COLUMBIA, Mo. – The University of Missouri Department of Intercollegiate Athletics has received another generous gift toward its upcoming football facility.  A confidential donor has made a $1 million gift for the new south end zone facility at Memorial Stadium/Faurot Field which is currently in planning and development stages.

This gift is another in the line of major contributions for the project which have totaled over $20 million in the past three months.  In all, current fundraising for the project has surpassed $70 million raised to date.

“We are pleased to announce yet another significant gift from a very generous supporter,” said Mizzou Director of Athletics Jim Sterk.  “Our fundraising success is the direct result of our donors’ belief in the direction our program is heading under the leadership of Barry Odom.  People believe in his vision and they are stepping up to help in important ways,” he said.

“Very excited and grateful for the generosity of our donor, and all those who support our program,” said Head Coach Barry Odom.  “I’ve said this many times, but we have a great opportunity to do something very meaningful with this project.  The momentum we’ve built, and continue to further build on, is really something special.  I’m looking forward to seeing it continue,” he said.

— Mizzou Athletics —

COLUMBIA, Mo. (AP) — Missouri coach Kim Anderson is still tinkering with his coaching style in his third season at the Division-I level.

At halftime of the Tigers’ 81-55 victory over Miami (Ohio) Tuesday, Anderson “jumped” his players in the locker room.

“The idea of getting leads and then losing leads, that’s not acceptable,” Anderson said. “We can’t continue to do that. This team will only be as good as how it reacts to adversity… Our margin of error isn’t as great as some teams.”

The Tigers (5-3) seemed to react well, as Kevin Puryear scored 19 points and grabbed eight rebounds, and Russell Woods added 15 points and 10 rebounds, his first double-double of the season. He was 4 of 7 from the field and 7 of 8 from the free-throw line, well above his 56.5 percent season average.

“Coach (Anderson) just gave me the confidence,” said Woods, who scored all of his points after halftime. “Kevin (Puryear) kind of kept my head up. He just told me to keep playing, just keep fighting, and I just came out there and tired to go hard.”

Logan McLane made the first basket of the game just 19 seconds in, but Missouri answered with a 16-0 run, holding the RedHawks scoreless for 9:03.

Michael Weathers’ 3-pointer with 10:36 remaining in the first half snapped the lengthy scoring drought and sparked a 23-7 run that gave the RedHawks a 25-23 lead approaching halftime. However, with 13 seconds remaining in the half, Terrence Phillips hit a 3-pointer to give Missouri a 26-25 halftime lead.

“That was definitely a big momentum booster for us in the second half,” Puryear said of Phillips’ 3-pointer. “I think that play carried over into the second half. We had a big a talk in the locker room about knocking down shots and just not putting too much pressure on ourselves to knock down those shots.”

“First halves have just not been our strength this year in that we’ve struggled offensively, sometimes, just not being able to be consistent,” RedHawks coach John Cooper said.

Frankie Hughes picked up where Phillips left off, nailing a 3-pointer only 29 seconds into the second half. Hughes finished with 13 points.

Missouri came out of halftime on a 20-5 run and rarely let up, outscoring the RedHawks 55-30 in the second half.

“In the second half, they start off well and they score, and they punch us in the face,” Cooper said. “It’s almost as if we just couldn’t handle it, couldn’t answer it. A couple times, we were trying to get it all back in one possession. And then, they started dominating the offensive boards, they were getting the ball inside, and they were just more physical than we were at that point in the game.”

Michael Weathers had 12 points and four assists but fouled out with 5:49 seconds remaining. McLane finished with 12 points and five rebounds, and fouled out with 2:06 remaining. Marcus Weathers and Bruno Solomun each added 11 points and six rebounds.

The RedHawks (4-5) committed 28 personal fouls, tying a season high. Missouri converted on 22 of 31 free-throw attempts, including 16 of 21 in the second half.

Cullen VanLeer had 14 points, shooting 4 of 7 from 3-point range, and Phillips finished with seven points, eight rebounds, six assists and five steals.

BIG PICTURE

Miami (Ohio): The RedHawks shot 34.3 percent from 3-point range in their first eight games, but struggled to find any rhythm against Missouri, making just 6 of 31 attempts, nearly half their season average. Meanwhile, Missouri made a season-high nine 3-pointers.

