Head coach Robin Pingeton and the Tigers continue to struggle, failing to put together the pieces
After a 0-3 start to SEC play, Missouri women’s basketball strung together two straight wins, including a 12-point victory over Georgia at home.
But this success was short lived, as the Tigers followed up by losing a wire-to-wire matchup on the road against Kentucky. Here are three notable takeaways from these last two games against the Bulldogs and the Wildcats.
Shot out of a cannon
Missouri led after the first quarter in the Georgia and Kentucky games. After the first quarter of both games, the Tigers had a cumulative 38-28 advantage over their opponents.
A large portion of the Tigers’ success came on the defensive end, holding opponents to 11-35 shooting in the combined first quarters of both games. These missed shots gave the Tigers a rebounding advantage in the opening frame, something the team has struggled with this year.
Offensively Missouri made its shots during both first quarters, draining 15 of 26 attempts and finding its way to efficient shots. The offensive catalyst was graduate forward Hayley Frank, who totalled 16 first quarter points in the last two games.
“Warrior” Hayley Frank
In her fifth year, Frank has led the way for the Tigers in scoring. During the last two games, Frank shot 50% or better from the field while scoring 24 points in each outing. She led the team in points and field goal attempts this past week, serving as an efficient offensive bellcow.
“I think she’s playing like a first team All-SEC player,” head coach Robin Pingeton said after the Kentucky loss.
While Frank has been outstanding lately, there is still room for improvement. In her last two games, Frank scored only 3-14 behind the arc, leaving a substantial amount of points on the board.
Frank also fouled out in both games this week, a problem indicative of the whole team.
Foul play
In both games this week, the Tigers shot less free throws than their opponents: 15 less than Georgia and 10 less than Kentucky.
While Frank was the only Missouri player to foul out against Georgia, senior guard Mama Dembele and freshman forward Hannah Linthacum picked up four fouls each.
The foul troubles caught up to the Tigers against Kentucky, with four players each racking up five fouls: Frank, Linthacum, graduate forward Abby Feit and sophomore guard Ashton Judd.
“[Free throws] are just free points,” Pingeton said after the Kentucky loss.
Missouri (11-8, 2-4) returns home to face Texas A&M (14-4, 2-3) on Thursday, Jan. 25, at 8 p.m. in the Mizzou Arena.
Edited by Chase Gemes | cgemes@themaneater.com
Copy Edited by Briana Iordan
Edited by Sophie Rentschler | srentschler@themaneater.com