Missouri women’s basketball completed its non-conference schedule on Wednesday against Illinois in the Braggin’ Rights game. Missouri head coach Robin Pingeton earned career victory No. 200 with a 84-65 win against the Fighting Illini, who hadn’t lost the game since 2018.
After bouncing back from their Dec. 10 defeat to Missouri State with victories over Alabama A&M and Southern University, who have a combined record of 4-17, the Tigers found success against rival Illinois.
Five Tigers scored in double figures for the first time since Feb. 7, while the familiar junior trio of guard Aijha Blackwell, forward Hayley Frank and guard Lauren Hansen paced Missouri offensively with 46 points and shot a combined 57.1% from the field.
Redshirt senior forward LaDazhia Williams and freshman guard Izzy Higginbottom showcased Missouri’s bench depth with 13 and 9 points, respectively. Williams notched her second consecutive game with double-digit points, while Higginbottom posted her highest point total since Nov. 21 in the victory.
Defensively, sophomore guard Mama Dembele forced 4 steals, while Blackwell secured her ninth double-double of the season with 15 rebounds and 18 points. However, the Fighting Illini countered with the game’s two leading scorers.
Illinois graduate guard Sara Anastasieska and junior guard De’Myla Brown scored 19 and 22 points respectively, accounting for 41 of the Fighting Illini’s 65 total points. Sophomore forward Kendall Bostic grabbed a team-high 13 rebounds, but Missouri outrebounded Illinois 46-34.
The Tigers fell into a familiar rhythm early in the game, as the Fighting Illini jumped to a 13-1 lead within the first four minutes. Missouri missed its first six baskets from the field, while Anastasieska drained three 3-pointers to jump-start the offense.
However, Missouri found themselves the rest of the first quarter, holding Illinois to 3 points and entering the second quarter knotted at 16 points apiece with strong offense. Hansen aided the Tigers’ late surge with 9 points, including two baskets from beyond the arc.
Blackwell continued Missouri’s success early in the second quarter with a layup and 3-point jumper to give Missouri its first lead of the game. Dembele added another layup following a turnover by Anastasieska to increase the lead to 23-16.
The Tigers and Fighting Illini traded baskets for several minutes before Blackwell connected on a layup and drained a 3-point basket to extend the Missouri lead to 12. After consecutive 3-point baskets by Frank and Troup, the Tigers entered halftime with a 40-26 lead.
With gritty defense and efficient shooting from anywhere on the court, Missouri dominated the second quarter. The Tigers forced Illinois into five turnovers and held the Fighting Illini to only 10 points in the quarter, displaying the defensive prowess Pingeton has spoken about all season.
Blackwell provided the first 5 points of the third quarter for the Tigers, who increased their lead to 17 points. However, both teams traded baskets throughout the rest of the third quarter, leading to a 14-point Tigers lead entering the fourth.
With a comfortable lead to start the fourth quarter, Missouri’s bench players stepped up to ensure there would be no comeback for Illinois. Williams tallied 6 points in the period, including the Tigers first four points of the period.
Higginbottom, freshman forward Sarah Linthacum and redshirt sophomore forward Micah Linthacum accounted for the Tigers’ final 10 points to seal the victory and close a successful non-conference schedule.
Missouri finished non-conference play with a 11-2 record, including a near upset of then-No. 5 Baylor. The Tigers begin SEC play on Dec. 30 against the nation’s No. 1 team in South Carolina. Missouri will host the Gamecocks in a match that will air on the SEC Network at 6 p.m.
Edited by Kyle Pinnell | kpinnell@themaneater.com
