Lauren Hansen goes in for an attempt to score on Feb. 3 2022 in Columbia, Mo. Although the Tiger suffered a loss they still lead the series with a 13-2 record.
Missouri women’s basketball entered Thursday’s 2022 SEC Women’s Basketball Tournament battle against Arkansas projected to be in the NCAA tournament as one of the NCAA’s “Last Four In” teams.
With a victory, the Tigers’ ticket to the NCAA tournament could have been presumably punched, but Missouri fell to the Hogs 61-52 in overtime, leaving the door open for a departure from the projected tournament field.
The Tigers clinched the No. 9 seed in the Southeastern Conference tournament after finishing SEC play with a 7-9 record, while Arkansas earned the No. 8 seed with a 7-9 record after securing the head-to-head-tiebreaker over Missouri.
As expected, the No. 8 vs. No. 9 game featured a competitive back-and-forth contest between two offensive-minded teams. However, the two teams that each average over 70 points per game utilized defense to control the outcome.
“I think this is the first press conference I have ever talked about our defense winning the game, but I think it happened [today] because the shots were not falling,” Arkansas head coach Mike Neighbors said.
Strong defense proved to be on display early when the Tigers and Hogs shot a combined 20.7% from the field in the first quarter and scored 18 total points. Missouri committed five turnovers in the first quarter, leading to 3 points for Arkansas.
While the Tigers and Hogs improved upon their lackluster shooting percentages in the second quarter, both offenses continued to play well below their season averages. Missouri, which averages 45.2% from the field and 38.5% from beyond the arc, finished the second quarter at 40% and 20% in those respective areas.
Arkansas, however, fared even worse. The Hogs shot 20% from the field and 16.7% from beyond the arc in the second quarter, while their season averages on both are 41.5% and 33.5% respectively. With its inefficient first-half offensive performance, Arkansas entered halftime trailing 23-17.
The third quarter mirrored aspects of the first half, but the Hogs shot 37.5% from the field and 60% from 3-point range to eliminate their 6-point halftime deficit. Redshirt senior guard Amber Ramirez drilled back-to-back 3-pointers near the end of the third quarter to knot the game at 32 apiece entering the final frame.
“I missed a couple of easy shots in the first half, and in the second half I let the game come to me,” Ramirez said. “My teammates kept giving me confidence to shoot the same shots I got in the first half.”
Missouri and Arkansas both produced their highest-scoring quarters in the fourth, tallying 16 points each, but defensive pressure kept them inconsistent on offense. The Hogs finished 4-14 from the field, while the Tigers countered with a 5-14 performance.
After Ramirez gave Arkansas a 2-point lead with 25 seconds remaining, Missouri redshirt senior guard Haley Troup knocked down a game-tying layup with 20 seconds left. Ramirez missed a driving layup at the buzzer, bringing the 48-48 game into overtime.
Troup began the extra period with a jumper, giving her a career-high 21 points on the day. From there, however, the Hogs took control. Arkansas finished overtime on a 13-2 run with 50% shooting from the field and 8 made free throws.
“I thought Arkansas came out of the gates and attacked us [in overtime],” Pingeton said. “[I’m] thankful that we had an opportunity to be in overtime, but Arkansas flipped the script on us.”
The loss leaves Missouri anxiously awaiting selection Sunday on March 13, but the Tigers’ NCAA tournament fate lies in the hands of fellow “bubble” teams around the country.
“We put ourselves in a position to be on the bubble and if we get in, we get in,” Troup said. “I think we could make a run in March Madness if we really wanted to, so I am excited to see where we fall.”Edited by Riley Gearhart | rgearhart@themaneater.com