Tiger fans,

It's been a little longer since my last post, but that does not mean things have slowed down over here with women's basketball. If you have not been able to make it out to a game yet, there is still time. We are only 3 games in (not counting exhibition), and conference play does not start up at home until January 5, 2014.

We won both of our exhibition games after beating Quincy on Nov. 5^th, and after our first away game against St. Louis on Nov. 8^th followed by two home games (SIUE Nov.10, Evansville Nov.14) we are 3-0 on the season.

I typically do not travel with the team when they are away, but I followed the St. Louis game on my iPhone with the ESPN app. You can download this app for free, make an account, and add the Missouri Women to your favorite teams too if you want to keep up with them on the road. It is always crucial getting that first road win, and I am glad we were able to.

So far the most exciting home game to me has been our latest against Evansville. I thought everyone played well and played well together. It was a good chance for the crowd to see what I see our bench do well in practice day in and day out.

Morgan Stock has been shooting lights out from the 3-point line these past few weeks in practice, and she matched her career high of 15 last game which she just beat this season after a career high of 7 points last season. We have a lot of good 3-point shooters on our team, and I think after Morgan Eye's success last year, she won't be the only name buzzing on the other schools' scouting reports.

We honored our hometown heroes last game as we celebrated Veteran's Day that week. Our program featured sophomore forward Darian Saunders whom I had the joy of writing about for the feature story. In the interview with Darian I learned a lot about heroes she holds close to her heart, and how she wants be a hero in the lives of others as well.

Her dad serves in the U.S. military, and my parents are retired Air Force. We honored our military heroes on Veteran's Day, but I invite you all this week to honor anyone who has been a hero in your life, as well as think about how you can be a hero in anyone else's life. We all could use a hero every now and then.

Come be our heroes in the stands tomorrow night at 7pm as we seek another win against Southeast Missouri State on our home court at Mizzou Arena.

 

Hey Tiger Fans,

We are beginning our 6th week of practices here at Mizzou Arena, and what better way to have started off the week than by winning our first exhibition game against Southwest Baptist last Tuesday!

I saw a lot of familiar faces out in the crowd, and it just felt really good to know that basketball season is finally back.

 

Before I talk about the game, I wanted to let you guys in on our game day routine.

First we have a shoot around generally five hours before tipoff. The girls enter with a song playlist to get them pumped up. The court is usually already set up for the game, and I like that because I feel it aids to our game day focus. After some shooting drills, the team reviews offenses and defenses as well as go over the scouting report for the opposing team.

My favorite part is what comes after, the pre-game meal! I like to hear the girls talk about what positives they are shooting for in each particular game. When they are almost done eating Coach Porter comes in to speak to them, usually providing a devotional. On Tuesday he talked to them about having a strong foundation. He used a tri-pod as an example which I can actually relate to with filming practices. I thought that was funny, but he said if one leg of the tri-pod isn't standing, the tri-pod cannot fulfill its purpose, which is true. It was a good way to reflect on our own lives knowing that with a proper foundation, we too would be able to fulfill our purpose.  The girls end on a prayer and everyone comes back later to prepare for the game. We are able to take the floor one hour before tipoff.

I arrive an hour and a half before to setup, and take care of some of my manager duties.

Alex, one of our other managers and myself, are helping two of our new managers transition into the program. They are freshmen who will take our place upon graduation. Their names are Katie and Rachel.

On Tuesday I arrived earlier to assist them in our typical game day routine. I cannot believe after four years that was the last first game I will ever help set up for! But the main reason I am sharing this with you all is because I noticed after going over the process step by step with them, there really is a lot that goes into making these game days possible.

Watching event staff, media relations, game day operations, coaches, players, referees, trainers, fans, Tiger Paws, and everyone else, I could not help but to feel so much appreciation. The game day atmosphere is really a special thing. The next time you find yourself at a game be sure to send out a few extra thank you's to anyone lending a helping hand!

You can read the recap of our 79-53 win over Southwest Baptist on mutigers.com, but be sure to make it out to Mizzou Arena TOMORROW when we take on Quincy Illinois at 7p.m.!

Until then Tiger Fans,

Jordan

  Hey Tiger Fans,

We are beginning our 6th week of practices here at Mizzou Arena, and what better way to have started off the week than by winning our first exhibition game against Southwest Baptist last Tuesday!

I saw a lot of familiar faces out in the crowd, and it just felt really good to know that basketball season is finally back.

 

Before I talk about the game, I wanted to let you guys in on our game day routine.

First we have a shoot around generally five hours before tipoff. The girls enter with a song playlist to get them pumped up. The court is usually already set up for the game, and I like that because I feel it aids to our game day focus. After some shooting drills, the team reviews offenses and defenses as well as go over the scouting report for the opposing team.

My favorite part is what comes after, the pre-game meal! I like to hear the girls talk about what positives they are shooting for in each particular game. When they are almost done eating Coach Porter comes in to speak to them, usually providing a devotional. On Tuesday he talked to them about having a strong foundation. He used a tri-pod as an example which I can actually relate to with filming practices. I thought that was funny, but he said if one leg of the tri-pod isn't standing, the tri-pod cannot fulfill its purpose, which is true. It was a good way to reflect on our own lives knowing that with a proper foundation, we too would be able to fulfill our purpose.  The girls end on a prayer and everyone comes back later to prepare for the game. We are able to take the floor one hour before tipoff.

I arrive an hour and a half before to setup, and take care of some of my manager duties.

Alex, one of our other managers and myself, are helping two of our new managers transition into the program. They are freshmen who will take our place upon graduation. Their names are Katie and Rachel.

On Tuesday I arrived earlier to assist them in our typical game day routine. I cannot believe after four years that was the last first game I will ever help set up for! But the main reason I am sharing this with you all is because I noticed after going over the process step by step with them, there really is a lot that goes into making these game days possible.

Watching event staff, media relations, game day operations, coaches, players, referees, trainers, fans, Tiger Paws, and everyone else, I could not help but to feel so much appreciation. The game day atmosphere is really a special thing. The next time you find yourself at a game be sure to send out a few extra thank you's to anyone lending a helping hand!

You can read the recap of our 79-53 win over Southwest Baptist on mutigers.com, but be sure to make it out to Mizzou Arena TOMORROW when we take on Quincy Illinois at 7p.m.!

Until then Tiger Fans,

Jordan

  Hey Tiger Fans,

We are beginning our 6th week of practices here at Mizzou Arena, and what better way to have started off the week than by winning our first exhibition game against Southwest Baptist last Tuesday!

I saw a lot of familiar faces out in the crowd, and it just felt really good to know that basketball season is finally back.

 

Before I talk about the game, I wanted to let you guys in on our game day routine.

First we have a shoot around generally five hours before tipoff. The girls enter with a song playlist to get them pumped up. The court is usually already set up for the game, and I like that because I feel it aids to our game day focus. After some shooting drills, the team reviews offenses and defenses as well as go over the scouting report for the opposing team.

My favorite part is what comes after, the pre-game meal! I like to hear the girls talk about what positives they are shooting for in each particular game. When they are almost done eating Coach Porter comes in to speak to them, usually providing a devotional. On Tuesday he talked to them about having a strong foundation. He used a tri-pod as an example which I can actually relate to with filming practices. I thought that was funny, but he said if one leg of the tri-pod isn't standing, the tri-pod cannot fulfill its purpose, which is true. It was a good way to reflect on our own lives knowing that with a proper foundation, we too would be able to fulfill our purpose.  The girls end on a prayer and everyone comes back later to prepare for the game. We are able to take the floor one hour before tipoff.

I arrive an hour and a half before to setup, and take care of some of my manager duties.

Alex, one of our other managers and myself, are helping two of our new managers transition into the program. They are freshmen who will take our place upon graduation. Their names are Katie and Rachel.

On Tuesday I arrived earlier to assist them in our typical game day routine. I cannot believe after four years that was the last first game I will ever help set up for! But the main reason I am sharing this with you all is because I noticed after going over the process step by step with them, there really is a lot that goes into making these game days possible.

