COLUMBIA, Mo. – Mizzou Women’s Basketball held on to beat Wichita State, 64-57, behind a strong second half and clutch outings from its seniors on Friday night. Mizzou improved to 8-3 on the season as the Tigers secured their 30th consecutive nonconference victory at home.

The Tigers were led by senior guards Lianna Doty (St. Louis, Mo.) and Sierra Michaelis (Mercer, Mo.), who both turned in excellent second-half performances to help the Tigers secure the victory.  Doty posted a season-high 15 points, getting six of them at the foul line, which tied a career-high.

Michaelis racked up a career high nine steals while leading a stingy Tiger defense. The nine swipes are the most by any Southeastern Conference player in a single game this season. She’s one of four players in all of Division I to record that many in one contest. Michaelis added 14 points, five rebounds and three assists to fuel Mizzou.

Mizzou started the game with stout defense. Head coach Robin Pingeton’s squad held the Shockers scoreless over the first 4:33 of the game, forcing five straight misses out of the gate. However, Wichita State closed the quarter on a 14-5 run, and led 17-10 at the end of the opening frame.

Mizzou continued to clamp down defensively to weather the storm and held the Shockers to just four points in the entire second quarter. The Tigers forced 17 total turnovers on Friday. Michaelis closed the opening half with a steal and a layup to beat the buzzer. The momentum-changing play cut Mizzou’s deficit to one as the Tigers entered halftime trailing 21-20.

Pingeton’s squad came out of the break on fire as Mizzou made its first six shots of the second half, four of which were layups.  The Tigers started the half on an 11-0 run, capped by a corner three from Lindsey Cunningham, to take a 31-21 lead.  In the period, the Tigers stretched their lead to as much as 11 behind strong contributions from both sophomore forward Cierra Porter (Columbia, Mo.) and Michaelis, who combined for 13 of Mizzou’s 26 points in the frame.

The Shockers battled back down the stretch and tied the game with 5:19 to go in the final quarter.  Mizzou responded though, and regained the lead at the 4:42 mark on a big-time three-pointer from freshman guard Jordan Chavis (Lexington, N.C.).

The Tigers and Shockers traded defensive stops until Michaelis nabbed her ninth steal of the night and found Doty on the break, who was fouled, and proceeded to knock down two clutch free throws.  After the Shockers tied the game at 50, Mizzou rattled off seven straight points without allowing a single Wichita State basket.

Pingeton’s squad closed the game on a 14-7 run, using clutch free throws from Doty, Michaelis, and Cunningham, and buckets from Porter to ice the game.

With the win, the Tigers remain perfect against the Shockers, holding a 7-0 advantage in the all-time series.
Mizzou turns to a home matchup against UT-Martin on December 17. Tip off at Mizzou Arena is set for 11 a.m. CT.

— Mizzou Athletics —

MINNEAPOLIS – No. 15 Mizzou Volleyball saw its season come to a close with a Sweet 16 loss at No. 2 Minnesota, 3-1 (15-25, 25-21, 19-25, 14-25), on Friday evening at the Sports Pavilion, the home court of the second-seeded Gophers. Mizzou was led by 20 kills and a double-double from senior OH Carly Kan (Honolulu, Hawaii) who finishes her career with 1,677 kills and 1,445 digs, ranking second and fourth, respectively, in school history. Mizzou finishes the season 27-6 while Minnesota goes to 28-4.

Kan and the Mizzou senior class – MB Emily Thater (Springfield, Mo.), RS Julia Towler (Blue Springs, Mo.) and L Alexa Ethridge (Blue Springs, Mo.) – finish their careers as the winningest four-year class in school history with 105 wins. They won a pair of SEC Championships and went to three NCAA Tournaments. The 27 wins on the year are the fifth-most in school history and the senior class has three of the top five win totals in school history.

Junior OH Melanie Crow (Wildwood, Mo.) added 12 kills, seven digs and two blocks and Thater pitched in seven kills on .278 hitting with two blocks and a pair of aces. Ethridge posted 19 digs, just missing her third 20-dig outing of the year, but it was her best four-set total of the season. Junior setter Courtney Eckenrode (The Woodlands, Texas) posted her seventh double-double of the season with 36 assists and 11 digs.

The second-seeded Gophers ran out to an 8-4 lead early in the first set despite Mizzou getting a pair of early blocks. The Tigers made three uncharacteristic attack errors in the stretch, forcing Coach Kreklow to call timeout. Minnesota kept the foot on the gas to go up 15-7, but Mizzou cut the lead to 15-12 using back row attacks from Kan. But as quick as Mizzou got back into it, Minnesota ran off a 5-0 run and that put the set away with the Gophers taking the first frame, 25-15.

