With a 7-0 record, Missouri women’s basketball had to overcome Southern Illinois University Edwardsville’s full-court press to continue its hot streak.

The first quarter was tight and the lead went back and forth between SIUE and The Tigers. Following the  3- pointer by 6-foot-1 sophomore guard Sara-Rose Smith, the game was tied at 14 and Missouri then went on to maintain the lead at the end of the  the first quarter 21-19.

The Tigers’ offense was in full force in the second quarter of the game. With 5-foot-6 sophomore guard Mama Dembele’s quickness on the court, she was able to surpass the SIUE press and get the offense rolling for Missouri.

After Dembele threw an across-the-court pass to 5-foot-10 guard Haley Troup under the basket for an easy bucket, the Tigers built upon their lead the rest of the game. Good execution on offense led to full-court layups and open shots around the arc. Tight defense resulted in several defensive rebounds and forced  SIUE turnovers.  Missouri shot  12-of-18 from the field in the second quarter extending its lead to 17 points by the end of the half.

The turning point in the game came during the second half when the Tigers held SIUE to 15 points total. Missouri found its rhythm with their quickness on defense and were able to grab rebounds that led to offenses in which any player could score. 

Three Tigers scored in double figures for the night. 6-foot junior guard Aijha Blackwell earned her fifth double-double of the season, ending the night with 16 points and 15 rebounds. 5-foot-8 junior guard Lauren Hansen had another high-scoring game of 16 points and Smith matched her career-high with 10 points, while shooting a perfect 4-4 from the field. Troup added 9 points of her own. 

Dembele exhibited quickness on both ends of the court adding 9 points and earning a new career-high in assists with 8. 

Each Missouri player posed a threat to SIUE as Hansen and Smith were lined outside the arc with Blackwell inside, leaving any Tiger able to score.
Missouri kept its win streak alive with a 79-46 victory over SIUE. This marked the largest margin of victory for the Tigers all season. Missouri improved to  8-0 and will face No. 5 Baylor in Waco, Texas on Saturday, Dec. 4th. The game will stream live on ESPNU at 7:00 p.m.