Missouri: The Tigers 16-0 run to start the game is a good sign for Missouri fans. The storyline of this young team this season has been an inability to recover from slow starts and poor shooting stretches, but it displayed neither Tuesday.

Hughes has scored 112 points in Mizzou’s so far, making the third-straight season a Tiger freshman has scored 100 in his first eight games.

UP NEXT

Miami (Ohio) hosts IUPUI Saturday. The Jaguars defeated the RedHawks 78-64 last season in Indianapolis.

Missouri hosts Arizona Saturday. The Wildcats defeated the Tigers 88-52 last season in Tucson.

— Associated Press —

INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. – Mizzou Women’s Basketball fell on the road to IUPUI, 73-45, on Sunday afternoon in Indianapolis. IUPUI (6-1) shot 52 percent from the field, including 50 percent from beyond the arc, and used a strong first half to build a lead and down Mizzou (6-3).

Sophomores Sophie Cunningham (Columbia, Mo.) and Cierra Porter (Columbia, Mo.) led the Tigers. Cunningham notched 13 points, reaching double figures for the eighth time in nine games. Porter tallied 12 points and six rebounds. She’s collected at least 10 points in nine consecutive games to begin the 2016-17 campaign.

With the score knotted at 6-6 early in the opening quarter, IUPUI put together a 16-5 run to push in front by 11. Cunningham battled back with buckets on back-to-back possessions to cut Mizzou’s deficit to 25-17 at the 7:21 mark, but the Jaguars’ hot-shooting continued as they took a 41-21 edge into halftime.

Mizzou started the second half with a quick 5-0 spurt. Following a spin move and layup by freshman Amber Smith (Shreveport, La.), Cunningham drilled a three on Mizzou’s next possession. IUPUI responded again with a pair of tough baskets from center Mikale Rogers.

Mizzou could not chip away at the deficit down the stretch as IUPUI added to its advantage in the fourth quarter. Tiger freshman Jordan Roundtree (St. Louis, Mo.) checked in in the final minutes and scored her second career basket with a strong drive.

IUPUI finished with three scorers in double figures. Junior Danielle Lawrence posted a game-high 24 points.

Mizzou returns to Mizzou Arena on Wednesday to begin a four-game homestand. The Tigers host SIU-Edwardsville on Dec. 7. Tip is set for 7 p.m.

— Mizzou Athletics —

COLUMBIA, Mo. (AP) — After a 62-52 loss to North Carolina Central Monday night, Missouri coach Kim Anderson required his players to practice the entire week without wearing team athletic gear.

He didn’t wear any either.

However unorthodox the method, it would appear the message got through.

Frankie Hughes had 18 points and four rebounds as Missouri narrowly escaped Western Kentucky in a 59-56 victory Saturday.

Kevin Puryear had 12 points and five rebounds, including 8 points in the second half, and Russell Woods scored 10 points and grabbed eight rebounds, tying a team high.

The Tigers (4-3) held a 10-point lead near the 12-minute mark, but the Hilltoppers whittled it away, mounting a 14-5 run while Missouri missed its final eight field goal attempts.

Pancake Thomas missed a 3-pointer with :04 seconds remaining and Missouri guard Cullen VanLeer secured off the rebound before being fouled. He sank two free-throws to extend the Tigers’ one-point lead before the Hilltoppers’ last-second half-court shot fell short. Thomas finished with nine points and five rebounds on 3-for-12 shooting.

Hughes stressed the impact of this win on the team’s morale.

“It’s most definitely a confidence booster,” Hughes said. “Of course, coming off the disappointment from last game, we were coming in with a locked-in mindset, just trying to basically focus in on what (the opponents) do, and just trying to get stops and let our defense create our offense.”

Anderson discussed the details of motivating his players following Monday’s loss.

“They worked hard all week,” Anderson said. “They worked hard in white cotton t-shirts and black cotton shorts that we bought from a local department store. They didn’t wear Missouri gear all week.”

Western Kentucky (3-5) jumped out to an early 9-3 lead while Missouri shot 3-for-13 from the field to start the game. Hughes was the only Missouri player to score for a 5:09 window of the first half, scoring 12 points, including three consecutive 3-pointers.