Mizzou played better to open the second frame behind the attack of Kan and opened a 13-10 lead after a pair of strong serves from Kira Larson (Fargo, N.D.). Mizzou grew the lead to 14-10 out of the timeout following a kill by Emily Thater (Springfield, Mo.), but Minnesota scored the next five points and wound up on top 17-16. Mizzou then got back-to-back kills from Kan and Crow and an ace from Thater to open a 19-17 lead.

The trading of runs continued as Minnesota tied the set at 19-all after a pair of kills, but Mizzou answered right back and that stole momentum, taking set two, 25-21.

Following the break, Minnesota raced out to an 8-3 lead as it connected for kills on its first six swings. Mizzou fought to get back into the set and got as close as 14-10, but the Gophers sided out from there and won the third, 25-19. Minnesota kept it going in the fourth set and ran away with a 25-14 set win to close out the match.

— Mizzou Athletics —

COLUMBIA, Mo. – University of Missouri Head Football Coach Barry Odom has added longtime defensive line coach and Southeastern Conference veteran Brick Haley to his coaching staff, as announced today, pending completion of campus human resources procedures.  Haley will serve as Mizzou’s defensive line coach, a position he has coached with great success for 19 years overall, including the last 13 straight.  In all, Haley – an outstanding recruiter and developer of talent – has logged 26 years as a full-time defensive coach, including three as defensive coordinator, and two as an assistant in the National Football League.  Details of Haley’s contract will be released once fully executed.

Haley comes to Mizzou after spending the past two seasons at Texas, where he coached the Longhorn defensive line.  This past season, Texas’ defense led the Big 12 Conference in both quarterback sacks (3.42 per game) and tackles for loss (7.6 per game), while ranking 5th and 16th nationally in those categories, respectively.  In 2015, Texas ranked fifth in the NCAA in sacks.  Prior to his time in Austin, Haley was at LSU for six seasons (2009-14), where he perennially directed one of the nation’s most disruptive defensive fronts.  At LSU, he coached 10 defensive linemen who were selected in the NFL Draft, including a pair of first-round picks in DT Michael Brockers (No. 12 overall in 2012) and DE Barkevious Mingo (No. 6 overall in 2013).  Haley’s line was key reason why the Tigers went 13-0 in the 2011 regular season and reached the 2012 BCS Championship Game.

“I’m very excited to have the opportunity to work with Brick Haley, I have had tremendous respect for him over the years,” said Odom.  “He will be a great mentor and teacher for our student-athletes and will bring leadership and coaching qualities that will make Mizzou Football better in every way.  I’m excited to welcome Brick, Tina and the kids to the Mizzou Family!!” said Odom.

“I’m very pleased and really excited to be joining Coach Odom’s program,” said Haley.  “We haven’t worked together, but I’m very aware of him and the reputation he has in the coaching profession.  I look at this as an unbelievable opportunity to work with someone who has such an impressive passion and work ethic.  It didn’t take me long in our conversations to know that Coach Odom is the right guy and someone you want to work with.  I believe that Mizzou is a place where the sky is the limit, and I’m looking forward to being part of the program,” he said.

Haley joined LSU in the spring of 2009 after spending two years as defensive line coach with the NFL’s Chicago Bears.  In Chicago, Haley coached a line that helped the Bears rank fifth in the league in fewest rushing yards allowed in 2008.  The Bears finished sixth in the NFL in sacks in 2007, with DE Tommie Harris earning a spot in the Pro Bowl.

Prior to his stop in the NFL, Haley spent three years (2004-06) as the defensive line coach at Mississippi State. He helped improve a Bulldogs defense that finished 41st in the nation in 2006 after finishing 113th a year before his arrival. Defensive end Titus Brown developed into a second-team All-SEC selection after leading the team and ranking fifth in the conference in sacks in 2006.

In 2005, Haley coached the SEC leader in sacks (third in NCAA) and tackles for loss (fourth in NCAA) in Willie Evans, who went on to spend four years in the NFL.

Before arriving at Mississippi State, Haley coached linebackers for two years (2002-2003) at Georgia Tech, where he helped the Yellow Jackets to a pair of bowl games. In 2003, he coached a first-team All-ACC performer after Tech’s trio of starting linebackers finished the 2002 season as the team’s top three tacklers.

Previously, Haley was the defensive coordinator and linebackers coach at Baylor (1999-2001) after coaching outside linebackers for one season each at Clemson (1998) and Houston (1997). The defensive line coach at Troy State from 1994-96, he was promoted to defensive coordinator following the 1996 campaign before leaving for Houston. Haley coached the defensive line at Austin Peay from 1991-93 after starting his college coaching career as a graduate assistant at Arkansas in 1990. His first coaching job was at Enterprise (Ala.) High School in 1989.