Watching event staff, media relations, game day operations, coaches, players, referees, trainers, fans, Tiger Paws, and everyone else, I could not help but to feel so much appreciation. The game day atmosphere is really a special thing. The next time you find yourself at a game be sure to send out a few extra thank you's to anyone lending a helping hand!

You can read the recap of our 79-53 win over Southwest Baptist on mutigers.com, but be sure to make it out to Mizzou Arena TOMORROW when we take on Quincy Illinois at 7p.m.!

Until then Tiger Fans,

Jordan

  Hey Tiger Fans,

We are beginning our 6th week of practices here at Mizzou Arena, and what better way to have started off the week than by winning our first exhibition game against Southwest Baptist last Tuesday!

I saw a lot of familiar faces out in the crowd, and it just felt really good to know that basketball season is finally back.

 

Before I talk about the game, I wanted to let you guys in on our game day routine.

First we have a shoot around generally five hours before tipoff. The girls enter with a song playlist to get them pumped up. The court is usually already set up for the game, and I like that because I feel it aids to our game day focus. After some shooting drills, the team reviews offenses and defenses as well as go over the scouting report for the opposing team.

My favorite part is what comes after, the pre-game meal! I like to hear the girls talk about what positives they are shooting for in each particular game. When they are almost done eating Coach Porter comes in to speak to them, usually providing a devotional. On Tuesday he talked to them about having a strong foundation. He used a tri-pod as an example which I can actually relate to with filming practices. I thought that was funny, but he said if one leg of the tri-pod isn't standing, the tri-pod cannot fulfill its purpose, which is true. It was a good way to reflect on our own lives knowing that with a proper foundation, we too would be able to fulfill our purpose.  The girls end on a prayer and everyone comes back later to prepare for the game. We are able to take the floor one hour before tipoff.

I arrive an hour and a half before to setup, and take care of some of my manager duties.

Alex, one of our other managers and myself, are helping two of our new managers transition into the program. They are freshmen who will take our place upon graduation. Their names are Katie and Rachel.

On Tuesday I arrived earlier to assist them in our typical game day routine. I cannot believe after four years that was the last first game I will ever help set up for! But the main reason I am sharing this with you all is because I noticed after going over the process step by step with them, there really is a lot that goes into making these game days possible.

Watching event staff, media relations, game day operations, coaches, players, referees, trainers, fans, Tiger Paws, and everyone else, I could not help but to feel so much appreciation. The game day atmosphere is really a special thing. The next time you find yourself at a game be sure to send out a few extra thank you's to anyone lending a helping hand!

You can read the recap of our 79-53 win over Southwest Baptist on mutigers.com, but be sure to make it out to Mizzou Arena TOMORROW when we take on Quincy Illinois at 7p.m.!

Until then Tiger Fans,

Jordan

 

Hey Tiger Fans,

It's your manager Jordan again coming to you in the 4^th week of our women's basketball official practices. I hope a lot of you were able to make it out to the Black and Gold Game last week. In case you didn't get the chance I will give you a quick recap. Playing on the gold team was freshmen Jordan Frericks and Sierra Michaelis, sophomores Michelle Hudyn, Darian Saunders, Lianna Doty, and Morgan Stock, and junior Bree Fowler. Playing for black was freshman Kayla McDowell, sophomores Maddie Stock and Lindsey Cunningham, junior Morgan Eye, and seniors Bri Kulas and Tania Jackson. Also suited up for black was redshirt freshman Davionna Holmes.

Coach Pingeton grabbed the mic before the game thanking fans for their continued and future support, expressing how proud she already was of this team. Bri Kulas led gold with 16 points, 6 rebounds, and 3 steals. Black remained on top until a tied half of 16 to 16. Jordan Frericks led gold with 8 points and 10 rebounds. Lianna Doty added 7 points and 5 rebounds. The gold pair also combined for 4 assists. In the end gold came out on top with a final score of 29 to 26.

The Black and Gold Game made me really excited for the first home exhibition game against Southwest Baptist at 7pm on October 29^th, which is just next week! After seeing the girls in practice for weeks and finally seeing them in a game situation I think we really have something special for fans to look forward to watching this season.

SEC Conference play will not start for the Tigers until January 2014, but SEC Media Day for women's basketball launched last Wednesday on October 16^th.  Accompanying Coach Pingeton to Birmingham, Alabama was junior Morgan Eye who was last season's NCAA Division 1 Statistical Champion for 3 pointers made as well as SEC Co-6^th Man of the Year. Both Morgan Eye and senior Bri Kulas were named to the SEC Preseason All-Conference Teams by College Sports Madness. Kulas on second team, Eye named to third.

This past weekend was an eventful one for the women's basketball program. They were announced at the football game against Florida which resulted in a huge win, and before the game the girls participated in The Mizzou Experience at the Hearnes Center where they interacted and played basketball with kids as well.

Remember fans there are plenty of ways to keep up with your Missouri Women's Basketball team outside of this /sports/2015/3/19/GEN_2014010156.aspx. On mutigers.com there is constantly news stories, releases, player features, and much more about your Lady Tigers as well as the On the Prowl video posts, the most recent one features your Head Coach Robin Pingeton. You can like Mizzou Women's Basketball on Facebook, and follow the team on both Twitter and Instagram @MIZZOUWBB. With the season vastly approaching make sure you are keeping up with everything going on in the wonderful world of Mizzou Women's Basketball.

 Until next time,

                Jordan

 

Hey Tiger Fans,

We are now headed into our third week of official practices! The first practice was on October 2^nd, and on October 1^st the women's basketball team took a special trip to Canvas on Broadway here in downtown Columbia. If you have not made it out there yet, it is a real treat. Typically, the artists put out a calendar of different paintings the community can sign up for. The artists walk participants step by step through the painting until they are able to leave with a masterpiece of their own!

What was so special about this trip for the women's team is that they were able to come up with a very inspirational painting idea for themselves. Once complete, the canvas depicted a basketball goal with an extremely colorful sunset background and included each person's choice of a quote. The paintings are on display in the locker room for as a reminder for motivation. I took a good look at all of them, and one that stood out to me most was crafted by senior Bri Kulas. The quote she picked says, "Nothing is impossible, the word itself says I'm possible."

I asked Bri why she chose this quote, and she said, "I wanted something that I could look at every day before I go out to practice and just remind myself that no matter the situation, if I'm having a bad day, etc., anything is possible if I put my mind to it. I personally have to take responsibility for my actions, and no one else can do that for me. As an individual I am capable of doing things that maybe I didn't think I could do, but with an open mind, and belief in myself, building confidence every day, anything is possible!"

It is that kind of mentality that makes me so excited for the 2013 season to start. I think the trip to Canvas on Broadway was the perfect way to start the first week of official practices. The girls are really putting in a lot of work and are getting after it day in and day out. One thing Coach P has really stressed to the girls these past two weeks is communication, and as a communication major I know how important that is.

The scout team, composed of male students on campus, has made their first appearance in practicing with and scrimmaging against the team, and they are really helping to push them to their full potential. We have also had a few extra helping hands with two new managers who will replace myself and our other senior manager once we graduate.

There are quite a few things I have shared with you all in my last three /sports/2015/3/19/GEN_2014010156.aspxs, but tomorrow night is your chance to see all those things come to life! The Black and Gold Games between both your men and women's teams will take place October 15^th at Mizzou Arena at 6pm. Admission is $3 or free with three canned food items that will be donated to the Tiger Pantry. For more information check out the release on mutigers.com.

Remember fans, our first exhibition game is coming up on October 29^th at Mizzou Arena against Southwest Baptist at 7pm. To stay even more updated be sure to keep up with the "On the Prowl" video series also found on mutigers.com under women's basketball.

