Missouri took care of business on both sides of the ball leading to an emphatic win as they head into a tournament this weekend
Missouri beat Southern Indiana at home to make the Tigers 4-1 on the season. Graduate Angelique Ngalakulondi got busy on the boards quickly, as she came down with four rebounds and also put up four points in the opening period.
“Every rebound is mine going up,” Ngalakulondi said. “We had more intensity today. […] Having that intensity and energy from the jump, and that translated throughout the game”
Sophomore Ashton Judd led all scorers in the opening period with seven points. She was followed by senior Hayley Frank with six points. The Tigers held a seven-point lead at the end of quarter one, with a score of 22-15.
The Tigers came out firing to start the second quarter. They raced out to a large lead thanks to hot shooting. Missouri hit five of their nine three point attempts in the quarter. Frank and graduate Mama Dembele finished with two apiece.
Thanksgiving also came early on the defensive end, as the Tigers were stuffing shots. Missouri registered four blocks in the first half along with five steals.This strong effort on both sides of the ball helped head coach Robin Pingeton and company to a commanding 51-27 lead at halftime.
The second half kicked off with Judd and Frank both on fire, as the two traded jump shots back and forth with Mama Dembele racking up four assists in the third quarter. This group effort led the Tigers to a 77-54 lead at the end of the third.
In the fourth quarter, Frank put the game to bed with a series of quick buckets. It was a dominant performance on both sides of the ball, as Missouri ended the evening victorious by a score of 96-62.
Tiger fans have a lot to be thankful for this season, particularly Judd and Frank, who led all scorers with 26 points each. Frank also added 11 boards, while Dembele added 9 assists to lead all Tigers.
After the game, coach Pingeton praised her team for their collective work ethic and shooting ability.
“I have so much respect for the amount of time they pour into their craft, […] I think there is a lot of firepower on our team,“ Pingeton said. “The more balanced we can be, it’s gonna serve us that much better.”
Missouri will hit the road this weekend, as they will participate in the Daytona Beach Classic. The Tigers will first play Tennessee Tech on Friday, Nov. 24 at 7 p.m. and Kent State on Saturday, Nov. 25 at 4:45 p.m.