The Hilltoppers missed their final four shots of the first half, allowing Missouri to close on a 7-0 run. By halftime, the Tigers led 33-30 despite shooting 29-percent to the Hilltoppers’ 43.3.

Justin Johnson led the Hilltoppers with 14 points and five rebounds, and Que Johnson added 12 points and a team-best eight rebounds.

The Tigers outrebounded Western Kentucky 44-30, their largest rebounding margin since their season-opening 99-44 victory when they outrebounded Alabama A&M 43-29.�

“Probably a couple years ago, Missouri wouldn’t have won a close game, so give them some credit,” Western Kentucky coach Rick Stansbury said. “There’s no question this is Kim’s best team he’s had. He’s doing a really good job with them. When you win some close games like that, it gives your kids a lot of confidence, too.”

HIGHLIGHT REEL

With 12:04 seconds remaining, VanLeer stole the ball in the low post from Que Johnson and threw a full-court lob pass over several Western Kentucky players, finding Hughes in stride for a two-handed breakaway dunk.

HALFTIME HEAVE

Missouri undergraduate student Aaron Brown won $5,000 during the halftime show after sinking a half-court shot. Brown made more free-throws than another eligible contestant in order to advance to the grand prize opportunity.

BIG PICTURE

Western Kentucky: The Hilltoppers are in the midst of a seven-game road stretch. They last played at home on Nov. 22 in a 77-56 win over North Carolina A&T and will return to E.A. Diddle Arena to host Ohio Dec. 21.

Missouri: Jackson is the Tigers’ leading scorer through seven games, averaging 14.1 points per game and 3.2 rebounds per game. Puryear is the second leading scorer on the team, averaging 11.5 points and 6.1 rebounds per game. Puryear led Missouri in scoring as a freshman in 2015 with 11.5 points per game.

UP NEXT

Western Kentucky visits Indiana State Dec. 11.

Missouri hosts Miami (Ohio) Monday.

— Associated Press —

COLUMBIA, Mo. – Mizzou Women’s Basketball downed Missouri State, 73-49, behind a high-octane offense on Friday at Mizzou Arena. Mizzou (6-2) capitalized on timely three-point shooting and second half dominance in the paint and on the free throw line to secure a win over the Lady Bears.

Sophomore Sophie Cunningham (Columbia, Mo.) racked up a team-high 22 points, seven rebounds and six assists. She is the only Mizzou player this year to put up at least 15 points, five rebounds and five assists in a single game, reaching those marks for the third consecutive contest. Cunningham’s 22 points were a season-high as she recorded the 11th 20-point performance of her career.

Redshirt senior Lindsey Cunningham (Columbia, Mo.) poured in a season-high 13 points tonight to go along with a season-high three steals. She also matched her career high for three-pointers made in a game with three treys.

Senior Sierra Michaelis (Mercer, Mo.) and sophomore Cierra Porter (Columbia, Mo.) also reached double figures, contributing 15 points and 13 points, respectively. Porter has now scored at least 10 points in all eight of Mizzou’s games this season.

Redshirt senior guard Lianna Doty (St. Louis, Mo.) added two assists Friday. She has now surpassed the 400-career assist mark, becoming just the third Tiger ever to reach that plateau.

The Cunningham sisters sparked the Tigers early and often on the offensive end. The duo accounted for 14 of the 22 Tigers’ first-quarter points. Michaelis also accounted for eight points of her own in the opening quarter, shooting 2-of-4 from beyond the arc.

The Tigers extended their advantage throughout the second quarter and led the Bears by as many as 14 points at the 4:35 mark. Michaelis hit another clutch three-pointer with just over a minute left in the first half while the stingy Missouri defense held the Bears scoreless for the last 2:16 of the half. The Tigers entered halftime leading 40-29.

Mizzou picked up right where it left off offensively in the second half. Freshman guard Amber Smith (Shreveport, La) was a dominating force in the paint, racking up six points in the first five minutes of the third quarter. Michaelis knocked down another deep three-pointer with 4:50 left, which extended the Mizzou lead to 53-36.

Mizzou’s defense kept Missouri State scoreless for almost six minutes down the stretch in the fourth quarter and held the Bears to just 20 percent shooting from the field. The Tigers stretched their lead to as many as 27 at the 2:17 mark in the fourth quarter. The Tigers held the Bears to 27 percent shooting from the field Friday, marking the fourth time that Mizzou has held an opponent under 30-percent shooting in a game this season.