 

Hey Tiger Fans,

We are now headed into our third week of official practices! The first practice was on October 2^nd, and on October 1^st the women's basketball team took a special trip to Canvas on Broadway here in downtown Columbia. If you have not made it out there yet, it is a real treat. Typically, the artists put out a calendar of different paintings the community can sign up for. The artists walk participants step by step through the painting until they are able to leave with a masterpiece of their own!

What was so special about this trip for the women's team is that they were able to come up with a very inspirational painting idea for themselves. Once complete, the canvas depicted a basketball goal with an extremely colorful sunset background and included each person's choice of a quote. The paintings are on display in the locker room for as a reminder for motivation. I took a good look at all of them, and one that stood out to me most was crafted by senior Bri Kulas. The quote she picked says, "Nothing is impossible, the word itself says I'm possible."

I asked Bri why she chose this quote, and she said, "I wanted something that I could look at every day before I go out to practice and just remind myself that no matter the situation, if I'm having a bad day, etc., anything is possible if I put my mind to it. I personally have to take responsibility for my actions, and no one else can do that for me. As an individual I am capable of doing things that maybe I didn't think I could do, but with an open mind, and belief in myself, building confidence every day, anything is possible!"

It is that kind of mentality that makes me so excited for the 2013 season to start. I think the trip to Canvas on Broadway was the perfect way to start the first week of official practices. The girls are really putting in a lot of work and are getting after it day in and day out. One thing Coach P has really stressed to the girls these past two weeks is communication, and as a communication major I know how important that is.

The scout team, composed of male students on campus, has made their first appearance in practicing with and scrimmaging against the team, and they are really helping to push them to their full potential. We have also had a few extra helping hands with two new managers who will replace myself and our other senior manager once we graduate.

There are quite a few things I have shared with you all in my last three /sports/2015/3/19/GEN_2014010156.aspxs, but tomorrow night is your chance to see all those things come to life! The Black and Gold Games between both your men and women's teams will take place October 15^th at Mizzou Arena at 6pm. Admission is $3 or free with three canned food items that will be donated to the Tiger Pantry. For more information check out the release on mutigers.com.

Remember fans, our first exhibition game is coming up on October 29^th at Mizzou Arena against Southwest Baptist at 7pm. To stay even more updated be sure to keep up with the "On the Prowl" video series also found on mutigers.com under women's basketball.

 

Hey Tiger Fans!

My name is Jordan Cook, and I have been a student manager for your Missouri Women's Basketball team since my freshman year at Mizzou in 2010. I am a senior now, and also a Mizzou Strategic Communications Assistant for the Athletic Department. That means I will be updating the /sports/2015/3/19/GEN_2014010156.aspx this year!

I hope to give you all team updates and insights through my eyes as a student manager.

In my last /sports/2015/3/19/GEN_2014010156.aspx I informed you on where our most recent alumni are now, as well as introduced you to the incoming freshman. Since then the program was happy to announce the addition of two new transfers. First we have Tania Jackson, a 6-3 senior forward from Kansas. Second is Davionna Holmes, a 6-3 redshirt freshman forward from Louisville. Jackson will wear number 15 for the Tigers this season, and Holmes appears on the roster as number 5. For more information on both fans can access player bios on MUTIGERS.com.

Not only do we have new players, but some new staff on the squad as well. Michael Porter who served as The Director of Basketball Operations last season has been named as an Assistant Coach. Mike Donovan, who was a graduate student coach this past season has been named Coordinator of Video Operations. Heather Page who was working as Coordinator of Operations in the past is now Director of Operations. Even though their titles have changed, all three are already very familiar with the Women's Basketball Program here at Mizzou and are very eager for these new opportunities.

For video updates fans can look forward to keeping up with our "On the Prowl" feature under news which has live video from your Missouri Women's Team.

The month of September has been all about team individual workouts. This is one of my favorite parts of the year because you really get a good look at each player hands on. Individuals take place in the pre and post season. Pre-season individuals are always right after the summer, and I like them the most because it is so awesome to see the amount of work the girls put in over the summer reflect into their individual workouts. They just keep getting better and better. Their shooting, ball handling, passing, post moves, and everything else just looks really solid. I am very excited to see what is in store for our team this season, as well as what the new members of our program will have to add.

Official practices will begin on October 2^nd and our first exhibition game will take place on October 29^th at Mizzou Arena against Southwest Baptist at 7pm.

 

Hey Tiger Fans!

My name is Jordan Cook, and I have been a student manager for your Missouri Women's Basketball team since my freshman year at Mizzou in 2010. I am a senior now, and also a Mizzou Strategic Communications Assistant for the Athletic Department. That means I will be updating the /sports/2015/3/19/GEN_2014010156.aspx this year!

I hope to give you all team updates and insights through my eyes as a student manager.

In my last /sports/2015/3/19/GEN_2014010156.aspx I informed you on where our most recent alumni are now, as well as introduced you to the incoming freshman. Since then the program was happy to announce the addition of two new transfers. First we have Tania Jackson, a 6-3 senior forward from Kansas. Second is Davionna Holmes, a 6-3 redshirt freshman forward from Louisville. Jackson will wear number 15 for the Tigers this season, and Holmes appears on the roster as number 5. For more information on both fans can access player bios on MUTIGERS.com.

Not only do we have new players, but some new staff on the squad as well. Michael Porter who served as The Director of Basketball Operations last season has been named as an Assistant Coach. Mike Donovan, who was a graduate student coach this past season has been named Coordinator of Video Operations. Heather Page who was working as Coordinator of Operations in the past is now Director of Operations. Even though their titles have changed, all three are already very familiar with the Women's Basketball Program here at Mizzou and are very eager for these new opportunities.

For video updates fans can look forward to keeping up with our "On the Prowl" feature under news which has live video from your Missouri Women's Team.

The month of September has been all about team individual workouts. This is one of my favorite parts of the year because you really get a good look at each player hands on. Individuals take place in the pre and post season. Pre-season individuals are always right after the summer, and I like them the most because it is so awesome to see the amount of work the girls put in over the summer reflect into their individual workouts. They just keep getting better and better. Their shooting, ball handling, passing, post moves, and everything else just looks really solid. I am very excited to see what is in store for our team this season, as well as what the new members of our program will have to add.

Official practices will begin on October 2^nd and our first exhibition game will take place on October 29^th at Mizzou Arena against Southwest Baptist at 7pm.

Take a look at how your Tigers stay in shape during the offseason. The team has been working very hard and training for an even stronger 2013-14 season.

By: Jordan Cook, Media Relations Student Intern

With the change of every season comes two things: seniors who have spent their last years growing within a program move on, and new freshmen come into the program to sprout from their roots.

Joining the Tiger family this season will be freshman Kayla McDowell, a 6'2'' forward from Cincinnati, Ohio, Jordan Frericks, a 6'1'' guard/forward from Quincy, Ill., and Sierra Michaelis, a 5'10'' guard from Mercer,  Mo.

This past season four seniors left the Women's Basketball family: Sydney Crafton, Kendra Frazier, Liz Smith, and Liene Priede. Each of them came in with a different story, but  no matter where they came from, how many years they spent at Mizzou, or how they contributed on and off the court, they all had a special place here in the heart of Mizzou.

So where are they now?

Kendra Frazier graduated from MU this past December, and Sydney Crafton is currently interning with Corporate Save-A-Lot. Liz Smith is working full time at Konica Minolta as an Account Executive, and Liene Priede has returned to her home country of Latvia to catch up on some much needed time with friends and family.

A memorable moment from this past season poses the question of where were these women were on the night of February 28, 2013?

The answer would be at the one and only Mizzou Arena!

The Tigers hosted the No. 4-ranked Gamecocks at 7 p.m. in their last home game of the conference season. The night also marked senior night, one in which our four Tiger seniors were honored prior to the game along with their loved ones.

Emotions tend to run high on senior night, but that did not stop head coach Robin Pingeton and her Tigers from leaving it all on the court. After a very heated first half ending with a Mizzou lead of 28-26, the Tigers came back into the second with even bigger answers.

