BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – Mizzou freshman guard Sophie Cunningham (Columbia, Mo.), junior forward Jordan Frericks (Quincy, Ill.) and freshman forward Cierra Porter (Columbia, Mo.) each earned All-Southeastern Conference recognition following a vote by the league’s head coaches, it was announced Tuesday. Cunningham became the first player in program history to be named SEC Freshman of the Year and was also named second-team All-SEC and a member of the All-Freshman Team. For the second straight year, Frericks earned second-team All-SEC recognition while Porter garnered All-Freshman Team honors.

Cunningham, the first player in SEC history to receive six Freshman of the Week awards, finished the regular season averaging a team-leading 13.8 points per game after starting all 29 contests. She ranks second on the team in rebounding (5.9) and assists (3.0). On Sunday, she became only the second player in Mizzou Women’s Basketball history to score 400 points during her freshman season. She also has the seventh-most rebounds (171) ever by a Tigers freshman.

She ranks 10th in the SEC in points and is the only freshman in the league’s top 24 in scoring. Cunningham ranks second in points (400) and made free throws (97), is tied for second in assist-to-turnover ratio (+22) and ranks seventh in rebounds (171) by a freshman in Mizzou Women’s Basketball history. She ranks fourth in the SEC in free throw percentage (81.5) and 11th in assists (3.0). Cunningham scored in double figures 19 times and finished with 20-plus points on eight occasions.

Frericks leads the team and ranks seventh in the SEC in rebounding (7.9). She is currently 11th in the league in free throw percentage (67.8) and 15th in scoring (12.3). On Feb. 21 at Auburn, she became the 33rd member of Mizzou’s 1,000-Point Club. Frericks ranks second in program history with 24 double-doubles, including seven this season. She is also fourth in career rebounding (8.3) and seventh in field goal percentage (50.5).

Porter played in 28 games with 24 starts during her freshman season. She is third on the team in scoring (9.4) and rebounding (5.6). In her first season at Mizzou, Porter scored in double figures 14 times, including two 20-plus point performances. She grabbed at least nine rebounds in six contests.

The Tigers (21-8, 8-8) earned the No. 8 seed in the SEC Tournament and will face No. 9 Auburn at 11 a.m. CT Thursday on SEC Network from Veterans Memorial Arena in Jacksonville, Florida.

— Mizzou Athletics —

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – Mizzou freshman guard Sophie Cunningham (Columbia, Mo.) became the first women’s basketball player in Southeastern Conference history to be named SEC Freshman of the Week six times in a single season, it was announced Monday. Cunningham averaged 20.0 points, 9.5 rebounds and 4.0 assists per game during the final week of the regular season.

Seven other former SEC players earned five freshman of the week honors: Candace Parker (2006, Tennessee), Angie Bjorklund (2008, Tennessee), C’ierra Ricketts (2009, Arkansas), Jasmine Jones (2010, Georgia), Danielle Ballard (2013, LSU), Alaina Coates (2014, South Carolina) and A’ja Wilson (2015, South Carolina).

At No. 14 Kentucky on Thursday, Cunningham recorded the fourth double-double of the season with 29 points, 10 rebounds, two assists and two steals. The 29 points were her second-highest scoring output of her freshman season behind her school-record 42 vs. Wake Forest on Nov. 22. Against Vanderbilt on Sunday in the regular season finale, Cunningham scored 11 points, grabbed nine rebounds and dished out six assists.

Cunningham finished the regular season averaging a team-leading 13.8 points per game. She ranks second on the team in rebounding (5.9) and assists (3.0). On Sunday, she became only the second player in Mizzou Women’s Basketball history to score 400 points during her freshman season. She also has the seventh-most rebounds (171) ever by a Tigers freshman.

She ranks 10th in the SEC in points and is the only freshman in the league’s top 24 in scoring. Cunningham ranks second in points (360) and made free throws (82), fourth in assist-to-turnover ratio (1.3) and ninth in rebounds (152) by a freshman in Mizzou Women’s Basketball history.

Cunningham ranks fourth in the SEC in free throw percentage (81.5) and 11th in assists (3.0). Cunningham was also named SEC Freshman of the Week on Nov. 17, Nov. 24, Dec. 8, Jan. 19 and Feb. 23.

The (21-8, 8-8) earned the No. 8 seed in the SEC Tournament and will face No. 9 Auburn at 11 a.m. CT Thursday on SEC Network from Veterans Memorial Arena in Jacksonville, Florida.

