Tigers outlast Bulldogs in much needed win

Though squarely out of NCAA tournament consideration, a second-quarter run and a gritty, defensive-minded effort led the way to a 75-62 win for Missouri over Mississippi State on Thursday night. It was just the second victory in the past 10 games for the Tigers. Missouri held on late in the fourth with a stingy half-court defense that forced 20 turnovers after a slow start to the game.

“This looked like the team that I’m used to,” head coach Robin Pingeton said about her team’s attitude. “I just loved the way they battled.”

Midway through the first quarter, the Tigers looked defeated. Down 16-6, Mizzou spent the first six minutes committing unnecessary turnovers, confusing defensive assignments and missing open layups and jump shots, Missouri was on its way to yet another loss in a disappointing stretch of games mired by poor shooting and offensive rhythm. Yet, the Tigers pulled it together at the breaking point and rallied for a feel-good, low-stakes win late in the season.

“I really felt like, defensively, getting into those spots tonight really drove our offense,” Pingeton said.

A couple of turnovers created by Ashton Judd and Hayley Frank led to a couple of key transition buckets, and the Tigers only trailed 16-10 at the end of the first. Early in the second, it was Judd’s quick five points that brought the game back into the balance and got the Tigers’ run started.

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Riding the hot hand, Judd’s breakout performance carried the Tigers. The freshman scored a career-high 17 points on 7-12 shooting and 3-3 from deep while adding two steals and game-changing interior defense to a Tiger squad that struggled early to overcome the Bulldogs’ offensive scheme.

“When you have all your teammates pouring into you, it’s really easy to make those shots,” Judd said. “I think we were just waiting to get this win, and to get going again after the past couple games.”

“She’s a little modest,” Pingeton chimed in with a smile. “Those were some big shots for us.”

Though they started slow, the Tigers’ ability to create turnovers and convert them into open transition looks proved vital to a game-changing second-quarter run. Missouri forced five turnovers in the second quarter, scoring nine points off of those turnovers and jumping out to a 32-28 lead going into the second half.

“We just asked them to buy into what the scout was, and we only had two days to install the 3-2 defense,” Pingeton said. “I thought we were pretty gritty in it.”

The Tigers and the Bulldogs were essentially equal in the first half on offense, shooting 43% and 46% from the field and 33% and 36% from deep, respectively. The key difference came in the turnover battle, as Missouri committed just four in the first half compared to Mississippi State’s 12.

The Bulldogs relied heavily on guard Ahlana Smith, who scored a team-high 17 points on 6-13 shooting, including 5-10 from three. Jerkaila Jordan dominated the glass for the bulldogs, adding 11 points and eight rebounds in the losing effort.

Mississippi State (18-8, 7-6 SEC) finished shooting 44.2% from the field, but a disparity in turnovers did in the Bulldogs in a poorly-timed defeat on the road.

Hayley Frank finished with the lead in points for Missouri (16-10, 5-8) for the seventh straight game, scoring 22 on 6-11 shooting as well as 7-9 from the free throw line. She also added six rebounds, three assists and three steals in a dominant all-around showing.

“That connectivity is something that we haven’t had on the offensive or defensive end,” Pingeton said. “I thought the flow of our offense was so much better, and a lot more fun to play I would guess. It felt like we were one heartbeat today, and it’s been a while since we’ve felt that way.”

The Tigers finished shooting 46% as a team on 54 shots, including a scorching hot 11-20 from beyond the arc.

Senior Lauren Hansen became the 40th Tiger basketball player to eclipse the 1,000 point career mark on a lead-changing three-pointer on the right wing halfway through the third quarter. The shot gave the Tigers the lead for good. Hansen finished with 20 points and six rebounds, helping the Tigers’ stretch their lead in the third quarter and carry out the win.

“It feels really good to be on this team and to have sisters to go to battle with every night,” Hansen said. “I didn’t even know why they were hugging me, I thought it was because we won.”

“She’s a phenomenal shooter, she’s won us some big games in her career,” Pingeton said. “She’s continued to show up, fight the good fight and pour into her teammates.”

The Tigers finish up the regular season with a two-game road trip and then their final home game against Florida on Sunday, February 26th.