Then a junior, Bri Kulas ended the night with a career high of 26 points along with 11 rebounds to give her another double-double, while Crafton, Priede, and Smith combined for a total of 29 points.

With two wins home wins against top-15 opponents in their inaugural SEC season, it will be exciting to see what more the Mizzou women shoot for in their second season in the Southeastern Conference.  

 By:  Jordan Cook, Media Relations student assistant

The summer is here, and that means quite a few things for Missouri Women's Basketball. The team is back on campus for classes, workouts have begun, and camps will soon commence.

For most people the summer is a time for relaxation, for Missouri Women's Basketball it will be a time for rejuvenation. The Tigers finished the 2012-2013 season with a remarkable post season appearance in the WNIT, their first post season tournament appearance since the 2006-2007 season. The Tigers will look to do even bigger things this coming season, and the summer will help prepare them for that.

While looking ahead is good, we would be remiss if we didn't look back at the achievements of the 2012-13 season. One memorable moment to reflect on would be the win over Tennessee here at Mizzou Arena on February 3, 2013.

It was the inaugural SEC season for most Mizzou sports, and that meant a slew of new opponents. The first Tennessee match up for the Tigers was just their third conference game, and the Lady Vols had the home court advantage. The Mizzou Women were 1-1 in the SEC previously, but after a brutal battle, Tennessee would give them their second loss in the conference play. The next time around, however, it was a different story.

The Tigers had just come off of a huge home win over Florida (69-64) when they welcomed Tennessee to Mizzou Arena on Feb. 2 in front of the season's best crowd of 4,181 fans.  It was the annual alumni game and Blackout game, and what a special game it would be for those in attendance.

The Tigers pounced on the No. 9-ranked Lady Vols from the beginning, and at the half they were only down by three with a score of 37-34. What happened after the break certainly made for a memorable contest. The Tigers led for a majority of the second half, ending in a 17 point win with a score of 80-63 over one of the best teams in the history of women's college basketball.

Junior Bri Kulas and sophomore Morgan Eye played a huge part in Missouri's victory, registering 20 and 26 points, respectively. The Tigers also outscored the Lady Vols 34-3 off the bench and Mizzou won the assist battle, 23-6.

The last time Mizzou upset a top-10 opponent was against #10 Baylor back on January 23, 2010 in Big 12 play. After the celebration in the locker room, Head Coach Robin Pingeton called it "another brick in laying the foundation". It will be exciting to see what more bricks the future will bring.

Tennessee may have been the second loss for Mizzou in their inaugural SEC season, but Mizzou would be Tennessee's first SEC loss in the 2012-2013 season. The Tigers will forever remember what it feels like to come out victorious over the winningest program in NCAA Division I women's basketball history.  

                                                                                                 

In her sophomore season, Morgan Eye netted a total of 112 three-point field goals through 32 games. Eye finished the 2012-13 season as the NCAA Division I National Statistical Champion as she averaged 3.5 three-point field goals per game.

 

Her 112 three-pointers this past season stand as Mizzou and Southeastern Conference season records. The previous Mizzou best was set at 109 threes made by Alyssa Hollins in the 2007-08 season. The Southeastern Conference record was previously set at 108 by Mississippi State's Alexis Rack in 2010.

 

Not only did Eye set season records this season, but she set a new single-game record when she knocked down 11 three-pointers in Mizzou's first home SEC competition against Auburn. Eye's 11 threes broke the previous record of eight three-pointers in a game, which she also set against UT Martin. Before this season, Mizzou's single-game best was set at seven, reached by Julie Helm, Alyssa Hollins and Amanda Hanneman.

 

Eye was named Co-Sixth Woman of the Year by the Southeastern Conference this season and also earned the team's Free Throw Award at Mizzou's post season banquet. She shot a team-leading 79-percent from the charity stripe this season.  

 

As a team, the Tigers had a record-breaking season as well, tallying 17 wins for the first time since the 2006-07 season. Not only that, but Mizzou advanced to the Post-Season WNIT, marking the first time that a Mizzou team has reached postseason play since the 2006-07 season as well. The Tigers landed three Tigers on All-SEC teams this season, and senior Liz Smith earned a spot on the SEC Community Service team.

Happy Thanksgiving! This holiday season has really made me think about all that I am thankful for.  One main thing that comes to mind is how thankful I am for having such a large, supporting family.  I truly have one of the best.  I also consider my team part of that family.  I am surrounded by some of the best people every day and I am so thankful for the opportunity to be apart of this program.  I know I have been greatly blessed.

This past week, I asked all of my teammates what they were thankful for.  The majority of answers were that they were thankful for the team.  I think that's a pretty special thing, knowing that a group of girls is thankful to be in each other's lives.  But here are all of their responses when asked what they were thankful for:

Bre Brock:  I'm thankful for the constant support of family and friends and for being able to say I'm apart of the MU women's basketball team.

Liz Smith: I'm thankful for having such wonderful teammates.

Paige Spietz: All of the wonderful people that I'm surrounded by everyday and the opportunity to be a Tiger!

Sydney Crafton: I'm thankful for my family, the opportunity to play at Mizzou and the coaching staff.

Kyley Simmons:  I'm thankful for my family and team and coaches.

Bre Fowler:  I'm thankful for life, family and having a sense of humor.

Liene Priede: I'm thankful for my health, my friends and family, and everything else.

Maggie Flynn:  I'm thankful for the gift to play basketball and the family God gave me.

Kendra Frazier:  I'm thankful for my teammates.

Christine Flores:Basketball and with a wonderful group of girls at that. 

Morgan Eye: I'm thankful for my family, friends and teammates and my home town.  They send me a lot of love.

Bailey Gee: I'm thankful for my teammates and this second opportunity I was given after recovering from my knee injury.

 

Peace, Love and Basketball.

 

Tori Niemann 

2-0!! Our first road trip was a success in many ways.  We had a great flight to San Antonio and Thursday night our team went to Christine's house and had a great meal.  Her parents made brisket, chicken, beans, pasta salad and some other great tasting dishes.  After dinner, we all roasted marshmallows in the fire pit in the Flores's backyard.  Then on Friday we beat UTSA! After the game, we drove to Corpus Christi.  It was kind of a late night getting to the hotel, but when we woke up on the bus, we awoke to a view of the Gulf of Mexico.  It doesn't get much better than that.  Our hotel was right on the water and we had an awesome view from our rooms.  On Saturday, we beat Corpus Christi! After beating Corpus Christi, we ate dinner as a team at a restaurant called Tavern on the Bay.  It was an awesome little place and we actually ate our meal on a floating dock right on the water.  The weather could not have been more perfect the whole trip.  We were in t-shirts and shorts the entire time.

As a team, I think we became even closer.  We already have a close-knit team, but this trip was a lot of fun and allowed for a lot of bonding.  There were multiple times where all you could hear was laughter.  A lot of great memories were made in Texas!   

This week we play St. Louis University Wednesday night in St. Louis and North Florida Sunday at home!

Peace, Love and Basketball.

Tori Niemann

Game day! One more exhibition and then it really starts! Having our first game last week was such a good feeling for all of us.  Game day is always a good time for all of us.  It's always fun to put all of the time that we've put into practice, to work.   

We're all excited for our first road trip of the year!  We fly out of St. Louis Thursday to go to San Antonio.  I think the plan is to go to Christine's house in San Antonio Thursday night, and her parents are going to cook us a meal.  I know her mom is excited and I know I'm looking forward to it too!

Sunday night, most of our team attended the MU press conference about moving to the SEC.  It was great to hear from a few of our leaders and to be apart of something that was so full of Mizzou spirit!  All of us support MU's decision and look forward to the opportunity ahead!

Peace, Love and Basketball.

Tori Niemann

This past Friday, our team got the chance to work a basketball clinic for the Special Olympics.  It was an awesome night!  We met some pretty amazing people and the night was full of laughter and high fives.  There were about 120 participants and we went through a couple of stations and there was scrimmaging at the end of the night.  It was a ton of fun for everyone.  At the end of the night, all of us felt blessed to have had the opportunity to be apart of such a special night.