A native of Gadsden, Ala., Haley attended Alabama A&M, where he was a standout linebacker from 1984-88.  He received Alabama A&M’s Inspiration Award in 1987 and was named the team’s Most Valuable Player in 1988.  In 2005, Haley was inducted into A&M’s Athletic Hall of Fame.

— Mizzou Athletics —

COLUMBIA, Mo. – Missouri Sophomore guard Sophie Cunningham was named to the Naismith Trophy Women’s Preseason Watch List, as announced by the Atlanta Tipoff Club.

Cunningham is one of just 50 players from around the country and one of 11 players from the SEC on the list for the women’s college basketball’s player of the year honor. Named in honor of Dr. James Naismith, the creator of the game of basketball, the first Naismith trophy was awarded in 1969 to UCLA’s Lew Alcindor, later known as Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. The trophy was sculpted by Marty C. Dawe of Atlanta and has become among the most prestigious national honors awarded each year to top basketball players in the nation. The Women’s Player of the Year Award was first given to Anne Donovan of Old Dominion University in 1983.

Each year the club’s board publishes the “Naismith Watch List” that is made up of the top 50 players to watch in men’s and women’s college basketball. The organization also releases a list of 30 mid-season Naismith candidates. At the end of the season the Naismith Trophy is awarded to the player of the year in men’s and women’s college basketball. A national voting academy of leading basketball coaches, administrators and journalists narrows the group down to four finalists based on player performance throughout the season. The final four Naismith finalists will make up the ballot and the player of the year is voted on by the group.

After earning SEC Freshman of the Year honors in 2015-16, Cunningham has picked up right where she left off to begin her sophomore campaign. She is averaging a team-high 15.2 points to go along with 5.4 rebounds and 4.6 assists per game. Cunningham has reached double-digits in eight of nine games, highlighted by a 22-point outburst in a win over Missouri State.

Cunningham was named second-team All-SEC a season ago after starting all 32 games as a freshman. She notched 20-plus points on 10 different occasions, including a school-record 42-point outing against Wake Forest. She received a conference-record six SEC Freshman of the Week awards.

Cunningham and Mizzou take on Wichita State on Friday at Mizzou Arena. Tip off is slated for 7 p.m.

— Mizzou Athletics —

COLUMBIA, Mo. – Mizzou Women’s Basketball topped SIU-Edwardsville, 72-60, on Wednesday night to kick-off a four-game homestand. Mizzou (7-3) capitalized on a strong second half and a dominant presence from the free throw line to down SIUE (2-6). The Tigers made at least 20 free throws for the fourth time this season.

Senior guard Sierra Michaelis (Mercer, Mo.) led the Mizzou offense, setting a new career high for 3-pointers in a game with six treys. She moved up to sixth place in program history for career 3-point field goals made with 136 trifectas. She posted a season-high 24 points to lead all scorers on Wednesday.

Sophomore Cierra Porter (Columbia, Mo.) tallied 18 points and 13 rebounds for her fifth career double-double. She has recorded at least 10 points in 10 consecutive games to begin the season. Michaelis and Porter combined for a total of 42 points, the most by any Mizzou duo this season.

Michaelis set the tone early from the beyond the arc, draining three consecutive three-pointers to open the scoring for the Tigers. Mizzou jumped out to a quick 13-2 lead but SIUE put together a 7-0 run to close out the opening quarter and pull within four. The game remained tight as Mizzou sustained a 30-25 edge heading into halftime.

Mizzou clamped down defensively midway through the third quarter to pull away. During a stretch that lasted nearly six minutes of game clock, the Tigers held SIUE to just one field goal. Meanwhile, Mizzou shot 46 percent (6-for-13) in the quarter to grab a 53-40 lead going into the final frame.

The momentum kept rolling for Mizzou as it maintained at least a nine-point advantage for the remainder of the game.  Redshirt senior Lindsey Cunningham (Columbia, Mo.) scored seven fourth-quarter points to cap a solid all-around performance. She pulled down her 10th rebound of the game in the final minute to seal her first career double-double as she chipped in 11 points in 36 minutes.

Redshirt freshman Hannah Schuchts (Tallahassee, Fla.) earned her first career start as a Tiger, posting three points and five rebounds on Wednesday. Redshirt senior Lianna Doty (St. Louis, Mo.) added nine points, six assists and four rebounds in a season-high 37 minutes.

Mizzou continues its homestand on Friday when the Tigers host Wichita State. Tip is set for 7 p.m.

— Mizzou Athletics —