Mizzou Women’s Basketball Travels to Florida for Thursday Matchup

THE MATCHUP

• Mizzou Women’s Basketball takes the road once again as the Tigers travel to Gainesville, Fla., to face the Florida Gators on Thursday, Jan. 28. Tipoff from The Exactech Arena is scheduled for 5 p.m. CT on SECN Network + with Kyle Crooks and Brittany Davis on the call. In Mizzou’s last time out, the Tigers gave No. 8 Texas A&M everything it could handle, ultimately falling 70-66 on Sunday. In Florida’s last game, the Gators came home with a 78-68 road victory over Ole Miss on Sunday, Jan. 24. Florida has had four games postponed or canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, while Mizzou has had six games affected. With a win, head coach Robin Pingeton will become Mizzou’s second-winningest coach with 186 wins, passing Cindy Stein (1998-10, 185-77).

THE SERIES

• Thursday’s matchup will be the 11th all-time meeting between the two programs, as Mizzou holds an 8-2 advantage in the all-time series. Last season, Florida earned a 75-67 win over the Tigers at Mizzou Arena on Feb. 16, 2020. The Tigers are 3-1 all-time in Gainesville, but lost its most recent trip to Florida, falling 58-56 on Jan. 13, 2019.

HIGH-POWERED OFFENSE

• Mizzou’s high-powered offense has steered the way for the Tigers so far in 2020-21, as Mizzou ranks in the NCAA’s top 25 in field goal percentage and three-point percentage. From the field, Mizzou is shooting an SEC-leading 52.1 percent (293-of-562), a mark which ranks second nationally. From deep, Mizzou is shooting 37.3 percent (66-of-177), which ranks third in the SEC and 23rd in the NCAA. Mizzou has shot 50 percent or better from the field in seven of 10 games this season and 60 percent or better in two contests. More on Mizzou’s hot shooting later. Mizzou’s scoring has been a balanced attack as well, as three players are currently averaging double figures: sophomore guard Aijha Blackwell (14.6 ppg), redshirt junior forward LaDazhia Williams (13.5 ppg) and sophomore forward Hayley Frank (13.1 ppg).

BALANCED SCORING

• Through 10 games this season, Mizzou has had a balanced attack leading the way in scoring, as three are currently averaging double figures: sophomore guard Aijha Blackwell (14.6 ppg), redshirt junior forward LaDazhia Williams (13.5 ppg) and sophomore forward Hayley Frank (13.1 ppg) with redshirt senior guard Shug Dickson (9.2 ppg) nearby.
• Consider the small sample size – 10 games – but the last Mizzou team to have four players average in double figures was the 2006-07 Mizzou Tigers.
• Already this season, Mizzou has had three games where five players have scored in double figures. That mark ties the most for a Tiger team in a season in the head coach Robin Pingeton era with the 2015-16 Tigers. The last team to have more than three occurrences was the 2005-06 team, which did so in seven contests, including four straight between Nov. 27 and Dec. 11, 2005. This season’s Tigers have had five players score 10+ in two consecutive games, doing so at Arkansas (Jan. 3) and at Ole Miss (Jan. 14).

MILESTONE CHASING

• A host of milestones will be in-play this season for the Tigers. Below is a rundown of career achievements that have/could happen during in the 2020-21 season.
• Mizzou senior forward Shannon Dufficy will get to finish her already decorated career with a senior campaign at Mizzou. The Aussie native reached the 1,000-point career mark in Mizzou’s season-opener against North Alabama (Nov. 27), and needs just 116 rebounds to eclipse 1,000 career boards. In three seasons at Utah State, Dufficy averaged 279.3 rebounds per season, including a single-season program record of 339 rebounds in 2018-19.
• Also wrapping up her collegiate career in CoMo, senior guard Shug Dickson will have the 1,000-point mark in her sights, as she currently has 785 points, needing 215 to reach the mark. In her sophomore campaign at Tulsa (2017-18), Dickson scored 410 points (14.1 ppg) in 29 games.
• In her 11th season, head coach Robin Pingeton record at Mizzou sits at 185-146 (.559). The Tiger head boss needs just one more win to move past Cindy Stein (1998-10, 185-77) for second-place on Mizzou’s all-time win list. She already ranks second in winning percentage, trailing only Mizzou Hall of Famer Joann Rutherford, who had a 61.8 percent winning percentage in 23 seasons (1975-98, 423-261). Pingeton is just 1 of 16 Power 5 active coaches and 1 of 31 active D-I head coaches to win 500 or more career games.
• As a program, Mizzou captured its 800th win against Oral Roberts (Dec. 19) becoming the 74th program to reach the 800-win mark in NCAA history. In 47 seasons, Mizzou owns a mark of 801-589 (.557) all-time.