 

This past weekend, Paige went back home with me to Canton.  We had a great day outdoors.  We rode horses and the four wheeler after watching the football game! By the way, what an awesome game!!  I even helped one of our Amish neighbor's goats get it's head out of the fence.  It was a great day out in the country!

 

Peace, Love and Basketball.

 

Tori Niemann

Saturday at the football game, our team got to do something pretty neat.  We were recognized on the football field at the beginning of the second quarter.  It was so cool to be down on the field and so close to the action.  We could really see how hard those guys hit!  After we were announced, we went up to the concourse level and signed our new posters for anyone that wanted to come by.  We had a great turnout!  It was great to see so many fans excited for the season.  If you haven't seen our poster for this year, you need to check it out!  I think you're going to like it.
 
Sunday night, some of us were able to catch Christine's game on ESPN 2.  She did awesome!  It was so cool to see our teammate wearing the USA uniform playing on an ESPN channel.  We're so proud of her, but we're ready for her to come home!
 
One more week until our first exhibition game!
 
Peace, Love and Basketball.
 
Tori Niemann

Tori

We've started the second week of practice.  We now only have 11 more practices until our first exhibition game! I can't believe how fast the season has came.  Practices are going good and everyone is working hard.

Homecoming was great this past weekend! On Friday, Maggie's parents came into town and grilled out for all of us.  It was a great meal and a lot of fun to sit around and just hang out as a team.  On Saturday, most of us met up and were able to sit together at the game.  The stadium was packed and it was a lot of fun to be apart of it all!  

For the next two weeks, we will be missing Christine.  She will be in Mexico representing the US at the Pan-America Games.  Our team is so proud of her!  It already sounds like she is having a great time and really enjoying her experience. 

On Monday evening, the MU Athletic Department held a Women for Women event.  We met at the Sells Dining Hall in the MATC and listened for about an hour about how we can empower ourselves.  It was a great event! It was very informative and I feel like it really brought all of the MU female athletes together.  One of the speakers said that as a female athlete here, we have not only the sisters on our team, but 200 sisters that make up all of the female athletes.  That's a pretty cool feeling; knowing that there's 200 girls that care and will have one another's backs. We're truly lucky to have such a huge and loving family.

Peace, Love and Basketball.

Tori Niemann

Monday was the first official practice! It was so good to have Coach P out on the court with us.  It was the first time our entire team and staff had been on the floor together.  Before practice started, we all met in the film room and watched a little inspirational video.  It was awesome!  It talked about wanting success just as you want air to breathe and all of the hard work you have to put in to achieve success.  Everyone went out to practice with a great level of intensity after seeing that video! I know it's only day one, but the season is off to a good start!  I think someone said there's around 22 days until our first game!

This past weekend a lot of us went back home.  It was one of the last free weekends we will have so most of us took advantage of it.  I got to attend the wedding of two of my friends.  I actually played the harp as the bride and her bridal party walked down the isle.  It was a neat experience!  It's always good to be back home around family and friends.

Homecoming is this weekend! I know I'm excited to go to the game and be apart of such a great Mizzou tradition!

Peace, Love and Basketball.

Tori Niemann

One more week until official practice starts!  Monday we had the whole team workout together with the assistant coaches.  It was like a real practice, but not quite.  Coach P wasn't running the practice but we still did similar drills.  It was great to have everyone on the court together in a practice-like atmosphere! 
 
This past Friday, we had our video shoot.  By video shoot, I mean the five second clip that plays on the score board when you're announced or the images of the eyes that go around the arena during free throws.  It was so fun to shoot these!  It's always awkward, but us girls really enjoy it.  Also, some of us had to say a few lines.  These were hilarious to watch!  I'm sure there is a great blooper roll out there somewhere.  It took most people a couple of takes to get their lines down perfectly.  With saying the lines, we were supposed to say them as if we were speaking to the crowd.  Well, there obviously wasn't a crowd at the video shoot, it was just us speaking into the camera.  So we all had to get out of our comfort zones and act a little!  I think most of us make better basketball players than actresses!
 
This upcoming season is going to be a special one, I can feel it.  This group of girls gets along great and we all want success for each other. 
 
Peace, Love and Basketball.
 
Tori Niemann

What a weekend! On Saturday, Christine and I left our house in Columbia at 8 a.m. and started the drive to Norman, Oklahoma.  We made the trip in eight hours and had a few good laughs along the way.  We definitely struggled with the tolls! We couldn't ever figure out how much the toll was and then when we would throw the change in, it wouldn't give us the green light.  I'm sure it was quite a sight to see me and Christine yelling at the toll light to just turn green! The game was a lot of fun. It's always fun to be in a different atmosphere. Nothing beats Mizzou though!
 
Throughout the game, I realized how great MU fans are.  Christine and I were sitting in a small MU section and I realized how all MU fans come together.  It doesn't matter if they don't know you, if you're in your black and gold, then you have automatic friends.  MU fans are always so friendly and supportive!
 
The drive back home was a little more difficult.  We left after the game, around midnight, and got home at 8 a.m.  It was so weird to start driving when it was dark and then see the sun rise.  We went 24 hours without sleep!  Luckily, we got to sleep and take it easy on Sunday. 
 
On Friday, we had the team golf outing.  It was a lot of fun! It was great seeing and talking to so many of our supporters. We have the greatest fans!  It was really neat to hear some of Coach Rutherford's stories, too!
 
The season is almost here!
 
Peace, Love and Basketball.
 
Tori Niemann

Last Monday was our team picture day, but this past Friday was our team photo shoot for our poster and our individual posters.  It was so much fun! The pictures were supposed to be game like and we all had to keep straight faces.  Do you know how hard it is to keep a straight face around our team? We were all busting out with laughter after trying to hold serious faces in front of each other.  We were all practicing our "tough" faces before we took our individual pictures.  I'm sure it was quite a sight for anyone watching us!
 
If there was an outsider watching our team, off the court, they would see our team in constant laughter.  I think that's what's special about our team.  Every single one of us gets along great with each other and we are always having fun.  It doesn't matter if it's after scrimmaging, at a photo shoot or at dinner, we are always cracking jokes and just having a blast.  I love that I know I can walk into our locker room and instantly have my day get better from just by being around my teammates.
 
This Saturday Christine and I are making the trip to Oklahoma to cheer on the boys at the football game.  It's going to be a long trip and there's a good possibility we'll come back with some stories of getting lost or who knows what! Wish us luck!
 
And just an update, we haven't had any kitchen fires at our new apartment.  But that also may be because I haven't cooked anything yet and I don't think Paige has used the oven either!

 

Peace, Love and Basketball

 

Tori Niemann

Monday was picture day! We took individual and team pictures in the arena.  We had to dress up for some of the photos and wear our uniform for the others.  It was quite a scene in the locker room when we were getting ready! Everyone came in from class in their t-shirts and shorts and we all changed into skirts, dresses and shirts with ruffles.  The bathroom was full of us girls trying to straighten our hair and do our makeup.  We clean up pretty nicely if I do say so myself! The coaches looked good too!  It's always nice to see our whole team dressed up because so much of the time we are in basketball shorts and t-shirts.  But we all survived picture day and hopefully all of the pictures turn out nicely! 
 
This past week I had to write a /sports/2015/3/19/GEN_2014010156.aspx for one of my classes and I thought I would share a little bit of what I wrote.  The topic was my team.
 
I don't think anyone fully understands what a team means unless they are a part of the team.  Unless they can say that's my team.  And I don't mean a fan in the crowd cheering for their school, which they may call their team.  Most people can cheer for a team, but could they handle being a member of that team?  Being on a team means you have a team first mentality.  Every decision you make affects the team and you must always put the team first.
Being on a team, my team, means we go through the trenches together.
 
