COLUMBIA, Mo. –  Mizzou Baseball will close its series with SEC East Division rival Georgia in the first ever college game at Suntrust Park, the brand new home of Major League Baseball’s Atlanta Braves, announced Wednesday (Jan. 25) by the Braves. The game is scheduled for a 12:30 p.m. (CT) first pitch on Saturday, April 8, on SEC Network+.

Suntrust Park, a $622 million stadium, has been under construction in the Cumberland area of Atlanta since November of 2014. It is slated for a soft open on March 31 as the Braves play the New York Yankees in a preseason game. Mizzou and Georgia will play the first college game in the park a week later. To read more about Suntrust Park, please click here.

Mizzou is no stranger to playing in Major League Baseball parks, most recently playing in Kauffman Stadium on March 29, 2016. The Tigers defeated St. Louis, 5-3, in the home of the Kansas City Royals to improve to 5-6 all-time in MLB parks in the state of Missouri. The Tigers have also played in the Metrodome, the former home of the Minnesota Twins, and Minute Made Park, the home of the Houston Astros, over the last several seasons.

Mizzou leads the all-time series with Georgia, 7-5, and the two have been involved in some memorable affairs since the Tigers joined the SEC for the 2013 season. The visiting team has won all four series dating back to that season and Mizzou owns the only sweep in the all-time series, coming during the 2015 campaign in Athens.

— Mizzou Athletics —

COLUMBIA, Mo. – Mizzou sophomore guard Sophie Cunningham (Columbia, Mo.) was named Southeastern Conference Co-Player of the Week, announced Tuesday by the league office. It’s Cunningham’s first weekly honor since earning SEC Freshman of the Week six times last season and Mizzou’s second weekly award this season, with senior Sierra Michaelis receiving SEC Co-Player of the Week recognition in December.

Cunningham steered Mizzou to a pair of wins last week as the Tigers extended their win streak to three games. The sensational sophomore averaged 20.5 points, 7.0 rebounds and 4.5 assists to lead Mizzou to victories over No. 25 Texas A&M and Arkansas.

On Thursday, Cunningham guided her team to an upset overtime win over No. 25 Texas A&M with the top scoring performance in the SEC during league play this season. Cunningham poured in a season-high 36 points on 10-of-19 shooting in the victory. She made a career-high 14 free throws, just three shy of the single-game program record. She is the first Tiger in 15 seasons with 10 field goals and 10 free throws in the same game and she has now accomplished that feat twice in her career (Wake Forest, Nov. 22, 2015).

Cunningham dominated late to beat the Aggies. Ten of her 14 free throws came after the 1:04 mark of the fourth quarter. Her game-tying, clutch layup with three seconds remaining sent the game to overtime and her free throws in the extra period sealed the win.

On Monday, in a blowout win on the road at Arkansas that saw nine Tigers find the scoring column, Cunningham chipped in five points and five assists. She added seven rebounds in the rout for the second consecutive game to complete an all-around solid effort. It marks the fourth time this season she’s recorded at least seven points and five assists in the same game.

After her stellar week, Cunningham is now the only player in the SEC shooting above 80 percent from the free throw line and above 45 percent from the field. She has reached 20 points in a game five times since returning from an injury in mid-December and has done so 16 times in 50 career games. For the season, Cunningham ranks third in the SEC in scoring with 16.9 points per game.

Mizzou begins a two-game homestand when it hosts Auburn on Thursday night at Mizzou Arena before a rematch with Kentucky on Jan. 30. The contest against Auburn is set to tip at 7 p.m.

— Mizzou Athletics —

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – Mizzou earned its third consecutive victory and head coach Robin Pingeton secured her 450th career win as the Tigers raced past Arkansas, 60-46, on Monday night in Fayetteville, Ark. Mizzou (14-7, 4-3) clinched its first road victory at Arkansas since Dec 21, 2008 and the second total win over the Razorbacks in Fayetteville in program history.

Mizzou has now won six SEC road games by double digits since joining the league and beaten four SEC opponents by 14 points or more on the road since the 2014-15 campaign. The Tigers’ current three-game win streak is the third streak of three games or more in conference play over the last two seasons.

