DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – Despite a career-high 30-point effort from graduate forward Hayley Frank, University of Missouri Women’s Basketball was unable to overtake Kent State falling, 67-64, Saturday night at the Ocean Center. The game marked the final contest of the Daytona Beach Classic.
Frank also added eight rebounds, two blocks and two steals to round out her stat line. The scoring total was bolstered by an 11-of-11 performance at the free-throw line. Additionally, the graduate notched 17 of the final point tally in the first half.
Sophomore guard Ashton Judd contributed 13 points, five boards and two assists to aid the Tigers’ effort on the evening.
Missouri struggled to find a rhythm early in the contest as Kent State jumped out to a 14-point advantage with just over a minute remaining in the first quarter. Unfazed by the early deficit, freshman forward Hannah Linthacum connected on a 3-pointer from the top of the key which sparked a 24-9 run that spanned the quarter break and saw the Tigers trailing by just one at the half.
Frank led the Tigers charge with 12 points in the second frame on a 4-of-7 performance from the floor. The forward dominated down low as she guided the Tigers to 10 points in the paint in the quarter.
Following the half, the contest transitioned to a defensive stalwart as neither team was able to garner a basket for a nearly three-minute stretch in the heart of the third quarter. A 10-2 Missouri run broke the stalemate as graduate forward Abby Feit capped the charge with a personal five-point run that featured a transition triple and a layup in the paint. The spurt saw Mizzou take a five-point lead.
Holding a two-point advantage entering the fourth, Frank stretched the Missouri lead to eight with a personal six-point scoring streak that featured a 3-pointer from the top of the arc following a Kent State turnover.
As the quarter turned over the halfway mark, the Golden Flashes made a final offensive charge that gave them a three-point lead with just under two minutes remaining. Frank willed the Tigers back in front with a pair of successful trips to the charity stripe, but a Kent State layup with just 12 seconds on the clock proved to be the game’s deciding basket.
Senior guard Mama Dembele hoisted a layup attempt with three seconds remaining that fell short.
Behind Frank, Missouri finished the contest a perfect 15-of-15 at the free throw line.
The Golden Flashes scored 17 points off nine Tiger turnovers.
UP NEXT
Missouri will travel to compete in the inaugural SEC/ACC Challenge against Virginia at 4 p.m. on Thursday in Charlottesville, Va. The contest will air on the ACC Network.
FOLLOW THE TIGERS
For all the latest information on Mizzou Women’s Basketball, please visit MUTigers.com. For up-to-the-minute updates, follow the Tigers on Instagram, Facebook and X.
