Missouri Tigers women’s basketball’s conference title hopes were cut short Wednesday in a 48-65 loss to the Alabama Crimson Tide in the first round of the Southeastern Conference Tournament. The loss marks the sixth straight season of first-round exits for the Tigers, and the first under head coach Kellie Harper, who has now finished her first season with the team, barring a Women’s Basketball Invitational Tournament invite.
Missouri didn’t leave Greenville, South Carolina, without a fight, clawing within four points of the Crimson Tide by the end of the third quarter. Regardless, struggles from junior guards Grace Slaughter and Shannon Dowell proved to be too heavy as the Tigers were outscored 24-11 in the fourth quarter.
Slaughter, the Tigers’ leading scorer on the season, added 11 points on 3-for-11 shooting in the contest. Dowell tallied a season-low three points on zero made field goals — a stark contrast from her season-high 33 points in the previous game.
Poor shooting nights from the juniors led to the Tigers shooting 29.4% from the field, marking the second-lowest total of the season. Shooting was poor, but the game-breaker for Missouri was ultimately turnovers.
Missouri trailed by four points entering the final frame, but back-to-back turnovers allowed Alabama to spark a 9-0 run and jump out to a 13-point lead, which Missouri never came close to recovering from. The Tigers totaled 16 turnovers on the night.
Missouri was poor on the glass as well — a recurring issue in conference play — getting outrebounded 48-36 in the game and 11-3 in the fourth quarter.
The outlier for the Tigers was senior forward Jordana Reisma, the sole Tiger to shoot higher than 28.6%. Reisma ended the game with a team-high 15 points on 7-for-8 shooting while grabbing five rebounds.
Alabama struggled from the field as well, shooting 36% overall and 29% from three. But Alabama’s 66 shots compared to the Tigers’ 51 and 20 more attempted 3-pointers were crucial in a poor shooting performance from both sides, providing extra possessions and helping the Crimson Tide win in quantity over quality.
Alabama’s extended opportunities came from 14 offensive rebounds and 23 second-chance points. The hardships that stunted Missouri throughout conference play came back one more time, putting a stamp on the 2026 Tigers’ season in SEC play.
Harper’s debut season as the head coach of Missouri likely ends with a 16-16 overall record and a 4-12 record in conference play, with a first-round exit in the SEC Tournament. The Women’s National Invitation Tournament awaits, but if the Tigers don’t participate, the offseason is next up.