Every day we grind it out in practice and physically and mentally exhaust ourselves trying to push one another to get better.  Every day we challenge the next girl to lift more weight than they did on the last set.  How many girls do you know that would feel comfortable bench pressing over a hundred pounds? Being on a team means that in practice we constantly battle, but we know that there are no hard feelings once practice is over.  How many girls do you know that wouldn't make a big deal if one of their friends shoved them in the back or hit them with an elbow?
 
Being on a team, my team, means that I know I have 13 sisters, yes sisters, not just friends.  When I'm on the baseline about to run sprints, I can always look to my right or my left and see my sisters right next to me.  When I feel like I can't push myself any harder, I know that my sisters are next to me to give me that extra energy.  I know that my team will never give up on me and will never leave me.  That's a pretty incredible bond, knowing that no matter what, my sisters will always support me.  How many people have that bond with 13 other people?
 
My team has shared moments that have brought us so close together that not many people could understand.  The phrase "blood, sweat and tears" really does apply to the bond my team has.  There are always scratches on one another from playing against each other.  At the end of the day our workout gear is soaked in sweat.  And there have been many long talks and heart to hearts with one another, whether it's in the locker room or outside of the arena, where there have been tears.  It's okay to cry on my team.  The emotions are real.  When one of my teammates experiences sadness, the rest of us do as well.  When someone is happy, we feel that way too.  It's all love.
 
Not many people could handle what all comes with being on a team.  But I couldn't handle not being on my team.
 
Peace, Love and Basketball
 
Tori Niemann

What a weekend!  We had the last three days off and they were great!  I know I caught up on some sleep and I'm pretty sure some of my teammates did too. Saturday was the first football game and most of us made it to the game. It was extremely hot, but still fun. After the game, we all cooled off at the pool.

Last week was our first week of individuals and they started off great. We went in groups of four. We had good intensity and worked hard! This week we have individuals again with four people and next week we go in groups of six.

This past Friday, after five-on-five, we had a team scavenger hunt. We broke up into three teams and had to run across campus to take pictures at different places. We had to run to the columns, Plaza, Shakespeare's, Memorial Union, the tiger and then meet back at the arena. My team won! Kyley, Christine and Paige were on my team. It was quite a workout running everywhere to try to beat the other teams!

With Monday out of the way, I'm ready to start the week. It helps that I only have two days of classes!

Peace, Love and Basketball.

Tori Niemann

Today was the beginning of our second week back in school. By this time I feel like our days are starting to become somewhat familiar and we're not scrambling to find our classes or rushing to eat lunch before heading to the arena for our afternoon workouts. So far I think it is safe to say that we have started out the year on the right foot. With a summer full of hard work behind us, we now move on to individual workouts, which start tomorrow.
 
This year I feel like we have a great group of girls. In our time together so far, I feel like we've created great chemistry and have learned a lot about each other on and off the court. Outside of basketball, we've really come together as a team. I can tell everybody is looking forward to the season ahead!
 
As for me, things have changed a lot since last year. I recently moved into a new apartment with a couple of my teammates and living completely on my own has been somewhat of a challenge. I think the biggest thing has been trying to stay organized and get everything I need to get done finished before the day is over. Sometimes I wish there were just a few more hours in the day! Other than that I'd say things are going smoothly.
 
I think I can speak for my teammates as well as myself when I say that I'm looking forward to a great year as well as seeing all of you back in the stands for another great season!
 
Paige Spietz

The first day of class is over!  We all survived.  It wasn't that difficult to get back into school mode since we just finished summer school, but it is still a challenge because we all have full course loads now.  Plus, there are a couple extra thousand students on campus that make getting everywhere a little difficult.  But I think we are all excited for the new school year.
 
This past weekend, when I was at the lake with most of my family, my aunts pointed out that I made a typo in my last /sports/2015/3/19/GEN_2014010156.aspx entry.  I said that I was excited to see my aunt, uncles and cousins.  This became a joke to see which aunt was the favorite aunt since I actually had seven aunts at the lake.  But anyways, my last weekend of summer was great.  There were 31 of my family members there and we spent our time talking, swimming and eating great food.
 
Sunday was the first day that all of our team was together.  It was so great to see everyone again!  We also welcomed Liene!  We had our first lifting workout Monday and it went pretty well.  It will be good to get back in the swing of workouts.  We start individual workouts pretty soon.  Individuals are groups of four that are ran by the coaches.  They do drills with us and start teaching us new things.  They are a little more like practice so that will be exciting to start!  The season will be here before we know it!
 
Peace, Love and Basketball.
 
Tori Niemann

One more week and school starts again!  I'm ready to head back to Columbia and start my sophomore year.  I think this year will go a little more smoothly than last year since everything won't be so brand new.  Time has absolutely flown by.  I feel like it was just yesterday that I was moving into the dorms.  It is nice though to not have the same freshmen jitters as last year.  I'm excited to start a new year!
 
Last week in South Carolina was amazing!  I had a great week with my family.  We went to the beach every day, rough life, I know, and luckily the jellyfish weren't too bad.  And no shark attacks!  The 15 hour car ride wasn't the highlight of the trip, but it was good family bonding :)
 
This weekend I am going to the Lake of the Ozarks with my entire family on my mom's side.  Our family does this once a year and we rent out a few condos and just spend the weekend together.  It's always a great time to see aunt, uncles and cousins that I don't get to see too often. 
 
I'm looking forward to getting back to Columbia and seeing all of my teammates.  Plus, there's only a few more weeks until football starts!
 
Peace, Love and Basketball.
 
Tori Niemann

I'm writing from South Carolina! My family, which is my mom, dad, brother and I, drove to Georgia yesterday and to Hilton Head, South Carolina today.  We survived the fifteen hours of driving! We pulled in today around 3 p.m. and headed straight for the beach.  The weather is awesome here and we plan on spending all week just relaxing in the sand!
 
Last week was Shark Week on Discovery Channel, as some of you may know, and of course I watched plenty of it.  Now, I am thinking that wasn't such a great idea since I'll be in the ocean this week!  But honestly, I think I'm more afraid of the jellyfish in the water! I was stung a few years ago in Florida by one and I am still terrified of them!
 
Before you know it, it will be time to go back to Columbia for school to start. I'm excited to see all of my teammates again.  We've only been apart for a week but it seems like much longer! But until then, you can find me on the beach!
 
Peace, Love and Basketball.
 
Tori Niemann

This past week Paige and I moved out of one apartment and into another.  We had to move all of our stuff down three flights of stairs on a couple of very hot days! But we got it done and we absolutely love our new place. 
 
Summer workouts and summer school is now over.  I would say this summer was very successful! I know for a fact that we all got quicker and stronger and we had a ton of fun while doing it.  Our last day was Friday and we had "Friday Funday."  We had weights at 7 a.m. but then we played kickball and wiffleball in the arena.  It was so much fun!  It was pretty funny how competitive we got during the games.  Now we have three weeks off to go home. 
 
Yesterday was my first day home and today was my first full day.  I've already had home-grown sweet corn, Georgia peaches and homemade spaghetti.  I definitely missed eating at home!  I'm looking forward to being back home for a little bit and hopefully getting a nice tan at the pool!
 
Peace, Love and Basketball.
 
Tori Niemann

Only three more days of workouts!  I feel like I barely remember June and now July is almost over.  But this summer has been great!
 
We have today off from workouts, but our team is going to a community service project at Coyote Hill.  I've heard that we will be painting a basketball court.  Should be fun!
 
This week is already crazy.  Since its our last week of classes, everyone has finals or a final project due this week.  Also, most of us are moving into new apartments for the school year, so we are all trying to pack and clean our old places.  I am not a big fan of packing, moving or cleaning, so this week is going to be a little rough.  Most of us are moving into apartments with one another.  Paige and I are moving in with Christine, Liz is moving in with Sydney and Kendra is moving in with Maggie.
 
After this week, we get three weeks off to go home.  Then the school year starts up and we start pre-season workouts. 
 