Senior guard Sierra Michaelis (Mercer, Mo.) tallied a game-high 23 points and grabbed nine rebounds to lead Mizzou. During the performance, Michaelis became the 34th Tiger in program history to eclipse 1,000 career points. With 1,009 career points, she ranks 33rd on Mizzou’s all-time scoring list.

She has now scored in double digits five times in seven conference games and recorded five 20-point outings this season. Michaelis shot a scorching 10-of-16 from the floor and 3-of-7 from beyond the arc on Monday, matching her career high for total field goals in a game for the third time.

Sophomore Cierra Porter (Columbia, Mo.) contributed 10 points, making all of her field goal attempts (4-of-4), and dished three assists for the second time this season.  Fellow sophomore Sophie Cunningham (Columbia, Mo.) chipped in five points, seven rebounds and five assists in an all-around effort. Freshman Amber Smith (Shreveport, La.) added nine points off the bench, including three consecutive buckets to end the first quarter.

Mizzou led for all forty minutes on Monday night and set the tone early, racing ahead 13-2 out of the gate with a balanced attack. Six different Tigers scored in the opening frame as Mizzou held a 21-8 edge after 10 minutes of action. Mizzou has now outscored opponents 119-71 in first quarters during SEC play and limited opponents to single-digit scoring in a quarter 15 times during the 2016-17 campaign.

Michaelis helped Mizzou maintain its lead with hot shooting in the second quarter. She scored seven points in the frame, including a steal and transition score that pushed the Tigers in front by 15. After an Arkansas bucket, Mizzou led 33-20 at halftime.

Mizzou surged in front by as many as 20 points midway through the third quarter. After a layup and another jumper by Michaelis, Mizzou led 45-25 with 15 minutes left in the game.  The Tigers sustained their defensive intensity throughout the second half. Arkansas shot just 32.7 percent from the field in the game, the eighth opponent Mizzou has held under 35-percent shooting this season.

The Razorbacks could not cut the deficit below 14 as both times Mizzou responded with a triple from freshman Jordan Chavis (Lexington, N.C.) and Michaelis. Michaelis finished with 12 points on 5-of-7 shooting in the second half as the Tigers cruised to a big road win.

Mizzou begins a two-game homestand when it hosts Auburn on Thursday night at Mizzou Arena before a rematch with Kentucky on Jan. 30. The contest against Auburn is set to tip at 7 p.m.

— Mizzou Athletics —

COLUMBIA, Mo. (AP) — Sebastian Saiz recorded his third-consecutive double-double, scoring 19 points to go with 10 rebounds as Ole Miss defeated Missouri 75-71 Saturday.

It’s the 22nd career double-double for Saiz, who is the Southeastern Conference’s active rebounding leader and the only player in the conference averaging a double-double at 15.2 points and 11.6 rebounds per game.

Terrence Davis had 18 points and 11 rebounds, and Deandre Burnett added 14 points, shooting 3-for-6 from 3-point ranges.

Missouri coach Kim Anderson said double-teaming Saiz was the Tigers’ primary game plan.

“We did a decent job, but there were probably five times where we were late doubling him,” Anderson said. “So, consequently, when you don’t get a good double, (Saiz) did a pretty good job of clearing the double, making the pass, and then you’ve got to scamper back and they make one extra pass and they’ve got a wide open shot. I thought that burned us a few times.”

Kevin Puryear led all scorers with a career-high 26 points to go with eight rebounds, shooting 11-for-14 from the field and hitting all four of his 3-point shots. Russell Woods finished with 13 points and 11 rebounds, and Terrence Phillips had 10 points, 10 assists and five rebounds, but fouled out with 14 seconds remaining.

Puryear, who had struggled in conference play, making just 5 of his last 26 shot attempts, was not thrilled about achieving a career-high in a loss, but said he can still build off the performance.

“These last three or four games have been really frustrating,” Puryear said. “Our whole coaching staff has done a great job of just trying to keep me calm…This gives me momentum going into further games.”