HOT SHOOTING

• Through the early stretch of the season, Mizzou has been able to shoot the ball at an extremely high level. Mizzou currently leads the SEC in field goal percentage at 52.1 percent (293-of-562), while ranking third in three-point percentage at 37.3 percent (66-of-177).
• Nationally, the Tigers rank second nationally in field goal percentage and 23rd in three-point percentage.
• Sophomore forward Hayley Frank has lit up the net so far this season, as she is one of two players nationally to be shooting 50-50-90. Her shooting percentages currently sit at 66.7 percent (48-of-72) from the field, 51.4 percent (19-of-37) from three and 94.1 percent (16-of-17) from the free throw line. Frank would rank near the NCAA’s top in each category, but her makes per game fall below the minimum threshold.
• Redshirt junior forward LaDazhia Williams has also helped lead the charge from the field this season, as she is shooting 61.4 percent (51-of-83) from the field, a mark which ranks second in the SEC and sixth nationally. Redshirt junior guard Haley Troup helps lead the Tigers from deep, as she has made 10-of-20 shots from deep (50.0 percent) this season.
• Mizzou has shot the lights out this season, recording field goal percentages of 50 percent or better in seven of its 10 games and 60 percent or better twice. Mizzou’s six games of 50 percent or better is its best since 2018-19 (six), while its two games of 60 percent or better ties the most in the Coach Pingeton era with the 2016-17 squad.
• Against New Orleans (Dec. 16), the Tigers shot an incredible 63.2 percent (36-of-57) from the field, the 10th-best mark in program history and their best mark since a 65.9 percent (27-of-41) performance against Ole Miss on Jan. 3, 2019.
• Mizzou shot above 60 percent again in its win against Southern Illinois (Dec. 20), shooting 61.2 percent (30-of-49).
• Since the 1977-78 season (43 seasons), Mizzou has shot better than 60 percent from the field just 25 times, with six occurrences (24.0 percent) happening under head coach Robin Pingeton.

NOTES FROM LAST TIME OUT

• As a team against Texas A&M (Jan. 24), Mizzou shot 53.8 percent from the field (28-of-52), its seventh game shooting above 50 percent from the field this season.
• Mizzou also shot 42.1 percent (8-of-19) from deep, its fourth game this season shooting 40 percent or better from the three-point line.
• Redshirt junior foraward LaDazhia Williams set a new career-high with 20 points in the game, surpassing her previous high of 18 from Mizzou’s season-opening win over North Alabama (Nov. 27).
• The Tiger junior also set a new career-high in field goals made with nine, as she shot a highly efficient 9-of-12 from the field.
• With 11 points and 16 rebounds, sophomore guard Aijha Blackwell recorded her second consecutive double-double, her sixth of the season and the 13th of her career.
• Blackwell’s 16 rebounds mark a new career-high and are the most by a Tiger since Cierra Porter grabbed 18 against Saint Louis on Dec. 8, 2017.
• Redshirt senior guard Shug Dickson posted a new career-high in assists with seven dimes in the game.
• With 10 points, redshirt junior Haley Troup scored in double figures for the third time this season and the 10th time in her career.
• Troup also recorded a team-high four assists, marking the fifth time this season and the 13th time in her career she has had 3+ assists.

Advertisement