I think quite a few of us are taking vacations when we get home.  Maggie and I are both making trips to Hilton Head, S.C. with our families, Paige is going to West Virginia, Christine is going on a cruise, Sydney is making a trip to Chicago and those are only the ones I know of.  It might be a competition when we all come back in August to see who got the best tan.
 
Peace, Love and Basketball.
 
Tori Niemann

This past weekend, most of the members of our team went on a float trip on the Meramec River.  It was a ton of fun!  We had one big raft and a bunch of tubes and we floated for almost six hours and we ended up floating seven miles.  I think we only lost a couple pairs of sandals, two pairs of sunglasses and not all of us got cuts or bruises from the rocks.  So the weekend was a definite success.
 
Monday our team had our best workout of the summer.  It started with conditioning at the indoor football field.  It was blazing hot, but we stuck together and ran hard.  We did ten sideline to sideline sprints.  Then we had a great weightlifting workout.  We finished up the day with five on five and we played eight intense games.  All of us played all out and pushed each other.  Afterwards in the locker room, we all decided that was the best we have played all summer.  It is always easier to make it through the tough workouts when you have your 11 sisters next to you.
 
The final two players left for me to introduce are seniors Kendra Frazier and Bailey Gee, both of Kansas.
 
Kendra's favorite thing to do at home is to see her family and her favorite thing to do in Columbia is to eat out.  She loves Chipotle.  Two things you may not know about Kendy is that she was in the National Spelling Bee in Washington, DC and she was the valedictorian of her class.  Kendra said the main thing she has learned during her time at MU is how to do her own laundry.  The biggest difference for her from being a freshman to now being a senior is that she knows her way around campus and Columbia.
 
Bailey's favorite thing to do at home is to hang out with her family and friends.  In Columbia, she likes to go to the different MU sporting events.  Her favorite restaurant in Columbia is Macaroni Grill.  Two things you may not know about Bay is that she used to be a cheerleader and she can play the guitar.  Sometimes she will play for us and she's really good at singing too!  The one thing Bailey has learned over the years is to not take things for granted.  Now being a senior, Bailey has noticed her leadership role on the team has changed and after 3 and a half years, she finally knows her way around the engineering building!
 
Only two more weeks of summer workouts and classes!
 
Peace, Love and Basketball.
 
Tori Niemann

We had our one and only stair workout of the summer on Monday. We were in the arena and we ran up a flight of stairs 16 times.  We did jumps, bounds, and sprints up the stairs. It wasn't too bad, but all of our legs were feeling kind of shaky by the end of it!
 
This past weekend, a group of us made a trip to the Lake of the Ozarks to Maggie's family's condo.  It was Sydney, Kendra, Maggie, me and a former player, Bekah Mills.  We had a great time and got some pretty nice tans!  It was a perfect, relaxing weekend. 
 
We calculated how many hours we have left of workouts for the summer on Monday and it is only 33 more hours! We had a team meeting with Coach P on Monday and it helped us to get recharged for working hard these last couple of weeks.  The main goal for us these last couple weeks is to push ourselves even when we are feeling exhausted. 
 
Now I would like to introduce two of our seniors, Bre Brock and Christine Flores.  Both are from San Antonio, Texas.
 
Bre doesn't get to travel home very often because of the distance, but her favorite thing to do when she is home is to hang out with her family.  Bre is really close to her family.  We are always hearing her talk about her nieces!  Her favorite thing to do in Columbia is go to the movies and her favorite restaurant here is CC Broilers.  Two things you may not know about Breezer is that she can sew (I didn't even know that!) and she absolutely loves children.  One thing Bre has learned over her years at MU is that there is nothing wrong with asking for help.  Bre said the biggest difference from being a freshman to now being a senior is the accountability.  As a freshman, it was all about being new to the "college life" but now as a senior its all about being accountable, dependable and being able to help the younger girls on the team.
 
Christine's favorite thing to do at home is to hang with her family and friends.  Christine has younger twin siblings that she loves spending time with.  Her favorite thing to do in Columbia is going outside with her two dogs, Riley and NuNu and going to Devil's Icebox.  Her favorite restaurant in Columbia is Gumby's.  Two things you may not know about Cflo are that she can do the splits and that she used to play the flute.  One thing Christine has learned over the years is how to manage her time better.  The biggest change for her is the amount of discipline she now has and she has noticed that her work effort changed.
 
Peace, Love and Basketball.
 
Tori Niemann

This past weekend we had Individual Camp.  All of us worked the camp and it was a lot of fun.  This was my first time to actually coach younger girls.  Each of us was given a team of about 10 girls and the teams played each other throughout camp.  I really enjoyed coaching and it was awesome to see the girls improve with each game.  It was fun to see all of the different personalities of the younger girls in the camp and to see their personalities come out as they got more comfortable with us.

Monday was our first day to have agilities in the Divine Indoor Practice Facility.  For the sophomores, it was our first time to have a workout on the indoor football field.  The workout went really well! It was good to get in a workout in a different environment.  After agilities, we had weights and then open gym.  Needless to say, we were all worn out after Monday's workouts.

Now I will let you in on a little more about me and my roommate and fellow sophomore, Paige Spietz.

Paige's favorite thing to do when she goes home is to play sand volleyball with her family and friends on the sand volleyball court at her house and to hang out on the Spietz farm.  Her favorite thing to do in Columbia is grilling out at our apartment and her favorite restaurant in Columbia is El Rancho.  Her favorite memory from last year is our trip to the Virgin Islands.  Two things you may not know about Paige is that she loves playing ping pong and she loves listening to country music.  Paige said something she has learned about me is that I could eat cereal for every meal, which is very true.

Now it's my turn.  My favorite thing to do when I go home is to go out to eat with family and friends.  I also love seeing my horses.  We just got our fourth horse the other day!  My favorite thing to do in Columbia is to go to the pools with my teammates or going to football games.  I absolutely love Chipotle here in Columbia.  My favorite memory from last year would actually be all of the memories we made as a team on the road trips, in hotels, at restaurants, and on the buses.  Two things you may not know about me is that I can play the harp and piano and that I once broke both of my wrists at the same time because I fell off my scooter.  Both of my arms were in tie-dye casts!  Something I have learned about Paige is that she has a sick obsession with sour cream and that she is always "down to clown."  Meaning that Paige can always find the fun in something.  There is never a dull moment around her and you can almost always hear laughter around us.

Oh!  I almost forgot, Paige and I are now one week free of any fires happening in our apartment!

Peace, Love and Basketball.

Tori Niemann

Week two flew by!  During the week we had our elite camp and this weekend we had the team camp.  Most of us worked both camps and they went really well.  This weekend, us players had to run the game clocks for all the games.  So, there wasn't a lot of excitement this weekend, until Paige and I came home.

On Friday, our apartment got repainted and Paige and I had to take everything off the countertops.  I put a cardboard box of Gushers in the oven.  Can you see where this is going yet?  Paige and I being the excellent chefs that we are, decided to bake fish that night.  We forgot about the box.  We noticed smoke coming out of the stove top and from the bottom of the oven.  We opened the oven door and realized the box of Gushers was on fire!  At first, we were kind of panicking but somehow we got it together and performed under pressure.  Paige grabbed the fire extinguisher and shoved it on to me and told me to "use it!!"  I had never used a fire extinguisher before and couldn't figure out how to use it.  With the smoke getting heavier, I told to grab the scissors, I cut the plastic safety loop, pulled the pin, and shot the extinguisher.  By this point, our entire apartment was filled with smoke and our apartment was covered in the dust from the extinguisher.  So after a long day at the gym working camp, we got to come home and put out a fire, and then clean the kitchen and give the oven a really good scrubbing.  At times, our apartment still smells like smoke.  There's never a dull moment around here.

Now I want to introduce you to two of our new girls.  Junior college transfer, Liz Smith, and freshmen Morgan Eye.  I was able to catch up with them Monday after we scrimmaged.