— Mizzou Athletics —

COLUMBIA, Mo. – No. 15 Mizzou Baseball’s Ryan Howard (St. Charles, Mo.) and Tanner Houck (Collinsville, Ill.) continue to garner preseason honors as the duo was named to the Preseason All-SEC Team, as announced Thursday morning (Feb. 18) by the league office. The team, which was divided into a first and second team, was selected by the league’s 14 coaches. Howard landed on the All-SEC First Team at shortstop and Houck was one of four starting pitchers selected to the All-SEC Second Team. The All-SEC distinction for Howard and Houck comes after the two were named to the USA Baseball Golden Spikes Award Watch List Tuesday.

Additionally, Mizzou was picked to finish fifth in the SEC East by the league’s coaches. Florida was picked to win the SEC East and the conference with 13 of the 14 first-place votes, making it a unanimous choice as coaches are not permitted to vote for their own teams.

Houck put together one of the best freshman seasons in Mizzou baseball history. His eight wins are the most by a Tiger freshman since Kyle Gibson (a former first-round draft pick) in 2007 and his 100.2 innings are the most ever by a Tiger freshman under Tim Jamieson. At the end of the regular season, he had thrown more innings than any other freshman in the country. He compiled a 3.49 ERA on the season, striking out 91 batters over 100.2 innings while walking just 12 in 15 starts as a freshman.

Houck was named to the Golden Spikes Award Midseason Watch List and was an All-SEC Freshman Team honoree as well. He helped Mizzou defeat three top-five teams – No. 6 South Carolina, No. 4 Florida and No. 1 Texas A&M – earning wins in two of those three starts. Houck spent his summer with USA Baseball’s Collegiate National Team, where he led the team in innings pitched, strikeouts and starts while boasting an 11-1 strikeout-walk ratio and a .159 opponent batting average. He threw 4.0 perfect innings in a combined no-hitter against Cuba as well.

In 2015, Howard led the team in batting, at-bats and total bases while committing just seven errors in the field at short. He is coming off of an incredible summer as he was the starting SS for USA Baseball’s Collegiate National Team. He hit .310 with six runs and three RBI in 17 games while slugging four doubles and a homer.

Howard was drafted in the 31st round of the MLB Draft by the San Francisco Giants last summer, but elected to come back to Mizzou for his junior season and play with Team USA over the summer. This is another honor for Howard in the preseason. He was selected as the best infield arm in the SEC by Baseball America and was a top-100 prospect for the 2016 MLB Draft by D1Baseball.com.

Howard, Houck and the Tigers open the season this weekend in Fort Myers, Fla., where they will play a four-game series against Seton Hall beginning Friday at 1 p.m. (CT).

— Mizzou Athletics —

COLUMBIA, Mo. (AP) — Christa Reed scored 20 points and had a key block late as Vanderbilt pushed back No. 24 Missouri’s late rally and held on for a 56-52 victory on Sunday to snap an eight-game skid.

Reed made four 3-pointers, and Minta Spears chipped in 19 points for the Commodores (16-13, 5-11 SEC).

Cierra Porter and Sophie Cunningham had 11 points apiece for Missouri, (21-8, 8-8), which has lost two straight, including a 69-59 loss at No. 15 Kentucky on Friday.

The Commodores led 33-28 with 2:40 left before halftime, and held it until Cunningham made a running, one-handed 3 as the shot clock expired to give the Tigers a 45-44 lead with 5:20 remaining. It was tied at 49-all before Spears made two layups and Vanderbilt led 53-50.

On the Tigers’ ensuing possession, Reed blocked Jordan Frericks’ shot with 21 seconds left. The Commodores then made 3 of 4 from the line to seal it.

— Associated Press

FORT MYERS, Fla. – Mizzou Baseball swept a four-game series with Hofstra thanks to a walk-off single by freshman Connor Brumfield (Columbia, Mo.) in the bottom of the 10th inning on Sunday at City of Palms Park. Mizzou scored one run in the ninth on a Trey Harris (Powder Springs, Ga.) sacrifice fly to tie the game and then won on Brumfield’s single in the 10th.

Freshman Brian Sharp (Liberty, Mo.) picked up his first career win and the Tigers got 6.0 stellar innings from freshman LHP Michael Plassmeyer (St. Louis, MO.), who reset career-highs in innings, strikeouts and allowed just two runs on four hits over 6.0 innings. SS Ryan Howard (St. Charles, Mo.) led the offense with three hits in the win and got the ninth-inning rally started with a leadoff single

Plassmeyer had an easy first inning, throwing just 12 pitches to post a 1-2-3 inning. In fact, just one baserunner reached off of Plassmeyer through the first four innings, and that was a two-out error in the second inning. Ryan Howard (St. Charles, Mo.) singled and stole second to lead off the fourth, but Mizzou could not bring him across. Brett Bond (St. Louis, Mo.) nearly singled him in, but a good play at second saved a run.

