COLUMBIA, Mo. – Sophie Cunningham (Columbia, Mo.) scored 20 points and grabbed five steals in her Mizzou debut to lead the Tigers to a 96-59 exhibition victory over Southwest Baptist on Wednesday evening at Mizzou Arena. Five players scored in double figures and the Tigers dished out 21 total assists.

“We made great hustle plays from the start of the game to the finish,” head coach Robin Pingeton said. “It was nice to see how we look under the lights and in different rotations, and I think tonight’s exhibition game definitely served its purpose.”

Mizzou outscored the Bearcats 46-26 in the paint, 30-10 off of turnovers and 24-10 in second chance opportunities. Sophie Cunningham finished 9-for-12 shooting from the floor and also dished out three assists in 25 minutes of action. Jordan Frericks (Quincy, Ill.), Sierra Michaelis (Mercer, Mo.), Bri Porter (Columbia, Mo.) and Kayla McDowell (Cincinnati, Ohio) all scored in double digits.

Lianna Doty (St. Louis, Mo.) and Michaelis both notched four assists. Michaelis connected on three triples and also blocked two shots. Bri Porter pulled down a team-high six rebounds.

For the game, Mizzou shot 53 percent (36-for-68) from the floor, 44 percent (10-for-23) from 3-point range and 78 percent (14-for-18) from the free throw line. In the second half alone, the Tigers shot 58 percent (19-for-33) from the field.

After finishing the first quarter tied 18-18, Mizzou took a 12-point lead into halftime and never looked back. The Tigers outscored SBU 52-27 in the second half, holding the Bearcats to 36 percent (10-for-28) shooting from the field over the final two quarters. Mizzou closed the game on a 17-2 run over the final 5:28 and an 8-0 run over the last 3:48.

Mackenzie Skupa led SBU with 12 points on 5-for-8 shooting in 19 minutes.

Mizzou returns to action on Monday, Nov. 9 with a 7 p.m. CT exhibition finale vs. Quincy.

— Mizzou Athletics —