The entire crowd was on their feet, stomping on the ground enough to drown out their screaming.
With just one second left on the clock and the score 53-50 in favor of Missouri, Colorado attempted a last second three-pointer to tie the game.
The attempt fell short and the bench ran out onto the court while the audience cheered.
Somehow, despite a 15-point deficit a little into the second half, Missouri women’s basketball (7-2) came back to beat Colorado (6-3).
The first half belonged to Colorado, with 57 percent from the three-point line and 13 baskets from inside. The Buffaloes also pulled out four fast breaks where the Tigers had none, leading to a 17-2 run by Colorado.
The half lacked intensity from the Tigers according to Missouri coach Robin Pingeton, both on offense and defense.
“I feel like we were on our heels and we weren’t making as many of the 50/50 balls that we needed to,” Pingeton said. “At half, it felt like we were down by 25 and not 12. The positive note is they responded at halftime.”
And it was the Tigers’ response that sealed the win: the second half was almost exclusively just the five starters, but they started to score more consistently within the paint, especially sophomore forward Kayla McDowell.
McDowell helped spark the comeback by putting up the most points and rebounds for the Tigers, until she fell hard going for a rebound in the fourth quarter and had to be carried out.
Pingeton said she fears it’s a torn ACL but they won’t know for sure until McDowell gets an MRI.
If so, McDowell will join the bench of injured players with junior guard Lianna Doty, junior forward Michelle Hudyn, and recently injured freshman guard Carrie Shephard, who has three stress fractures in her right shin bone and one in her left.
“She gave us a big boost with her aggressiveness to the basket and by not forcing anything, but understanding when she had the driving lane,” senior guard Morgan Eye said. “She attacked it and finished strong.”
Sophomore guard Jordan Frericks stepped up her game after McDowell was out and also put up 10 points while also making four of her five free throws.
Frericks, Eye, and sophomore guard Lindsey Cunningham all put up six rebounds as well, which played a huge role in chipping away at Colorado’s lead in the second half.
In the second half, Mizzou finally gained the lead after junior guard Morgan Stock briefly subbed in and drained two free throws. After that point, it was a back and forth fight till the very end, with the Tigers down by four at 2:30.
But as soon as sophomore guard Juanita Robinson got subbed in for the first time in the second half, she both drains a trey and scores a free throw a minute later to help Mizzou gain the lead. After senior guard Bree Fowler drained a free throw and the Tigers’ 53rd point, it was set in stone.
The Tigers will face off against the Northern Illinois University Huskies this Sunday at 2:00 in Mizzou Arena.
