 2025 Final Four.
Head coach Vic Schaefer is in his sixth season on the sidelines at Texas with a 159-36 record. Overall, Schaefer is 460-208 in his 21-year career.
The Longhorns are led by junior forward Madison Booker, who averages 18.8 points per game.
Last season, Booker was named an All-American and was honored as the SEC Player of the Year.
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