Upsets have defined the past few days of women’s college basketball. Since the New Year, five AP top-15 teams have fallen, with four of them losing to unranked opponents.
On Sunday, Mizzou couldn’t add itself to the list, dropping a road tilt to No. 11 Kentucky 74-52.
Against one of the top scoring defenses in the nation, the Tigers had one of their worst offensive performances in recent memory, shooting 19-of-64 from the field; their 29.7% clip was their lowest of the season. They also shot 5-of-28
from 3-point range, marking the first time they’ve shot under 20% from beyond the arc since Feb. 2014.
Additionally, they made two straight field goals just once over the final three quarters. They also missed at least six straight field goals on three separate occasions. They couldn’t get to the free-throw line at a rate that would’ve offset their struggles from the field, although they were efficient once they got to the charity stripe (9-of-10 on free throws).
It’s worth noting that Shannon Dowell, Mizzou’s second-leading scorer on the season, was held out of MU’s fourth straight game with a foot injury.
Kellie Harper’s crew started the game well, leading 11-8 at the four-minute mark in the first quarter. But Kentucky went on a 16-6 run to end the frame, and its lead never got below seven points the rest of the afternoon.
Grace Slaughter led Mizzou with 15 points. Jordana Reisma was the only other Tiger in double-digits with 10 points.
Kentucky’s two best players led the way for the Wildcats on Sunday. Tione Morgan, the SEC’s leader in assists per game entering Sunday (8.7), who also hit a game-winning 3-pointer against LSU in UK’s last game, was swishing and dishing once more against the Tigers. She had 18 points and a game-high 14 assists. Clara Strack, Kentucky’s leading scorer (16.7 points per game), tallied a game-high 19 points. She also blocked three shots, stonewalling Slaugher near the basket numerous times.
The Tigers, who were competitive with No. 2 Texas for two-and-a-half quarters on Thursday, had few silver linings in their next contest against a highly-ranked SEC opponent. They only committed 10 turnovers against the Wildcats after committing 30 against the Longhorns, their most in a decade. But overall, Mizzou’s poor shooting defined the day.
MU will stay on the road for its next game against No. 12 Vanderbilt, which is slated for 6:30 p.m. on Thursday. The Commodores started 14-0 for the first time in 30 seasons.
