Tigers inch by Illinois thanks to paint-led attack
After Illinois women’s basketball claimed Braggin’ Rights last season in Columbia, Missouri took it right back this season with a 69-66 victory in Champaign, Illinois. The win moves the Tigers to 8-4.
“That was all player led,” said head coach Robin Pingeton. “I think they really challenged each other and upped the ante.”
Both teams opened with a strong offensive punch, scoring 16 a piece in the first 10 minutes. Freshman guard Grace Slaughter scored Missouri’s first six points, knifing her way into the lane for several layups.
The Tigers’ offense slowed up from there, as they only scored nine points in the second quarter on 3/12 shooting. Missouri trailed 30-25 at the break.
The visiting team trailed by as many as 10 in the quarter, but cut it to five at the half. The Tigers were helped by a three from graduate forward Abby Feit at the end of the shot clock.
“She’s got ice in her veins,” Pingeton said after the game. “I thought she had some really big minutes for us down the stretch.”
Feit finished the game with 9 points on 3/4 shooting from deep.
Missouri turned a corner to start the third, with 17 points at the first media timeout to take a 42-37 lead. The Tigers snatched the lead on the back of hot perimeter shooting, as it made 3 of their 6 triples early on.
With the game tied at 44 after three quarters, both teams flipped the offensive switch in the fourth quarter. Illinois did their damage from the outside with five triples in the final frame. Missouri worked from the inside, going 8/8 on two-point attempts.
“Offensively making sure we were in [an] attack mentality,” Pingeton said.
Senior Mama Dembele registered a career-high in points with 20.The day started slow for Dembele, as she only had four points on 1/6 shooting. But she soon turned up the heat, exploding for 16 points on 7/9 shooting in the second half.
“I felt like she did a great job probing, not picking up the dribble in the second half,” head coach Pingeton said.
Graduate forward Hayley Frank had a slow start as well, but scored eight points in the fourth. She also drew a crucial charge in the final minute to help seal the win. Frank shot six free throws in the final minute as Illinois intentionally fouled, hoping for misses to tie the game. Frank helped stave them off, going 4/6 from the foul line late and finishing with 13 points.
This marks the Tigers’ first road win of the year after starting 0-2.
“It was a great environment … it did get really loud,” Pingeton said. “We had something we had to prove to ourselves.”
Missouri will be back on their home court for their last game of 2023 against the University of Missouri-Kansas City on Thursday, Dec. 21.
Edited by Quentin Corpuel | qcorpuel@themaneater.com
Copy edited by Sterling Sewell | ssewell@themaneater.com