Sophie Cunningham scored nine of her 22 points in the final quarter to help cement the 24-point victory by the Tigers.

Mizzou finished its two-game homestand 2-0 and now hits the road for a matchup with IUPUI (5-1) on Sunday afternoon in Indianapolis. Tip is set for 1 p.m. CT.

— Mizzou Athletics —

COLUMBIA, Mo. – No. 18 Mizzou Volleyball (27-5) carried its momentum from Thursday evening into Friday at the Hearnes Center, earning a 3-1 (25-13, 22-25, 25-16, 25-21) victory over Purdue. The Tigers earned their first all-time win against the Boilermakers, while also supplying redemption from their previous meeting in the 2013 NCAA Tournament.

Mizzou now advances to the Sweet 16 in this year’s NCAA Division I Women’s Volleyball Tournament. It marks the Tigers’ first trip to the NCAA Regionals round since 2010.

Redshirt junior Melanie Crow (Wildwood, Mo.) delivered a memorable performance against Purdue, recording 25 kills on .426 hitting. Crow’s 25 strikes marked a new career high, while also establishing her sixth 20-plus kill match of the season.

The Tiger outside hitter’s performance against the Boilermakers will live in Mizzou Volleyball postseason lore for years to come. Crow’s 25 kills and 27.5 points both rank third-most in all-time Tiger NCAA Tournament action. In her first taste of NCAA postseason play, Crow has produced 42 kills (6.00 kills per set) on .393 hitting over two matches.

Junior Courtney Eckenrode (The Woodlands, Texas) was sensational for the second-consecutive night at setter. Her 51 assists led to the Tigers tallying 59 total kills on .346 hitting. Similar to Thursday against Northern Illinois, Eckenrode excelled at divvying up Mizzou’s attacks on offense. Along with Crow’s stellar performance, four other Tigers posted seven-plus kills to keep the Purdue defense on its heels.

Redshirt junior Kira Larson (Fargo, N.D.) tallied one of her top individual matches this season, finishing with nine kills on .389 hitting, two aces and three total blocks. In Mizzou’s first and second round matchups at Hearnes, Larson posted 17 total kills on .412 hitting.

Top Tigers

– Crow: 25 kills on .426 hitting, 9 digs, 3 total blocks, 27.5 points
– Eckenrode: 2 kills, 51 assists, 1 ace
– Munlyn: 7 kills on .316 hitting, 5 total blocks
– Larson: 9 kills on .389 hitting, 2 aces, 3 total blocks

Up Next

Mizzou advances to the NCAA Tournament Sweet 16 for the first time since 2010. The NCAA Regionals will take place from Dec. 9-10 at four non-predetermined campus sites.

— Mizzou Athletics —

COLUMBIA, Mo. (AP) — The Missouri Tigers have dismissed wide receiver Keyon Dilosa from the team after he was accused of punching a woman in the face.

Missouri associate athletic director Chad Moller confirmed Thursday that Dilosa was no longer on the team.

Dilosa was arrested Wednesday on suspicion of third-degree domestic assault. He has not been charged.

Police say a witness reported seeing Dilosa hit a 20-year-old woman in the face after an argument outside a Columbia bar.

Dilosa, a native of Round Rock, Texas, played in only three games this season. He made 11 catches for 86 yards during his freshman season in 2015.

COLUMBIA, Mo. (AP) — The University of Missouri’s Department of Intercollegiate Athletics has received $1.4 million for its proposed plan to build a new south end zone facility at its stadium.

The Columbia Missourian reports the funds are from an anonymous donor. The university has been accepting contributions for the new facility for several months.

The university has raised $68.4 million for the project, which is still in the planning and development stages. The goal is to raise $75 million.

COLUMBIA, Mo. – University of Missouri junior DE Charles Harris (Kansas City, Mo.) will bypass his final year of eligibility and make himself available for the 2017 NFL Draft. Harris made the announcement Thursday in a press conference held at the Mizzou Athletics Training Complex.

Harris came to Mizzou as a virtually unheralded recruit, and developed into one of the top collegiate defensive ends in the nation. He had a breakout season along the defensive line on one of the nation’s top defenses in 2015, leading the SEC in tackles for loss (18.5) while posting seven sacks. He earned All-SEC Second Team honors.