Ole Miss (12-7, 3-4 Southeastern Conference) assumed an early double-digit lead following a peculiar start, in which Saiz was assessed a flagrant foul in the first 16 seconds for elbowing Missouri’s Russell Woods while going after a loose ball. The Rebels were up 22-10 within 6 minutes of play, but Missouri steadily closed the gap behind 11-point first halves from Woods and Kevin Puryear, and trailed 39-33 at halftime.

The Tigers (5-13, 0-6) put on arguably their best offensive performance of the season in the second half, shooting 9-for-17 from 3-point range — including 4 of 5 to start — and eventually taking a one-point lead following a 3-pointer by Cullen Van Leer with 7:34 remaining.

Following that sequence, Ole Miss coach Andy Kennedy called timeout and the Rebels responded with an 11-1 run that seemed to halt any remaining momentum for Missouri.

However, 3-pointers by Jordan Barnett and Van Leer in the final minute made for an interesting finish, as Van Leer was fouled on a made shot with 6 seconds remaining, but missed the free-throw to make it a one-point deficit. The Rebels were 17-for-23 from the free-throw line, including 4 for 6 in the final minute.

“I told our team, I just told them and I challenged them throughout the course of the game, I thought, from an approach standpoint, we were fairly locked in,” Kennedy said. “We obviously have issues as it relates to personnel.But, we had to make some plays. If you want to win SEC games, you’ve got to make SEC plays.”

Barnett finished with 11 points and five rebounds, and Van Leer had nine points, making 3 of 6 3-pointers.

MASH UNIT

Ole Miss guard Rasheed Brooks did not play after suffering a seizure during a timeout of the Rebels’ 80-69 win over Tennessee on Tuesday. Brooks was carted off the court on a stretcher and taken to a local hospital. He was released Thursday night, and no timeline has been announced for his return.

BIG PICTURE

Ole Miss: Saiz’s double-double is his 13th of the season, which ranks sixth nationally and leads all SEC players. After being outrebounded 23-17 in the first half, Saiz’s tenacity on the glass helped Ole Miss close the rebounding gap in the second half.

Missouri: The Tigers have now lost 10 games in a row, including six straight conference losses. It’s the longest losing streak since the 2014-15 season, when the Tigers dropped 13 straight before defeating Florida at home late in the season.

UP NEXT

Ole Miss: Hosts Texas A&M Wednesday.

Missouri: Visits Mississippi State Wednesday.

— Associated Press —

COLUMBIA, Mo. (AP) — Sophie Cunningham had eight of her 36 points in overtime and Missouri scored 22 points in the extra period Thursday night for a 78-76 upset over No. 25 Texas A&M.

Cunningham’s 3-pointer to open the overtime scoring gave the Tigers (13-7, 3-3 SEC) the lead for good. Missouri added only one other field goal while making 17 of 22 free throws to hold on to the lead.

Missouri had a six-point lead with 29 seconds left in OT, but Khaalia Hillsman and Curtyce Knox scored a couple of quick baskets to cut it to 72-70. The Tigers needed all six of their free throws in the final 14 seconds to hold on.

The Aggies (14-5, 4-2) took the lead early in the fourth quarter after trailing most of regulation and led by five with 1:23 left. Cunningham and Doty each had a pair of free throws to cut the deficit to 55-54 with 17 seconds left in the fourth quarter. Danni Williams split a pair of free throws for A&M and Cunningham forced overtime with a layup with three seconds left.

Cierra Porter had 14 points and 13 rebounds for Missouri.

Knox had 25 points and Hillsman scored 19 for Texas A&M.

— Associated Press —

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. (AP) — There wasn’t a lot for the home crowd to cheer for during Alabama’s 68-56 victory over the Missouri Tigers on Wednesday night, but Riley Norris did his best to keep the crowd in it with 11 first-half points.

“It doesn’t surprise me to see him have a great first half like that,” teammate Braxton Key said. “We were just joking around I think we traded roles: I was the slasher at the beginning of the season, now he’s taking it to the basket, getting to the free throw line and I’m the 3-point specialist.”

