Freshmen Duo Lead Mizzou Women’s Basketball to 78-66 Win over Vanderbilt

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Mizzou Women’s Basketball’s (7-19, 4-9 SEC) freshmen dup of Hayley Frank (Strafford, Mo.) and Aijha Blackwell (Berkeley, Mo.) combined for 42 points to lead Mizzou to a 78-66 road victory over Vanderbilt (13-13, 3-10 SEC) on Thursday night in Nashville, Tenn. The duo was responsible for every point of Mizzou’s 13-2 run to open the fourth quarter, a run that gave the Tigers an eight-point lead and control of the game.

Frank paced the Tigers with 24 points on 8-of-11 shooting from the field and a career-high 5-of-7 from three, while Blackwell posted her third double-double in the last four games with 18 points and a team-high 14 rebounds. The combined 42 points from Frank and Blackwell is the most by a Mizzou freshmen duo since Sophie Cunningham (42 points) and Cierra Porter (14 points) combined for 56 points against Wake Forest on Nov. 22, 2015.

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TURNING POINT

With the score tied at 52-52 at the start of the fourth quarter, Mizzou’s pair of freshmen was getting ready to take over. Vanderbilt opened the game’s final quarter with a three-point play to make the score 55-52, but then Frank and Blackwell responded with a 13-2 run of their own. Frank began the run with back-to-back threes and a tough basket inside for eight straight points, followed a three-point play and a jumper from Blackwell. Just like that, Mizzou led 65-57 with 5:49 remaining in the game.

TOP TIGERS

• Frank had her second career 20-point game with a team-high 24 points while sinking a career-high five shots from beyond the three-point arc. Frank shot the ball very efficiently in the game, as she was 8-of-11 from the field, 5-of-7 from three and 3-of-4 from three.
• Blackwell filled the stat sheet with 18 points, 14 rebounds, a career-high four blocks, three assists and three steals.
• Senior guard Jordan Roundtree (St. Louis, Mo.) scored 10 points, had five rebounds and three assists.

NOTES

• Frank (24 points) and Blackwell (18 points) combined for 42 points, the most by a Mizzou freshmen duo since Sophie Cunningham (42 points) and Cierra Porter (14 points) combined for 56 points against Wake Forest on Nov. 22, 2015.
• Mizzou shot 43.9 percent (25-of-57) from the field, the 16^th time this season they have shot 40 percent or better in a game.
• The Tigers recorded a season-high 10 blocks in the game, led by four a piece from Blackwell and redshirt senior forward Hannah Schuchts (Tallahassee, Fla.)
• Frank recorded her second career 20-point game with a game-high 24 points, her second highest scoring output of the season, trailing only her 29-point performance against New Mexico (Nov. 28). It was Frank’s 18^th career game scoring in double figures.
• Frank moved up from No. 9 to No. 7 on the all-time Mizzou freshmen scoring list with 317 points, surpassing Kesha Bonds (310, 1995-96), Joni Davis (309, 1981-82) and Kathy Stevenson (293, 1976-77).
• Frank drained a career-high five threes in the game, surpassing her four triples made against New Mexico.
• The Tiger freshman now ranks second all-time among Mizzou freshmen with 41 three-pointers, surpassing Sophie Cunningham (2015-16) and Kyley Simmons (2011-12), who each made 37 threes in their freshman campaigns.
• Blackwell produced her third double-double in four games and fourth overall with 18 points and 14 rebounds, matching a career-high. Blackwell has now scored in double figures in 10 consecutive games, 19 games overall and has scored 15+ points in 13 games overall.
• Blackwell dished out three assists, her 12^th consecutive game with multiple assists.
• With 14 rebounds, Blackwell extended her streak of grabbing five or more rebounds to 12 games. She has recorded five or more rebounds in 22 games this season, and 10 or more rebounds in four contests.
• The Tiger freshman also recorded a career-high four blocks, surpassing her previous best of two, which she recorded twice.
• Blackwell is the first player in program history to record at least 14 rebounds, four blocks and three steals in a game since Christine Flores had 14 rebounds, 10 blocks and five steals against Eastern Illinois on Dec. 7, 2011.
• With 10 points, senior guard Jordan Chavis (Lexington, N.C.) scored in double figures for the ninth time this season and the 22^nd time in her career.
• Chavis made two three-pointers in the game to move to sixth all-time at Mizzou with 141 career threes, surpassing Tracy Lozier (140, 2000-04). It marked 16^th time this season and the 39^th time in her career she has made multiple threes in a game.
• The Tiger senior point guard dished out five assists in the game, the third time in her career she has reached five or more assists.
• Roundtree recorded her fifth game this season and eight double-digit scoring output of her career with 10 points. The Tiger senior was a perfect 6-of-6 from the charity stripe in the game.
• Roundtree matched a career-high with three assists in the game, the seventh time in her career she has hit that mark.
• Roundtree grabbed five rebounds in the game, the seventh time this season and the 15^th time in her career she has grabbed at least five boards.
• Schuchts blocked four shots, her 18^th game this season and 35^th time in her career she has recorded multiple blocks.
• Schuchts moved to fourth all-time at Mizzou with 133 career blocks, match Amanda Lassiter (133, 1999-01) and surpassing Jordan Frericks (132, 2013-17).

UP NEXT

Next, Mizzou returns home on Sunday, Feb. 23 to face Ole Miss for its senior day. Tipoff from Mizzou Arena is slated for 5 p.m. CT on SEC Network, with senior day ceremonies beginning at 4:40 p.m. CT.

For all the latest on Mizzou Women’s Basketball, stay tuned to MUTigers.com and follow the team @MizzouWBB (Twitter, Instagram, Facebook).

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