Heralded as the next great player along #DLineZou heading into the 2016 season, Harris earned preseason All-SEC honors and was named to five preseason award watch lists. His play on the field did not disappoint as he finished 2016 with 9.0 sacks (26th nationally), 12.0 tackles for loss, 10 QB hurries and was second on the team with 61 tackles. He will finish his Mizzou career ranked seventh in program history with 18.0 sacks and 12th in school history with his 34.5 tackles for loss.

“Charles and I have had a few conversations about his future,” said Head Coach Barry Odom. “I am extremely proud of his approach on a very big decision. Certainly, I wish we could have another year with Charles leading our program, but there’s no question in my mind that he’s ready for the next level.  He knew the time would come to make a decision, but his primary focus was always this team and doing what he could to make himself better and to help his teammates and coaches. Charles was voted as a team captain, which shows the level of competitor he is and the respect he had on this team. We’re going to miss him, no doubt, but it’s time for him to take his talents to the NFL. We’ll be beaming with pride when we turn on the TV on Sundays and see Charles out there representing Mizzou,” he said.

Harris is another in a long line of Mizzou standouts to declare for the NFL Draft early. Other notables include Kony Ealy (second round, 2014), Blaine Gabbert (first round, 2011), Jeremy Maclin (first round, 2009), Shane Ray (first round, 2015), Sheldon Richardson (first round, 2013) and Aldon Smith (first round, 2011).

— Mizzou Athletics —

COLUMBIA, Mo. – No. 18 Mizzou Volleyball (26-5) advanced to the second round of the 2016 NCAA Tournament on Thursday, sweeping Northern Illinois (25-16, 25-13, 25-20) in straight sets. The Tigers’ outstanding .404 team hitting percentage tonight marked the program’s second-highest hitting output in NCAA Tournament history. Mizzou’s top NCAA hitting performance (.505) occurred on Dec. 3, 2005, against Arkansas in Mid-Missouri.

The Tigers’ offense was clicking from the get-go, as junior Courtney Eckenrode (The Woodlands, Texas) turned in a stellar performance at setter. Eckenrode finished with 38 assists, while four Tigers recorded six-plus kills on the evening. Mizzou’s attack against the Huskies marked its fifth .400-plus team hitting percentage this season.

Redshirt junior Melanie Crow (Wildwood, Mo.) was fantastic as an all-around player Thursday, recording a team-high 17 kills on .351 hitting and four service aces. Crow’s 17 strikes marked her most kills in a three-set match this season. Additionally, it marked her fifth match with four-plus aces this year. Crow now sits with 47 total aces in her junior campaign, ranking T-7th-most in a single season in program history.

Senior Carly Kan (Honolulu) produced her team-leading 13th double-double this season with 10 kills on .280 hitting plus 14 digs. It marked Kan’s third career double-double in NCAA Tournament action and the 28th all-time double-double by a Tiger in NCAA postseason play.

Senior Emily Thater (Springfield, Mo.), sophomore Alyssa Munlyn (Suwanee, Ga.) and redshirt junior Kira Larson (Fargo, N.D.) rounded up Mizzou’s impressive offensive display. Thater tallied five kills on .556 hitting, Munlyn posted six kills on .500 hitting and Larson recorded eight kills on .438 hitting.

Mizzou earned its 26th overall victory this season with its triumph against Northern Illinois, placing T-6th most wins in a single season in program history. Furthermore, Thursday evening marked the Tigers’ first victory in their all-time series against the Huskies.

Top Tigers

– Crow: 17 kills on .351 hitting, 4 aces, 4 digs, 2 total blocks, 22.5 points
– Kan: 10 kills on .280 hitting, 2 assists, 1 ace, 14 digs (double-double)
– Larson: 8 kills on .438 hitting, 3 total blocks
– Munlyn: 6 kills on .500 hitting, 2 total blocks

Up Next

Mizzou will meet Purdue in the second round of the 2016 NCAA Tournament on Friday, Dec. 2. First serve inside the Hearnes Center is scheduled for 6 p.m. (CT). The match will broadcast live on SEC Network + via WatchESPN. The Tigers and Boilermakers will battle for a trip to the Sweet 16, which is set to take place from Dec. 9-10.

— Mizzou Athletics —