College – Page 50 – St. Joseph Post Archive

Court at MWSU Fieldhouse to be named in honor of Tom Smith

Posted on January 15, 2019January 16, 2019

ST. JOSEPH – In a telephone poll Tuesday afternoon, the Board of Governors at Missouri Western State University approved the naming of the playing surface in the MWSU Fieldhouse after Hall of Fame men’s basketball coach Tom Smith. Effective Feb. 16, the floor will be named Tom Smith Court.

The court naming will officially be unveiled in the Griffons’ regular season home finale on Saturday, Feb. 16 against Central Missouri. A ceremony will take place at halftime of the men’s game that afternoon with an open reception taking place after the men’s game. Fans in attendance that afternoon will receive a memento commemorating the occasion.

Smith roamed the sidelines as the head coach of the Griffons from 1988-2013, retiring as the winningest head men’s basketball coach in MIAA history with 519 wins as an MIAA coach and 618 total coaching victories. In 25 seasons at MWSU, Smith went 448-279 with a 241-181 mark in MIAA games. Smith won five regular season MIAA championships and four MIAA postseason championships, including leading Missouri Western to a sweep of both association titles in Missouri Western’s inaugural season in the MIAA, 1989-90. During Smith’s tenure, Missouri Western qualified for the NCAA Division II Regional Championships 11 times. He was named MIAA Coach of the Year twice at Missouri Western and once at Central Missouri and coached 51 All-MIAA selections, six All-Region picks and three NCAA All-Americans.

Smith was inducted into the Missouri Western Athletics Hall of Fame in 2006 and is also a member of the MIAA Hall of Fame, Missouri Sports Hall of Fame, Missouri Basketball Coaches Hall of Fame and the Valparaiso Athletics Hall of Fame.

Prior to becoming head coach at Missouri Western, Smith also had stints as head coach at Valparaiso and Central Missouri. After retiring as head men’s basketball coach following the 2012-13 season, Smith also led the MWSU women’s tennis program for one year from 2013-14. His wife, Patsy, was a longtime head women’s tennis coach and administrator at Missouri Western, retiring in 2014.

— MWSU Athletics —

Three Bearcats named to first Bevo Francis Award watch list

Posted on January 15, 2019

PARKVILLE, Mo. – Small College Basketball is excited to announce its first Watch List for the Bevo Francis Award of 2019 consisting of 100 of the finest men’s basketball players in the country who compete in the affiliations of NCAA Division II, NCAA Division III, NAIA Division I, NAIA Division II, USCAA and NCCAA.

Senior Joey Witthus (Chanhassen, Minnesota), sophomore Ryan Hawkins (Atlantic, Iowa) and redshirt freshman Trevor Hudgins (Manhattan, Kansas) represent Northwest Missouri State University on the top-100 watch list.

This marks the fourth season of the Bevo Francis Award, as the award was previously given to Dominez Burnett of Davenport (Mich.) in 2016, Justin Pitts of Northwest Missouri State in 2017 and Emanuel Terry of Lincoln Memorial last season.

“This was an extremely difficult process, and I am very thankful to our committee for their input and feedback on many players throughout the country,” said Small College Basketball Founder John McCarty. “When we look out over the landscape of small college basketball, we’re trying to find the best of the best, based on our criteria, out of about 1,100 – 1,200 colleges and universities.

“As such, it’s a real honor to be included on this prestigious list. Each of the players on this list is in the midst of a heck of a season, and I congratulate each and every one of them.”

Members of the Bevo Francis Award committee include the following coaches: Tobin Anderson – St. Thomas Aquinas (N.Y.), Gerald Holmes – Bloomfield (N.J.), Gary Stewart – Stevenson (Md.), Arlen Galloway – Wentworth (Mass.), Chris Briggs – Georgetown (Ky.), Bill Dreikosen – Rocky Mountain (Mont.), Klint Pleasant – Rochester (Mich.), Ryan Kane – Ripon (Wisc.), Mark Berokoff – Hillsdale Baptist (Okla.), Mike Donnelly – Florida Southern, Rhett Soliday – Vanguard (Calif.), Sam Hargraves – Alma (Mich.), Greg Mason – Centre (Ky.) and Ryan Looney – Point Loma Nazarene (Calif.).

The committee chose this elite group from over 1,100 colleges and universities and took into consideration individual statistics, previous awards, milestones and team success.

On February 15, SCB will publish the next Watch List with 50 players. The list will be narrowed down to 25 players in a Watch List published on March 15. The finalists will be announced in a highlight video that will be released on April 6.

— Northwest Athletics —

No. 7 Kansas holds on to beat Texas 80-78

Posted on January 14, 2019

LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) — Lagerald Vick scored 21 points, Marcus Garrett added a career-high 20, and No. 7 Kansas held on to beat Texas 80-78 on Monday night when Jase Febres’ 3-pointer at the buzzer never came close.

Dedric Lawson added 17 points and eight rebounds for the Jayhawks (15-2, 4-1 Big 12), who blew a 10-point second-half lead before escaping with their 10th straight win over the Longhorns.

The game was tied at 73 when Lawson made a pair of foul shots. Texas big man Dylan Osetkowski was forced into a jump ball at the other end to give Kansas possession again, and Vick knocked down a 3 from the wing with 1:31 left in the game to give the Jayhawks a cushion.