Both teams struggled to score in the first half thanks in part to turnovers (11 for Missouri and seven for Alabama (11-6, 4-1 Southeastern Conference) and poor shooting. The Tigers (5-12, 0-5) shot 6 of 20 from the floor in the first half, and Alabama players not named Norris shot 6 of 24 over the same stretch.

Terrence Phillips led the Tigers with 16 points and seven assists and Russell Woods had 13 points. Early in the second half the duo helped the Tigers close the gap to four after they combined to score seven points in a minute of play, but Dazon Ingram responded with back-to-back 3s that helped the Alabama remain in front in the second half.

“(Those 3s were) killer,” Missouri coach Kim Anderson said. “We went to the zone and they overloaded it on us and we couldn’t get out of it fast enough. We were hoping they would continue shooting like they did the first half, but obviously they didn’t.”

Key also made a pair of 3s in the second half to help the Crimson Tide finish the half 6 of 12 beyond the arc. Avery Johnson Jr. scored 11 of his 13 points in the second half.

“They weren’t looking at me trying to get a play called,” Alabama coach Avery Johnson said of his team after the game. “They took some responsibility and I like the way the ball was moving in the second half and we were ready to shoot and we took quality shots both inside and outside the 3-point line.”

BIG PICTURE

Alabama: The Crimson Tide followed its most dominant victory over an SEC opponent this season — a 15-point victory at LSU on Saturday — with a win over Missouri to keep the team near the top of the SEC standings.

Missouri: The Tigers lost a true road game for the third time this season.

HE SAID IT

Missouri coach Kim Anderson on the game: “I thought it was a fairly ugly basketball game, which is kind of the way we wanted it to be. You got to give a lot of credit to Alabama. First half they struggled from the field, second half they came out and made some key shots.”

FRESHMAN STANDOUT

Two fouls limited Alabama’s Braxton Key to a team-low five minutes in the first half, but he made up for lost time in the second half with 11 points and five rebounds.

UP NEXT

Alabama: The Crimson Tide hits the road this weekend to take on in-state rival Auburn on Saturday in the first of two matchups this season.

Missouri: The Tigers will seek to bounce back at home on Saturday when they host an Ole Miss team that is currently 1-3 in true road games this season.

— Associated Press —

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Mizzou Women’s Basketball (12-7, 2-3) picked up its first conference road win with a gritty 74-68 victory over Vanderbilt on Sunday afternoon at Memorial Gymnasium. Senior guard Sierra Michaelis (Mercer, Mo.) led four Tigers in double figures with 19 points. Michaelis has now reached double figures 12 times this season and Mizzou is 9-3 in those contests.

Mizzou’s win over the Commodores marked the first time in program history that the Tigers have won back-to-back road games against Vanderbilt. Mizzou sunk a season-high 13 three-pointers to push past the Commodores. The Tigers have made 25 triples over the last two games.

Freshman Jordan Chavis (Lexington, N.C.) led the three-point barrage, shooting a perfect 4-of-4 from beyond the arc. She finished with 12 crucial points and two assists in 26 strong minutes. Freshman Amber Smith (Shreveport, La.) posted 12 points of her own behind a career-high three triples and added four rebounds.

Sophomore Cierra Porter (Columbia, Mo.) scored in double digits for the 17th time in 19 games this season as she finished with 16 points. Porter’s free throws in the final minutes helped seal the win.

The first half was a back-and-forth, physical battle. Porter’s nine first-half points paced Mizzou. Vanderbilt took a 29-27 lead into the break after a layup that just beat the buzzer.

The two teams continued to trade buckets to begin the third frame. With Mizzou trailing 39-36, Chavis checked in and exploded offensively from long range. She nailed three 3-pointers in third quarter alone to give the Tigers a slight edge. Chavis ended the third quarter with a steal and an assist in transition as Mizzou led 51-48 through three quarters.

The Tigers built a 61-56 lead with 4:24 remaining, but Vanderbilt battled back with an 8-0 run to seize a 64-61 advantage. Mizzou responded though, as Michaelis and Smith helped the Tigers regain momentum. After a Michaelis steal and layup, Smith sunk a key trifecta on the next possession to catapult Mizzou in front, 66-64, with 1:17 left.

