Senior leadership has been a staple on the court for the Missouri women’s basketball team this season. The team has relied on senior forwards Christine Flores and BreAnna Brock to lead the team in scoring in 25 of 28 games and in rebounding in 27 of 28 games.
On Tuesday, Brock finished her career at Mizzou Arena in style. Despite Flores’ off night in which she finished with one point, Brock was able to pace the Tigers with team highs 24 points and 16 rebounds in a 75-62 loss to Texas. The game was a fitting way for Brock to punctuate a senior campaign that has seen her go from a bench player last season to the team’s No. 2 scorer this year.
Brock averaged 4.1 points per game and 3.3 rebounds while averaging 11 minutes of playing time last season. This year she is averaging 14 points per game and a team-leading 8.1 rebounds per game in 30 minutes of playing time.
Brock said her expanded role this season has affected her game.
“I know my teammates are dependent on me a lot more,” Brock said. “I do what I do for them, I go out on the court and they’re my motivation.”
Flores has provided the team with a consistent scoring threat all season. She is averaging a team-high 17 points and 7.5 rebounds per game. Flores’ list of accomplishments this season include becoming MU’s all-time leader in blocks and recording the first triple-double by a Tiger in 17 years.
The team relies on Flores’ consistent scoring every night out, a fact she alluded to after her disappointing and rare one-point output on Senior Night against Texas.
“My team is depending on me, and I can’t let them down any more,” Flores said.
Senior guard Bailey Gee hasn’t filled up the stat sheet like Brock and Flores have, but coach Robin Pingeton has repeatedly mentioned her as an ideal example of the work ethic she demands from her players.
“Bailey does a tremendous job from a leadership position, and she gets it, and she is a great teammate,” Pingeton said earlier in the season.
The senior’s consistent play this year has been key to the Tigers’ rebuilding process in coach Robin Pingeton’s second season. Brock, Flores and Gee all agreed that the coaching change before their junior season had a positive impact on their careers.
“The coaching change, with Coach P. and her staff coming in, really helped me bounce back from my ACL surgery and from my injury and become a better player in every aspect,” Gee said. “I thank them for that.”
Flores said this coaching staff has not only helped them out in basketball, but also in life, school and just about everything.
“None of us would be where we are today without the coaching staff that we have,” Flores said.
As the seniors end their time at Missouri, they are confident the coaching staff has the program headed in a positive direction.
“The program is going to keep blooming,” Brock said. “It’s baby steps like Coach P. says, but it is just going to keep going up.”
She said the high expectations the staff has for its players has made her respect the coaches more and willing to work at the high level they expect.
Each senior said the lessons of effort, teamwork, and time management they have learned during their time at Missouri will be helpful to them in the future.
