A host of newcomers finally got their chance to shine in Mizzou’s home opener Tuesday at Mizzou Arena. The Tigers began their 2011 campaign with an exhibition rout of Division II school Truman State, winning by a final score of 82-54.

Transfers guard Liene Priede and center Liz Smith, along with freshman guard Bree Fowler, each scored at least eight points in their debuts as Tigers.

“Overall I was very pleased with our newcomers, they showed a lot of positives tonight,” coach Robin Pingeton said.

Fowler, a Kansas City native, said it was a great opportunity to play in front of many of her family members and with her new team, which she now considers part of her family as well.

“It was like a dream come true to finally get out on the court,” Fowler said.

Priede was an important addition for Pingeton this year. After Priede initially committed to Western Illinois, Pingeton was able to convince the native Latvian to transfer to Mizzou.

“We knew we needed to get players that would make an immediate impact,” Pingeton said. “She still has two years left and we feel her best basketball is ahead of her.”

While the newcomers were impressive, it was senior forward Christine Flores who led the Tigers with game highs of 17 points and eight rebounds.

Flores recently competed in the Pan-American Games, but was back to open the season with the Tigers.

“It was a great experience, but there is nothing like being home,” Flores said.

Flores said she felt her absence was beneficial in helping the Tigers’ other inside players improve, particularly senior forward BreAnna Brock.

Brock finished tied for the team high in rebounds with eight and also poured in nine points in the exhibition.

The Tigers were somewhat sloppy in the first half and their defensive intensity was suspect, leading to only a nine-point lead at the break.

But the team turned around their play in the second half and put Truman State away, going on a 25-5 run to go up 62-33 with just under 16 minutes in the first half.

“I was really pleased with our second-half effort,” said Pingeton, citing the team’s increased defensive intensity in the second half as a positive.

Offensively, the Tigers shot 52 percent from the floor. They were able to hit 6-10 from three in the second half to help distance themselves from the Bulldogs.

Tuesday was a chance for Pingeton and the coaching staff to see what they have as they head towards a difficult conference schedule.

“We are not set on a rotation yet, hopefully we will have it more set next week,” Pingeton said. “Tonight was a chance for everybody to get their feet wet.”

Pingeton said she saw a lot of positives, but the team still has a long way to go.

One positive was the team’s unselfish play, as the Tigers finished with 17 assists and six players with at least eight points.

“I think we have a very unselfish team that is not concerned who gets the scoring,” Pingeton said.

Pingeton’s main concern was the team’s defense, and she said that will be the main focus as they move forward.

The Tigers resume play with their final exhibition next Tuesday night at 7 p.m. against the University of Missouri-Saint Louis.