The Tigers got a defensive stop and then converted eight consecutive free throws in the final minute to seal a big road win. Mizzou is now shooting 78.7 percent from the line this season, which leads the SEC.

Mizzou returns home to face Texas A&M on Thursday at Mizzou Arena. The matchup, which tips off at 8 p.m.

— Mizzou Athletics —

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. (AP) — Daryl Macon scored 17 points and Dusty Hannahs added 16 as Arkansas snapped a two-game Southeastern Conference losing streak with a 92-73 win against Missouri on Saturday.

Macon, Arkansas’ top scorer, had just eight points in Tuesday night’s stunning 84-78 home loss to youthful Mississippi State.

Staring down a 0-3 home start to conference play for the first time since the 1985-86 season, Macon turned in a performance Arkansas coach Mike Anderson is more accustomed to. The junior was 6-of-11 shooting and 4 of 8 from distance, leading the Razorbacks in scoring for the third time in five conference games.

“It really wasn’t about me tonight, it was just trying to find my groove back with the team and get the team involved,” Macon said. “My shots are going to come. That’s nothing I’m worried about.”

Macon sparked the Razorbacks with eight first-half points, including a highlight-worthy dunk as a result of guard Anton Beard’s hustle play, and had five assists. He also added a pair of 3-pointers to help Arkansas reach 50 points in a half for the fifth time this season.

“I thought he was extremely, extremely dangerous and he proved that,” Missouri coach Kim Anderson said of Macon. “He got his shot whenever and he made them, especially early.”

Jaylen Barford, who was recruited by Anderson at Missouri, added 13 points for the Razorbacks. Anton Beard pitched in 11 and Moses Kingsley finished with 10, eight in the second half for Arkansas, which shot 56 percent from the floor.

Anderson felt his team played with a greater sense of urgency after dropping its first two home games in SEC play. The Razorbacks shared the ball well, assisting on 18 of 33 made baskets. Macon led with six assists.

“If you watched our guys today, they had a lot more fun and played with confidence and played for each other,” Anderson said. “We made the extra pass. Consistency is the key.”

Jordan Barnett led Missouri with 14 points on 6-of-11 shooting. Terrence Phillips and Jordan Geist added 13 and Kevin Puryear added 11.

BIG PICTURE

Arkansas: In order to keep pace in the SEC, Arkansas must find some success away from Bud Walton Arena. Three of the Razorbacks’ next four games are on the road. Arkansas is 1-2 in true road games this season.

Missouri: The hits keep coming for the Tigers, who dropped their eighth consecutive game, the third longest under coach Kim Anderson.

ONE FOR WATKINS

Arkansas senior Manny Watkins made the first 3-pointer of his Razorbacks career in the first half. Watkins had been 0-for-8 shooting from long range prior to the make. “That’s big,” Macon said. “That was very exciting to us. I was speechless when it went in.” Arkansas has made a 3-pointer in 923 consecutive games.

UP NEXT

Arkansas: The Razorbacks travel to Texas A&M on Tuesday, a place the Razorbacks have not won since a 111-72 victory in 1991.

Missouri: The Tigers hope to snap their eight-game losing streak at Alabama on Wednesday.

— Associated Press —

BATON ROUGE, LA. – Mizzou Women’s Basketball dropped a road contest at LSU, 80-71, on Thursday night. Sophomore Sophie Cunningham (Columbia, Mo.) poured in a season-high 32 points, but LSU held on behind a strong second half. Cunningham made 12-of-17 attempts (70.6 percent) and drained a season-best five three-pointers.

Thursday’s performance marked the fifth time in her career that Cunningham has shot 70 percent or better from the floor when taking at least five attempts. She has now scored at least 20 points in a single game 15 times and 30 points in a contest twice.

Redshirt senior Lindsey Cunningham (Columbia, Mo.) matched her career-high for the third time with 16 points on 7-of-10 shooting. Two of her three career 16-point performances have come against LSU. Lindsey Cunningham also dished out a season-high eight assists in a solid all-around outing.

