The preseason hype surrounding Missouri women’s basketball head coach Kellie Harper was warranted. The Tigers have already matched last season’s conference win total and surpassed the total wins with seven games remaining in their Southeastern Conference schedule.
Redemption from a slow start
Following an 88-80 road victory against Mississippi State, Missouri advanced to 15-9 on the season and 3-6 in conference play. The win was a second straight for the program after defeating Texas A&M the previous week, marking the first time since Jan. 18, 2024, that the Tigers recorded consecutive conference wins.
This sudden surge from Missouri comes from a strong offensive system under Harper’s leadership. Missouri has turned a year that could have been a disaster — riddled with injuries and problems in the post — into a scrappy, sharp-shooting team making a run in the heart of the season.
Missouri was 12-3 coming into conference play, but hadn’t played against a single ranked opponent. With nine ranked games ahead of them, the Tigers looked like they could repeat the poor-record trend of the last two seasons, in which they combined for five conference wins in 32 games. After four straight double-digit losses to begin SEC play, deja vu began to ring around in Mizzou Arena.
Speculations may have been right: Missouri needed more size alongside 6-foot-3 senior Jordana Reisma, and the injuries of two key returners in juniors Averi Kroenke and Hannah Linthacum posed too big a problem. But what wasn’t accounted for was that the Tigers hadn’t seen much adversity before this, and an easier schedule was upon them.
Efficient outside shooting
The Tigers have gone 3-2 in conference play since that slow start and continue to shoot a strong clip from 3-point range.
With junior guards Grace Slaughter and Shannon Dowell leading the way, the Tigers have formulated a recipe for success. The physical guards impose their force on the inside, which in turn sets up easy opportunities from beyond-the-arc in later possessions.
Missouri ranks eighth in the NCAA and first in the SEC in 3-point percentage at 38% from three. Notably, the Tigers are also fourth in the SEC in 3-point attempts with 558 and second in makes with 211.
The Tigers have remained red-hot from distance in conference play as well, shooting over 40% in five of their nine SEC games.
Missouri sticks to the high 3-point volume gameplan even when shots aren’t falling. After shooting a combined 25% from 3-point range in their second and third conference games, the Tigers didn’t change their formula, leading to the success that shows up on the stat sheet today.
Turnover problems
Not everything has been as smooth-sailing for Missouri, as turnovers have been a glaring problem against SEC competition this season. The team ranks 12th in the SEC with 16 turnovers per game and 16th in turnover margin.
If Missouri wants a chance to defeat a ranked opponent this year, it will need to be controlled offensively like it was against Mississippi State. If the Tigers can commit just 13 turnovers and shoot 46% from 3-point range as they did in that game, they’ll be set up for a stronger end to the season.
Although the defense has not been eye-popping, it is far from disastrous. The defense might not be strong enough to lead the Tigers in a deep tournament run, but it can hold ranked teams like Kentucky and Alabama to performances under 75 points.
Dynamic Duo
With seven SEC games remaining, four of which are against ranked opponents, Missouri should look no further than its star duo of Slaughter and Dowell. The two are responsible for nearly half of the Tigers points per game, with Slaughter ranking fifth in the conference with 19.3 points per game and Dowell’s 15.6 points per contest placing her at No. 13.
Missouri’s dynamic duo score at will in the clutch as well. After trading four buckets in the final minutes against Mississippi State to flip the 74-78 score to 84-78, the juniors will be essential down the grueling final stretch of games.
As for the immediate future, Missouri will have a chance to secure its third straight victory when the team plays the Arkansas Razorbacks in Bud Walton Arena on Feb. 5, 6:30 p.m. The game is a rematch from the Tigers first SEC win this year, in a 94-69 home victory Jan. 15.
