NASHVILLE – University of Missouri women’s basketball battled back late in the fourth quarter but couldn’t overcome a big scoring run by Arkansas in overtime and dropped a 61-52 decision in the second round of the Southeastern Conference Women’s Basketball Tournament on Thursday at Bridgestone Arena.
The No. 9 seeded Tigers (18-12) trailed by five, 46-41, with 2:53 left in regulation but a three pointer by Haley Troup and a pair of free throws from LaDazhia Williams knotted things up at 46 with just under 40 seconds to go.
Down 48-46 after a jumper by Arkansas’ Amber Ramirez, Troup found a way and sent a layup home with 20 ticks left on the clock – two of her career-high 21 points on the afternoon – to knot things up at 48 and send things to overtime.
Eighth-seeded Arkansas (18-12) put the game away with a 13-2 run in the extra period while hitting eight of 11 free throws and earning their third win of the season over Mizzou. Ramirez, held scoreless in the first half, scored all 17 of her team-high points after halftime. Makayla Daniels poured in 13 along with grabbing 14 rebounds.
NOTABLE
• Troup’s 21 points bested a previous career mark of 20, set against Troy on No. 23, 2021. She added six rebounds and three assists.
• Williams had her second double-double of the season with 14 points, a career-high 13 rebounds and two blocked shots.
• Aijha Blackwell returned to the lineup and grabbed eight rebounds and scored five points in 11 minutes of play.
• Hayley Frank saw her five-game streak of double-digit scoring come to an end with five points but a career-best with her 13 rebounds.
UP NEXT
Mizzou awaits its postseason destination. The Tigers have the nation’s only win over No. 1 South Carolina and also knocked off nationally-ranked Florida on the road in the final game of the regular season. The 2022 NCAA DI Women’s Basketball Championship bracket will be revealed during the Selection Show at 7 p.m. CT on Sunday, March 13, on ESPN. The 2022 championship will be the first to have 68 teams.
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