After allowing 100 points to Troy in a loss, the Mizzou women’s basketball team showed its defensive improvement in a 71-54 win over Washington State in the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA)
Showcase.
Mizzou was the better team from start-to-finish, leading for 37 minutes and 18 seconds of the game. The defense forced Wazzu into difficult shots all game, as the Cougars only shot 29% from the field and 23% on threes. The Cougars only got six attempts from the FT line as the Tigers only committed eight fouls all game. This sort of discipline paid dividends as no players were pulled due to foul trouble.
While the Mizzou offense fell below its season average, the team was efficient with shooting splits of 48/38/79. Shannon Dowell led the way with 20 points on 8-10 shooting from the field. She added 10 rebounds for her third double-double of the season. Jayla Smith tied her career-high with 16 points while shooting 6-7 on field goals. Grace Slaughter and Jordana Reisma were the other two Tigers in double digits.
Here’s how the game played out:
Mizzou led at the end of the first quarter 21-13. That lead was built on shooting efficiency, as the Tigers shot 53% from the field at 60% from three in the first frame. Five separate Tigers scored, showing off the team’s depth early on. Grace Slaughter led the way with eight points coming off the back of two triples.
The Tigers’ offense was just as efficient in the second quarter, scoring 21 points again and taking a 40-32 lead into the half. This quarter started with success at the free throw line, where Mizzou shot 9-10 from the line after shooting none in the first quarter. The team’s shooting from the field picked up after the media timeout, with an 8-0 run to push the lead back to double-digits. Dowell sparked that 8-0 run with a three then a layup on back-to-back possessions. She scored nine in the quarter to lead the team with 13 points at the half. Jayla Smith was the other Tiger in double-digit points at 11 points on a hyper efficient 4-4 from the field and 2-2 on free throws.
Defensively Mizzou kept it simple, forcing Wazzu to miss tough threes and keeping them away from the free throw line. The Tigers are now a perfect 5-0 when their opponents scored under 35 points in the half.
The defenses reigned supreme in the third quarter, as the two teams only combined for 23 points in the frame. The Tigers continued to hold a double-digit lead heading into the final frame. Offensively Mizzou struggled, not getting to the FT line at all and only shooting 36% from the field. Chloe Sotell was the only player with two made buckets for the Tigers in the quarter. Sotell saw her first start as a Tiger in place of Lisa Thompson. This left Dowell as the primary ball handler for the Tigers starters.
Mizzou held strong with an 18-12 advantage in the fourth to secure the win. The Tiger offense made the most of its chances, shooting 8-12 from the field. Dowell and Smith each added to their totals with five points in the quarter. The defense continued to hold the Cougars in check, as Wazzu went 5-17 from the field and 0-7 from deep.
Defensive performance has been the biggest difference for Mizzou under Kellie Harper so far, allowing only 63.8 points in wins and 91 in losses. The Tigers stole the ball seven times; Saniah Tyler was the only Mizzou player with multiple at two off the bench. Smith and Slaughter each had two stocks with one steal/block in the win.
The Tigers will be back in Florida for a pair of games at the Fort Myers Tip-Off later in the week. First up for Mizzou is a matchup against Bradley at 12:30 p.m. on Black Friday. The game will be available to watch on Ion through cable TV.
