COLUMBIA, Mo. – Mizzou Women’s Basketball (6-6, 2-5 SEC) narrowly missed upsetting No. 15/14 Kentucky on Sunday, falling 61-55 on Sunday afternoon at Memorial Coliseum. The Tigers roared back from a 13-point second half deficit to lead late in the fourth quarter, but the 15th-ranked Wildcats responded with an 11-2 run over the game’s final 3:06 to seal the victory.
Mizzou was led once again by the play of redshirt junior forward LaDazhia Williams (Bradenton, Fla.) and sophomore guard Aijha Blackwell (Berkeley, Mo.), who scored 23 and 13 points, respectively. Williams’ set a new career high with her total, while Blackwell hit the glass hard for the third consecutive game, recording a career-best 19 rebounds.
Turning Point
A 9-0 Mizzou run midway through the gave the Tigers a 53-50 lead with 3:23 remaining in the game, its first lead of the game. Kentucky quickly pulled the momentum back on its side after that point, scoring 11 of the game’s final 13 points to regain control of the game and clinch the victory. The Wildcats were clutch from the charity stripe during this stretch, as they converted on 9-of-10 shots from the free throw line in the game’s final minutes.
Top Tigers
- Williams led the team in scoring for the third consecutive game, scoring a career-best 23 points while adding six rebounds and two steals.
- Blackwell continued her incredible stretch of rebounding the basketball, as she grabbed 19 while scoring 13 to record her fourth consecutive double-double and her eighth of the season.
- Sophomore forward Hayley Frank (Strafford, Mo.) scored 10 points and had four rebounds in the game.
Notes
- Mizzou outrebounded the Wildcats, 35-30, the seventh time in 12 games it has outrebounded its opponent.
- Williams led Mizzou in scoring for the third consecutive game and the fifth time this season with 23 points. It marked her 11th game in double figures this season and her second career 20-point game.
- With 13 points, Blackwell continued her stretch of scoring in double figures, doing so for the 12th time this season and for the 27th time dating back to Jan. 12, 2020.
- Blackwell attacked the glass once again, as she set a career-high with 19 rebounds, the most by a Mizzou Tiger since Jessra Johnson hit the same mark on Nov. 15, 2007. Over the last 3 games, Blackwell is averaging 17.0 rebounds per game.
- Blackwell is the only Mizzou player since at least 2002-03 to record back-to-back, let alone three straight games with 15 or more rebounds.
- With 13 points and 19 rebounds, the Tiger sophomore recorded her fourth consecutive double-double, the eighth of her season and the 15th of her career.
- With 10 points, Frank recorded her eighth game of the season and the 28th of her career in double figures.
Up Next
Mizzou will return home for its next contest as the Tigers host No. 19/18 Arkansas on Thursday evening. Tipoff from Mizzou Arena is slated for 7 p.m. CT on SEC Network +.
For all the latest on Mizzou Women’s Basketball, stay tuned to MUTigers.com and follow the team @MizzouWBB (Twitter, Instagram, Facebook).