Senior Sierra Michaelis (Mercer, Mo.) chipped in 14 points and hit four three-pointers to help Mizzou finish with a season-high 12 triples. Mizzou made 12-of-22 from beyond the arc in the loss.

The Tigers in black and gold continued a trend of starting hot with a strong opening quarter. Mizzou raced out to a 21-16 lead as Sophie Cunningham set the tone early with 10 points in the first 10 minutes of action.

LSU swung the momentum with an 8-0 run to begin the second frame, but Michaelis seized it back with efficient shooting. The senior scored 11 consecutive points for Mizzou, including three trifectas to push her squad back in front by three as head coach Robin Pingeton’s team took a 34-31 lead into halftime.

Trailing 40-35 following another bucket by Sophie Cunningham, LSU catapulted ahead by seven after a key 12-0 spurt. Again, Mizzou responded, this time behind the Cunningham duo. Sophie Cunningham drained a pair of threes to pull Mizzou within two and then a tough driving layup by Lindsey knotted the score at 57-57 with 7:34 left.

LSU snatched the lead back with a 6-0 run and never relinquished its advantage down the stretch, cashing in from the free throw line. Mizzou could not erase another deficit and fell in a seesaw battle.

Mizzou continues its road swing with a trip to Vanderbilt on Sunday. Tip off is set for 2 p.m.

— Mizzou Athletics —

COLUMBIA, Mo. (AP) — Mustapha Heron scored 16 points, including 12 in the second half, as Auburn defeated Missouri 77-72 Tuesday, marking its first Southeastern Conference victory of the season.

Auburn (11-5, 1-3 SEC) had five players in double figures. Bryce Brown scored 9 of his 13 points in the first half and finished 4-for-8 from 3-point range, and Ronnie Johnson had 13 points and four assists. Jared Harper and Horace Spencer added 10 points apiece and combined for nine rebounds.

Missouri forward Jordan Barnett led all scorers with 20 points to go with six rebounds. Terrence Phillips had 12 points, six rebounds and six assists, and Jordan Geist added 10 points.

Both teams’ desperation for an SEC victory dictated the pace of the game, which saw 14 lead changes.

Missouri (5-10, 0-3) made just 2 of 18 field goal attempts to start the game, but never trailed by more than two possessions thanks to its rebounding and free-throw shooting. Missouri outrebounded Auburn 28-20 in the first half and made 7 of 9 free-throw attempts as Auburn committed 13 personal fouls.

Missouri took its first lead following a 10-0 run that lasted 4:03, during which Auburn committed four turnovers and eight fouls, including three offensive fouls.

Kim Anderson called a timeout with just over two minutes remaining in the first half, and Missouri responded with a 9-3 run to take a 35-34 halftime lead.

The second half continued in a physical, back-and-forth fashion, and both teams entered the double-bonus with over eight minutes remaining, and it came down to free-throw shooting. While Auburn shot just 54.5 percent from the free-throw line, the Tigers made 6 of 6 from the line in the final minute. Missouri was 23-for-33 from the free-throw line (69.7 percent) and 22-for-68 from the field (32.4 percent.)

BIG PICTURE

Auburn: After double-digit losses to Georgia and Vanderbilt, Auburn lost a heart-breaker at home to Ole Miss January 7, dropping to 0-3 in conference play. This marks Auburn’s first SEC victory of the season, and its first win over Missouri since Jan. 10, 2015.

Missouri: This marks the third consecutive game Missouri has lost when leading at halftime and the fourth time this season. Missouri led LSU 40-35 at halftime before falling 88-77, and was up 26-20 on Georgia, eventually losing 71-66.

UP NEXT

Auburn: Visits No. 6 Kentucky Saturday. Auburn won the last meeting 75-70 on Jan. 16, 2016 against then 14th-ranked Kentucky, snapping an 18-game losing streak against the Wildcats.

Missouri: Visits Arkansas Saturday. Missouri has lost four straight to the Razorbacks, most recently 84-72 in Fayetteville on Feb. 20, 2016.

— Associated Press —