Plassmeyer then surrendered his first hit to lead off the fourth, but then induced a 6-3 double play and got a flyout to right to end the frame.

Both pitchers continued to deal until Mizzou finally got to Hofstra starter Bowie Matteson in the sixth. With two outs, Howard tallied his second hit of the day, this time driving a pitch into left. He promptly stole second for his second steal of the game and Jake Ring (Ingleside, Ill.) drove him in with a single the other way into left, giving Mizzou a 1-0 lead.

As quickly as Mizzou got the lead, Hofstra took it right back in the top of the seventh. Plassmeyer allowed a pair of hits to open the frame, ending his day in favor of Cole Bartlett (Williamsburg, Ind.) who loaded the bases by hitting a batter. A single by Matt Annunziata then tied the game at 1-1. Brian Sharp (Liberty, Mo.) then came on and got the final two outs, but Hofstra took the lead on a sacrifice fly, 2-1.

Mizzou went 1-2-3 in the seventh inning and Sharp threw up another zero in the eighth, pitching around a leadoff single and an intentional walk. Mizzou then had a chance to tie the game in the eighth after a leadoff double from Shane Benes (Town & Country, Mo.), but Mizzou couldn’t get him across after a two strikeouts and a bounce-out to second.

Sharp pitched a 1-2-3 ninth to give Mizzou a chance with the 2-3-4 hitters up in the ninth. Howard led off the frame and Ring followed with a walk after falling behind 0-2. Zach Lavy (Auxvasse, Mo.) bunted and reached on an error to load the bases. Then with one out, Trey Harris (Powder Springs, Ga.) then hit a sacrifice fly to tie the game.

Sharp then led off the 10th with a walk and Tim Jamieson pinch ran Johnny Balsamo (Kansas City, Mo.). He moved to second on a wild pitch and was bunted to third. Brumfield then came up and ripped a full-count pitch into right field for the game-winning hit.

Mizzou will return home for Opening Day on March 2 at Taylor Stadium. Admission is free of charge.

— Mizzou Athletics —

COLUMBIA, Mo. (AP) — Jalen Jones did his scoring in bunches, but it was more than enough to help No. 21 Texas A&M defeat Missouri 84-69 on Saturday.

Jones scored 20 points and grabbed six rebounds in 23 minutes, marking his 11th double-digit scoring performance this season. He scored his final points on a layup with 16:25 seconds remaining, and did not see action for the final 12:23 seconds.

“He’s a stud,” Missouri forward Ryan Rosburg said of Jones. “He could go off at any time. He’s a great player and made some tough shots and did really well for them today.”

Admon Gilder and Danuel House each added 14 for the Aggies, who are now on a four-game winning streak. House had 12 points in the first half, shooting 4-for-8 from 3-point range.

“This team seems to have a certain bond and a certain chemistry on the court and off the court,” said Alex Caruso, who had three points and a team-high six assists. “You can tell by the way we played tonight. We were sharing the ball just really unselfish and whoever was open took the shot. It shows our completeness as a team. Anybody can be out there and we’re good to go.”

Tramaine Isabell had 17 points, five assists and three rebounds in his first start of the season, matching his season-high point total.

Missouri matched the Aggies bucket-for-bucket for much of the first half, using a 7-0 run to take a three-point lead following a transition layup by Namon Wright. Wright reached double-digit scoring in seven of Missouri’s last eight games, but finished with just four points on 1-for-8 shooting.

Missouri coach Kim Anderson was assessed a technical foul with 7:51 seconds remaining in the first half following a layup by the Aggies’ Tyler Davis. Anderson wanted a travel call as Davis bobbled the outlet pass in transition, prompting boos from the home crowd. D.J. Hogg sank two free-throws and Texas A&M ended the first half on a 25-11 run. Hogg finished with nine points, and Davis added eight points and seven rebounds.

“I thought (Texas A&M) played great, especially there in the middle to late part of the first half,” Anderson said. “You’ve got to give them credit. They’ve just got so many veteran players at different positions that I think they could make a deep run in the NCAA tournament.”

The Aggies (22-7, 11-5 Southeastern Conference) picked up where they left off to start the second half, opening on a 10-3 run. Texas A&M capitalized on nearly every Missouri mistake, scoring 17 points off the Tigers’ 10 turnovers.

Missouri (10-19, 3-13) ended the game on an 11-0 run after trailing by as many as 27 points. Kevin Puryear, who leads the Tigers in scoring with 11.6 points per game, finished with seven points, shooting 1-for-8 from the field. Puryear had just one point entering the final two minutes. Rosburg scored 15 points to go with five rebounds and has scored in double figures in five of Missouri’s last six games.

