Mizzou trailed SIUE for 26 minutes and 7 seconds. But the Tigers showed up when it mattered most, outscoring the Cougars 41-23 in the second half to complete the comeback victory 65-56. This extends Mizzou’s winning streak to five; the longest under Coach Harper in her early tenure.
“It’s a big deal to win…we’re gaining confidence when we win,” Harper said. “When you win, your expectations go up a little bit. You want to win a little bit more.”
After entering the fourth quarter tied, the Tigers won
the quarter 23-14 to take home the win. Mizzou shot 8-13 from the field and a perfect 3-3 on three-pointers to complete the comeback. Abbey Schreacke made a big three with 5:30 remaining, giving Mizzou a 5-point lead; its largest up to that point. Jordana Reisma scored six of those points, including an open layup in the last minute to put the Tigers up eight and force an SIUE timeout.
Reisma led Mizzou with 17 points, shooting 6-13 from the field and 5-5 on free throws. This was her strongest offensive performance since scoring 22 against Arkansas State. On defense she added two steals and a block.
“I’ve grown up being a taller player, so I’m used to playing down low with these big girls,” Reisma said. “It’s just doing what I know I can do better.”
She was a big part of why Mizzou won the points in the paint battle 28-16. Another major win for the Tigers came in the turnover battle, where the Tigers only committed 10 turnovers compared to 18 for SIUE. Mizzou has recorded 10 or less turnovers in three straight games, the first time they’ve done so since at LEAST 2011, which is how far I could find stats for. Plus, they’ve done this all of this without a true point guard in the starting lineup.
“We’ve trended in the right way the last several games, and I think a lot of that has to do with the comfort and the understanding of what we’re doing offensively,” Harper said. “The other thing, we’re really aggressive, and sometimes when you’re aggressive, it takes some decision making out, and you’ll see less turnovers.”
Mizzou made a concerted effort to get to the free throw line in the second half, shooting 13 after the break compared to three beforehand. That volume paid off, as the Tigers finished a perfect 16-16 from the free throw line.
“We practice them, [we] want to make them in a pretty high clip in practice. And I’m glad it’s carrying over,” Harper said.
Four Tigers scored double-digits this game, contributing just enough offense late to avoid the second half. Schreacke got back-on-track with 10 points on 3-6 from the field and 2-4 from three. This was a big bounceback performance for the junior, as this was also her highest offensive total since Arkansas State.
“It always feels good seeing the ball go through,” Schreacke said. “But I’m just always going to be ready every night. Whenever my shots there, I’ll be ready to take it.”
Here’s how the rest of the game played out:
The first quarter was quite a shock as SIUE led 24-16 after 10 minutes. The Cougars found success from range, finishing the frame 6-8 on three-pointers. Reisma helped keep the game in striking distance with 9 points on 3-6 shooting and 3-3 on free throws while playing the whole quarter.
SIUE led 33-24 at the half after some slow offensive production from both sides. The Cougars stretched the lead as high as 13 before Mizzou held them scoreless for the final 4:12 of the half. But the Tigers failed to make up any significant ground, shooting 4-18 in the quarter and 0-4 on threes.
The Tigers turned the tide in the third quarter, doubling up the Cougars 18-9 to tie the game at 42. Mizzou’s defense can be thanked for the comeback, as SIUE finished the quarter an abysmal 2-15 from the field. Grace Slaughter led the comeback on the offensive end, scoring 7 points in the quarter. The biggest bucket was her “and-one” layup to give Mizzou its first lead in over 25 minutes of game time.
Mizzou looks to extend its winning streak to six when they host Illinois in a rivalry showdown at 6 p.m. on Wednesday at Mizzou Arena. The game will be available to watch on SEC Network.