Liz said her transition from her junior college to Mizzou hasn't been too bad.  The hardest part is the classes.  At her JC, her classes weren't too difficult for her and she only had two hours of class three times a week.  Now, she has class everyday.  She is taking Sociology of Family Life and Health Professions.  Liz wants to go into physical therapy.  Liz said her biggest challenge since being here is getting used to playing at the next level, against stronger girls and with a higher intensity.  Liz is excited for this year and the change of scenery that it brings. When she took her visit, she said she loved the campus, even though the size of the campus means a lot of walking to get to class.  Liz really likes how Coach P is able to bring everyone on the team together.  There is such a mixture of personalities, yet there is no clashing.  Finally, I asked Liz about her roommate Morgan Eye.  Liz said Morgan loves That 70's Show, a TV show, and has a pretty strong country accent.

Next was Morgan Eye.  Morgan is from an extremely small town, Montrose, Mo.  She said her adjustment from a small town to Mizzou hasn't been too bad.  It's a lot bigger here but it's not too crazy yet.  Then again, it's only the summer.  There will be about 30,000 more people on campus in a few months.  Morgan's biggest challenge has been playing with a new team.  The girls she had previously played with were the same girls she had been playing with her entire career.  She is figuring out how to play at a faster tempo with a greater amount of toughness.  Morgan said she is having fun living in the dorms and meeting new people.  She said they did their laundry for the first time and it took longer than it should have.  Also, Bree (Fowler) had to wash her clothes twice because she used too much detergent the first time.  I remember those days.  I think my mom had to walk me through my first laundry experience.  Morgan said she has learned that Liz is half Filipino and always making funny comments. 

I think it is safe to say that all of the new girls are really enjoying their time here at Mizzou.

Peace, Love and Basketball.
Tori Niemann

Our first week is over with.  We have seven more weeks, or another way to look at it is that we have 28 more days to workout and get better.  Monday, we had another agilities workout at 7 a.m.  Some of us joke and say, you know you're an athlete when you have already taken a nap before 10 a.m.  We are always looking for time to fit in a nap!

Our first camp started yesterday.  We have all worked it, some more than others, and it has been a lot of fun interacting with the campers.  This is the elite camp, so all of the girls here are working hard. 

 I wanted to take this opportunity to introduce some of our new players and let you in on a little more about our returning players.  This week you will get to know two freshmen, Kyley Simmons and Bree Fowler.

I first sat down with Kyley, who told me her full name was Kyley Jean Simmons.  If you didn't already catch it, "Jean Simmons" like the Kiss rock star.  Anyways, Kyley said that her first week on campus was a bit overwhelming.  She said she felt a bit lost in the workouts because everything was so new to her.  This week though, she feels like it is all starting to come together.  One of her worries about coming into college was not knowing how to act around the team.  I would say that Kyley is fitting in perfectly!  Kyley said the hardest thing she has had to do so far at Mizzou is judging the time.  She is always worried that she will be late, but she hasn't been late yet!  I also asked Kyley what she has learned about her roommate, Bree Fowler.  Apparently, Bree likes to find shortcuts when trying to go places.  She is always trying to find the shortest and quickest way, whether its parking in a parking lot or driving on campus.  Also, one thing not many people know about Kyley is that she loves to sing, even though she says she is not very good at it.

 Next was Bree Fowler.  Bree's first week was interesting.  She was anxious to do the workouts and to find out what it was all about.  The hardest thing so far for Bree is not quite having a routine yet, that will come though.  She said her theater class has been a challenge for her because she has to really open up about herself and let her guard down.  This will be great to carry over for the team!  We are such an open group of girls, which basically translates into a group of sisters.  Bree is ready to make an impact on the team.  Bree comes from a large family that consists of two brothers and four sisters.  One unique talent of Bree's is that she can beat box.  One thing she has noticed about her roommate Kyley, is that every night before Kyley gets into her bed, she wipes her feet.  Apparently, their floor is a little dirty.

I hope that you feel like you know a little more about some of our new girls!  Each week I will introduce two more players.
 
Peace, Love, and Basketball.
 
Tori Niemann

This week has flown by!  Workouts started on Tuesday with weightlifting and playing 5 on 5.  We spent Wednesday, our day off, with a little team time.  The whole team went to Christine's apartment and we grilled hamburgers, had chips and brownies and went swimming.  It was a lot of fun!  We're the type of team that can have fun and laugh just standing around in a kitchen.  There is never going to be a dull moment with this group of girls.  
 
Back to the workouts.  We jumped right in on Tuesday and Coach Linn was really working us.  I think every single one of us is a little sore, but it's a good sore!  Being sore means you're working hard, right?  It has been great being back in the gym with the team and with the new girls.  We've now had 5 on 5 twice and every game has been close and competitive.  When we play 5 on 5, we usually play around seven games to seven.  We really try to get after it.  The best part is that we all get after it, but we still have fun and enjoy playing.  We also had our first morning workout.  Thursday morning we had agilities at 7 a.m.  Luckily, we only have to get up for morning workouts twice a week.  
 
A quick update on Paige and I living on our own, we're learning how to cook!  We've cooked almost every night.  We aren't cooking gourmet meals, but we are mastering the simple foods like corn on the cob, baked potatoes, frozen vegetables, rice, spaghetti, grilled chicken and potato casserole.  I feel like that's pretty impressive, for us anyways! 
 
Peace, Love, and Basketball.
 
Tori Niemann

Women's basketball player Tori Niemann will write a weekly /sports/2015/3/19/GEN_2014010156.aspx entry to keep Tiger fans in the know on the Mizzou women's basketball team. Check back early week for updates!

I have been home around two weeks now and we still have two more weeks before we go back to Columbia for summer classes and workouts. It has been so nice being home and spending time with family. After being at school for a year with limited visits to home, and I know I saw my family more than quite a few of my teammates, I appreciate sitting in the living room watching TV with my family or having my mom fix dinner. I haven't talked to all of my teammates since we have been on break, but the ones that I have talked to are loving being home just as much as I am.

Women's basketball player Tori Neimann will write a weekly /sports/2015/3/19/GEN_2014010156.aspx entry to keep Tiger fans in the know on the Mizzou women's basketball team. Check back early week for updates!

I cannot believe my freshman year is over.  It was almost one year ago that I was getting ready to graduate and take the next step, which was towards Mizzou.  I remember not having the slightest idea how the next year would turn out, and now looking back, all I can do is smile. This past year was absolutely amazing.  I not only made new friends, I gained thirteen sisters.  This past year has left me with many memories packed with sweat, tears, and plenty of laughs.

This past week was our first week of summer.  Last week was finals week and we all survived!  Some of us were done a little early with only a few finals and then there was Bailey (Gee), who had three in one day.  Needless to say, we are all ready for a few weeks at home!

The main idea of this /sports/2015/3/19/GEN_2014010156.aspx is to give you an inside look of our team.  Every week I will be writing about different things that we are doing or just give you a glimpse of our lives. I hope you enjoy and can learn a little more about your Mizzou Women's Basketball Team!

Peace, Love, and Basketball.

Tori Niemann

So there's just one game remaining in the 2010 Big 12 Conference basketball regular season, and we still don't know where 10 of the 12 men's teams will finish the race. [Kansas has clinched its sixth straight title, and the No. 1 seed that goes along with it; Nebraska has clinched the 12 spot.]

To be honest, I really don't know Cindy Stein. I really don't cover the women's basketball team at Mizzou. I attend a couple of games a year, but that's it.

I know the Tigers' women's basketball team struggled in recent years in the Big 12 standings. And so, after 12 years as the women's head basketball coach at Mizzou, Cindy is deciding to step down from that job at the end of this season.

Beginning today, the front page of mutigers.com has been changed in an effort to promote donations to the American Red Cross relief effort in Haiti, which has been devastated by a series of earthquakes.

After a 10-3 non-conference record to open the season, Women's Basketball Head Coach Cindy Stein and her squad opens Big 12 Conference action Saturday at Colorado (10-3) at 1 p.m. CT.

Fans not lucky enough to travel to Boulder can still watch the game, as FSN is airing the game live throughout much of the country.