The Aggies bench outscored Missouri’s 39-18, led by Gilder and Tonny Trocha-Morelos, who added 12 points and four rebounds.

“The maturity of our team and the relentlessness of our bench wore them down,” Texas A&M coach Billy Kennedy said. “I’m really proud of our team. Everything is in front of us. These guys have bought in, and it starts with our seniors.”

—

TIP-INS

Texas A&M: Caruso is the NCAA active leader in steals with 261. …The Aggies improve to 4-5 on the road this season. …House has made at least one 3-pointer in 18-consecutive games.

Missouri: Puryear’s 86.4 free-throw percentage ranks second in the SEC. …D’Angelo Allen and Jones were teammates at Kimball High School in Dallas. …This was Isabell’s second career start. His first was Mar. 11, 2015 in a 63-54 loss to South Carolina in the SEC tournament.

COURTSIDE: Former Missouri defensive end Shane Ray was introduced at half court during a media timeout in the first half. After being named the 2014 SEC defensive player of the year, Ray was drafted 23rd overall by the Denver Broncos in the 2015 NFL draft. He recorded two tackles and a forced fumble in the Bronco’s 24-10 victory over the Carolina Panthers in Super Bowl 50.

UP NEXT

Texas A&M visits Auburn Tuesday.

Missouri visits LSU Tuesday.

— Associated Press —

FORT MYERS, Fla. – Mizzou Baseball used a season-high nine walks and scored a season-high 12 runs to back another sensational start from senior RHP Reggie McClain (Duluth, Ga.) to earn a 12-2 win in the series opener against Hofstra on Friday (Feb. 26) at City of Palms Park. McClain tossed his second career complete game, allowing no earned runs while striking out a career-high six in his second win of the season. He has not walked a batter in 41.0 career innings when pithing on a neutral site and is 5-0 with 0.00 ERA in such outings.

Freshmen Connor Brumfield (Columbia, Mo.) and Ian Nelson (Lake St. Louis, Mo.) each reset career-highs in RBIs and hits and classmate Brian Sharp (Liberty, Mo.) tallied his first career multi-hit game to spark the offense. In all, Mizzou’s three freshmen in the lineup drove in eight of the 12 runs. Senior Zach Lavy (Auxvasse, Mo.) also added a double and a single for his second multi-hit game of the season and SS Ryan Howard (St. Charles, Mo.) extended his hitting streak to six games and added two RBI in the win.

McClain needed just nine pitches to get through the first inning, tallying a pair of strikeouts in the opening frame. He then threw just 11 pitches in the second inning and picked up another strikeout as he was dealing early. McClain was snake-bitten a bit in the third inning, taking a comebacker off the leg. That run came around to score after an error and a big-hop ground ball to third, giving Hofstra an early 1-0 lead.

Mizzou then put two men on in the bottom of the third on a hit by Nelson and a hit-batter. That brought Howard to the dish, but he grounded into a 6-4-3 double play to end the threat.

The Tigers did not threaten again until the bottom of the fifth. Lavy reached on a leadoff error and Wednesday’s hero Sharp singled into right to put runners on the corners with one down for Nelson. He tallied an RBI single and Brumfield followed with an RBI double to give Mizzou a 2-1 lead. Mizzou threatened to break the game open, but couldn’t tack on more runs.

Hofstra tied the game in the next half inning, using two hits and an error to plate a run. Mizzou got a big double play on a flyout to center, throwing the trail runner out at second base, and McClain picked up a strikeout to get out of the inning.

In the sixth, Mizzou picked up right where it left off in the fifth, loading the bases with no outs, with the big hit coming from Lavy – a double to right center. Sharp then drew a bases-loaded walk to score a run and Nelson hit a ground ball out to the right side to plate another run, giving Mizzou a 4-2 lead. The Tigers then drew three bases-loaded walks to plate three more runs, scoring five runs on just one hit. Hofstra issued four walks and a hit batter in inning.

Mizzou added to the lead in the seventh inning, using a two-run single from Brumfiled and then added three more in the ninth.

Mizzou will play a doubleheader against Hofstra tomorrow beginning at noon (CT). Tanner Houck (Collinsville, Ill.) and Austin Tribby (Springfield, Mo.) will get the starts for Mizzou.

— Mizzou Athletics —

LEXINGTON, Ky. (AP) — Janee Thompson scored 12 of her 24 points in the fourth quarter as the 15th-ranked Kentucky women pulled away for a 69-59 win over No. 24 Missouri on Thursday night.

