On Dec. 30 6139 pairs of eyes were locked on the court as Missouri women’s basketball made history. Roughly 24 hours before the game, the Tigers received news that they would only have eight eligible players for the contest against No.1 South Carolina. Missouri was missing the SEC’s leading rebounder and Missouri’s leading scorer-6-foot junior guard Aijha Blackwell- as well as freshman guard Izzy Higginbottom.

The unfortunate circumstances, however, did not deter the Tigers from the mission at hand. With only eight players, Missouri played with grit and intensity. After a 5-0 start from South Carolina in the first quarter, 6-foot-4 redshirt senior forward LaDazhia Williams scored the Tigers’ first points of the night. 

Throughout the game, the lead swung  back and forth between the two teams. At the half, Missouri held a 32-26 advantage. South Carolina began the third quarter with a 12-5 run to take a 38-37 lead. 

Missouri’s advantage stood at 47-45 to begin the fourth quarter behind an electric crowd in Mizzou Arena. Throughout the whole quarter, thousands of fans rose to their feet as the teams battled until the end.

“When I walked out of the tunnel right before the game started, I got a little emotional,” Missouri head coach Robin Pingeton said. “I always do on those big nights because there’s no doubt there’s a lot of things that they [the fans] could be spending their time doing. They showed up for us. You just appreciate them so much, and we want them to feel [like] a part of this because we can’t do this without them. And I think that’s what makes our fans so special.”

The Tigers executed well, leading to multiple open shots around the arc. South Carolina responded with open opportunities to score as well. 5-foot-6 sophomore guard Mama Dembele and 5-foot-10 redshirt senior guard Haley Troup each made one from the free throw line with less than a minute to play, and it looked as though Missouri would take home the win. However, with 21 seconds remaining, South Carolina added their own basket, tying the game at the end of the fourth 64-64. 

In overtime, South Carolina came out attacking, making a 3-pointer and a layup within the first minute and a half. Down by five, it was time for Missouri to create open looks. 5-foot-8 junior guard Lauren Hansen and 6-foot-1 junior forward Hayley Frank both took drives to the basket, bringing the Tigers within one point of South Carolina. 

After Hansen grabbed her own rebound, Missouri called a timeout with 14 seconds remaining. Dembele kept her poise with the ball as she waited for her teammates to execute the play. The final seconds ticked down as Frank made her way to the top of the arc to set a ball screen for Hansen, who used the pick and roll action to make her drive to the basket. Hansen’s layup fell in moments before the final buzzer to give Missouri a thrilling victory. It was the type of shot that gives you chills. Mizzou Arena erupted in a roar of cheers. Frank ran and scooped Hansen up as the two tumbled to the floor with pure excitement. 

With 0.1 remaining, Missouri’s defense prevented South Carolina from taking the win. 

As the final buzzer sounded, fans celebrated, and former Missouri players raced onto the court to take in the victory with the team. The Tigers hoisted Pingeton into the air, emphasizing the magnitude of the win.

“Wins like this don’t just happen by chance,” Pingeton said. “It’s a body of work over time.” 

Frank finished with 21 points shooting 7-of-8 from the field, including 3-of-4 from beyond the arc and 4 points from the free throw line. Williams earned her first double-double, finishing with 12 points and 12 rebounds. 

Hansen matched Frank with 21 points and Dembele ended with 11 points, giving Missouri four double-digit scorers.

Despite the circumstances, the Tigers battled until the end. They emptied their tanks and left it all on the court. 

“I think what I’m most proud of this team [for is that] we came in and we had belief,” Frank said. “Belief in the eight that we had available, and we didn’t stop believing for 45 minutes. That’s why we got the result we did.” 

Missouri resumes conference play Jan. 6, hosting Auburn. 

Edited by Brandon Haynes | bhaynes@themaneater.com