Whenever Missouri women’s basketball needed a basket, someone stepped up.
For junior forward Hayley Frank and sophomore guard Mama Dembele, that moment came late in the fourth quarter of the Tigers’ thrilling 76-70 victory against visiting Murray State at Mizzou Arena Thursday night.
The Racers used a 23-11 run late in the second half to turn their 52-42 deficit into a 65-63 lead. With 2:16 remaining in the fourth quarter, Frank extinguished the visitor’s rally by connecting on a decisive 3-pointer from the right wing.
On the following possession, Dembele drew a charge, setting herself up for the opportunity to shut the door on the Racers’ comeback.
Dembele found an open space on the floor, received the ball from redshirt senior forward LaDazhia Williams and drilled a 3-pointer with 1:38 remaining, sending the Missouri fanbase into an uproar.
“I don’t usually hear the fans,” Missouri head coach Robin Pingeton said. “But down the stretch, I heard them and I thought that was huge.”
Missouri’s fanbase witnessed a thrilling finish alongside a balanced offensive display that featured six Tigers who scored eight or more points, including four in double figures. Missouri scored 40 points in the paint and maximized on Murray State’s mistakes with 22 points off turnovers.
With 1:03 remaining in the third quarter, Missouri junior guard Aijha Blackwell drove to the basket and connected on a layup while being fouled. The basket ended a scoring drought, which lasted well over three minutes and cut into Murray State’s momentum. Blackwell led the Tigers in scoring, with 19 points and 15 rebounds in 37 minutes of action.
Murray State sophomore forward Katelyn Young finished with a game-high 21 points on 70% shooting. Sophomore forward Hannah McKay and senior guard Macey Turley added a combined 33 points, including 18 from the 3-point line.
The Racers held Missouri to a 35.2% mark from beyond the arc and forced 11 turnovers. However, the Tigers’ defensive presence made a larger impact and limited Murray State’s ability to establish a strong lead. Led by Dembele’s 4 steals, they blocked 4 shots and totaled 8 steals altogether. They forced 15 Murray State turnovers and compiled 8 offensive rebounds, creating more opportunities for the offense.
After her 3-pointer late in the fourth quarter, Dembele stole the ball from Turley on the ensuing possession, and Missouri capitalized on the opportunity with two free throws, ultimately sealing the game.
The Tigers’ success late in the fourth quarter marks a stark contrast to last season, in which they suffered several close losses and struggled to finish games off. Against a gritty Murray State team, these critical plays elevated Pingeton’s confidence in her team.
“I thought that the last two minutes were a defining moment for us in an early season,” Pingeton said. “The way they looked me in the eye in those last two minutes, I felt pretty good about [our chances].”
The Tigers ended the game on a 10-5 run over the final 2:16, cementing their first win of the season.
Missouri improves to 1-0 with the victory and continues its homestand on Sunday at 2 p.m. against Morgan State University.
Edited by Kyle Pinnell | kpinnell@themaneater.com