Evelyn Akhator made 6 of 8 from the field and scored 15 with nine rebounds, while Makayla Epps added 14 points for Kentucky.

Missouri (21-7, 8-7 Southeastern Conference) trailed by 13 at the half before outscoring the Wildcats 25-11 in the third to take a 51-50 lead into the final quarter.

Thompson hit a 3, and then converted a 3-point play to give Kentucky (20-6, 9-6) a 56-51 lead fewer than two minutes in. After Missouri’s Sophie Cunningham hit two free throws, Akhator hit a jumper and Thompson made three baskets in an 8-2 spurt that made it 64-55 with 2:53 left and the Tigers trailed by at least seven the rest of the way.

Cunningham led Missouri with 29 points.

— Associated Press —

MIAMI, Fla. – Mizzou Baseball earned its first road win of the season as it defeated Florida International, 7-6, on Wednesday afternoon (Feb. 24). Freshman Brian Sharp (Liberty, Mo.) was sensational in the win, driving in a pair of runs while earning a five-out save in the win. Junior SS Ryan Howard (St. Charles, Mo.) tallied his third multi-hit game of the season and freshman Connor Brumfield (Columbia, Mo.) added two RBI as well, the first two of his career. Mizzou is now 3-2 on the season while FIU falls to 1-4.

Mizzou used the ‘Johnny Wholestaff’ approach on Wednesday as seven Mizzou pitchers saw action. Freshman Ty Shoaff (Akron, Ohio) earned the win, the first of his career, while Sharp earned the save. Cole Bartlett (Williamsburg, Ind.) started and went 2.0 innings. Mizzou led 7-1 before FIU got back into the game, but Sharp’s heroics preserved the win.

Mizzou threatened in the first inning as Howard and Jake Ring (Ingleside, Ill.) tallied back-to-back one-out hits to put two on with one out. Shane Benes (Town & Country, Mo.) gave one a ride to the track but it was hauled in and Zach Lavy (Auxvasse, Mo.) rolled out to first to strand a pair.

Bartlett then took to the mound and retired FIU on nine pitches, tallying a strikeout in the process. The offense then responded in the top of the second as Brett Bond (St. Louis, Mo.) lifted an opposite field homer to left field to give Mizzou a 1-0 lead, his first homer of the year after hitting five a season ago. The line kept moving for Tim Jamieson’s club as an RBI single from Brumfield and Howard made it 3-0 in favor of Mizzou.

FIU got a run back in the bottom of the frame on a big-hop ground ball over the head of Benes at third to score a runner from second. But as quick as FIU got back into the game, Sharp then gave Mizzou its cushion back on two-run single in the third. His single followed a walk and a hit batter and that reopened a 5-1 lead.

Austin Tribby (Springfield, Mo.) turned in two solid innings for Mizzou, registering a season-high three strikeouts while working around three hits and a walk. He got a huge bases-loaded groundout to third to strand three to end the fourth.

Mizzou got two more runs in the fifth inning on a wild pitch and a bases-loaded walk to extend the lead to 7-1. FIU got a run back on a two-out single in the sixth off of reliever Graham Ruopp (Cape Girardeau, Mo.) but a great play by second baseman Ian Nelson (Lake St. Louis, Mo.) limited the damage and stranded a pair.

FIU then got four runs in the seventh inning, two on a two-run blast to left by Kenny Meimestorf, to pull within one at 7-6. FIU then got a runner on third with no outs in the eighth inning and after a big pop-out off of Liam Carter (Highland Park, Ill.), Sharp came on and got two big outs to strand the tying run 90 feet from home. Sharp then got the final three outs of the game to preserve the win.

Mizzou will return to Fort Myers this weekend for a four-game series against Hofstra, beginning Friday at 1 p.m. (CT).

— Mizzou Athletics —

OXFORD, Miss. (AP) — Stefan Moody scored 29 points and ignited a decisive 10-0 run midway through the second half Tuesday night as Mississippi defeated Missouri 85-76.

Ole Miss (18-10, 8-7 Southeastern Conference) used the 10-0 spurt to build a 64-54 lead with 9:31 remaining. Moody had three baskets and a behind-the-back assist for a Tomasz Gielo layup to highlight the surge.

Sebastian Saiz had 15 points and 14 rebounds and Gielo scored 12 points as Ole Miss won for the third time in four games. Moody added eight rebounds, eight assists and three steals. The Rebels led 43-42 at halftime.

Missouri (10-18, 3-12) had four players score in double figures led by Namon Wright with 20 points. Tramaine Isabell scored 17 points with Kevin Puryear and K.J. Walton adding 11 apiece for the Tigers.

— Associated Press —