The teams swapped empty possessions and Texas (10-7, 2-3) was forced to foul Lawson, who missed the second of two free throws. The Longhorns pulled down the rebound and Courtney Ramey buried a 3-pointer to get them within 79-78 with 8.9 seconds left in the game.

They quickly fouled Garrett, a 64-percent foul shooter, and he made the second of two free throws to give the Longhorns a chance. But after racing the ball up floor, they settled for a contested 3 from Febres that clanked harmlessly off the side of the rim.

Matt Coleman II had 16 point to lead five Texas players in double-figures scoring. Kerwin Roach II added 13, Febres had 12 and Osetkowski finished with 11 points and nine rebounds.

The Longhorns led 40-38 at halftime, but how the teams got there was wildly different.

Kansas played the first 20 minutes without committing a single turnover, got the ball in transition but struggled at the foul line, where the Jayhawks were just 2 of 7 in the half.

Texas knocked down eight 3-pointers and dominated on the glass.

But it was the Jayhawks who heated up beyond the arc to open the second half, knocking down four in the opening minutes to retake the lead. Vick curled in a pair, one off a nifty feed in front of his bench, and Kansas eventually stretched its lead to 57-45 with 11 1/2 minutes to play.

Febres made it interesting in the closing minutes.

The Jayhawks still led 71-64 when the Longhorns’ sophomore sharpshooter knocked down a 3-pointer. He added another after a jump ball at the other end, then hit a third in succession to answer Lawson’s bucket and pull Texas into a 73-all tie with 2:16 remaining in the game.

Kansas had opportunities to put the game away with free throws, but Lawson and Garrett missed key attempts down the stretch, and the Jayhawks finished just 11 of 21 from the line.

BIG PICTURE

Texas lost for the first time in seven games when it hit at least 10 3-pointers, going 13 of 34 from beyond the arc. The Longhorns also had an advantage on the glass, but they were unable to make defensive stops when they needed to in the closing minutes.

Kansas only committed four turnovers in the game, and an 11-of-22 clip from beyond the arc helped to mitigate the Longhorns’ long-range shooting. Freshman forward Ochai Agbaji, who had his redshirt removed a week ago, continued to contribute with four points in 25 minutes.

UP NEXT

Texas returns home to face Oklahoma on Saturday night.

Kansas visits West Virginia on Saturday.

— Associated Press —

Nebraska leads wire to wire in 66-51 upset at No. 25 Indiana

Posted on January 14, 2019

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. (AP) — Nebraska found itself in the zone Monday night.

The No. 25 Indiana Hoosiers looked completely befuddled.

As Glynn Watson Jr. scored 15 points, Isaac Copeland added 14 and James Palmer flirted with a triple double, it was a smothering defense that helped Nebraska pull away for a 66-51 upset — its second straight victory on the Hoosiers’ home court.

“At halftime, I said `It’s OK to win with defense,” Cornhuskers coach Tim Miles said, trying to steady his team. “This is sure a confidence builder.”

The Huskers (13-4, 3-3 Big Ten) won their second straight overall, extended their winning streak in the series to a school-record three and racked up style points by limiting the nation’s second-best shooting team to its lowest point total and worst shooting percentage (36.5) of the season.

All it took was a fast start and Mills’ trademark 1-3-1 defense to rattle the lethargic Hoosiers (12-5, 3-3), who never recovered from a dismal start. Indiana has lost three straight overall and had its home-court winning streak snapped at 10.

“That was probably one of the most disappointing games that we’ve played as a team this season. We didn’t have any energy, any pop, either end of the floor,” Indiana coach Archie Miller said. “I didn’t think that we played with near enough energy to compete in this league. Offensively we were just horrendous in the first half.”

It wasn’t a matter of what went wrong but what didn’t?

While Romeo Langford scored 18 points and Juwan Howard had 17 points and eight rebounds, nobody else scored more than five. And aside from Langford and Morgan, who were a combined 13 of 29 from the field, Indiana managed just six baskets.

Palmer, meanwhile, had 11 points, nine rebounds and seven assists — matching Indiana’s team assist total in a game the Hoosiers seemed to zone out.

“I thought we did a good job getting to Romeo and Juwan, making them play in a crowd,” Miles said. “We kept them out of transition for the most part. Getting off to an early lead was probably most important. Getting the crowd out of the game. The way you win big road games, you play from the front, and just hang on.”

Nebraska followed that blueprint perfectly, scoring the first nine points and extending the lead to 25-7 midway through the first half.

When the Cornhuskers missed 12 consecutive shots, Indiana closed the deficit to 26-20 late in the first half and got as close as 35-32 early in the second half.

But Nebraska answered with an 8-0 run and closed it out by methodically pulling away late.

BIG PICTURE

Nebraska: The Cornhuskers’ defense can challenge anyone in the Big Ten with its length and versatility. And when they score consistently, they can pose a real threat against any team anywhere.

Indiana: Sure, the bounces didn’t go Indiana’s way. But Miller acknowledged his team was lethargic and out of sync from the start. He knows they need to get better quickly.

STAT PACK

Nebraska: Never trailed in the game. … The 15-point victory margin was Nebraska’s largest in the series since a 38-18 victory in February 1920. . … Palmer and Copeland made their 50th consecutive starts. … The Cornhuskers also ended the Hoosiers 26-game home winning streak in December 2016, their last trip to Assembly Hall.

Indiana: Made only four of its first 19 shots and had only nine points with 5 minutes left in the first half. … The Hoosiers were 2 of 14 form 3-point range and 11 of 19 on free throws. … Justin Smith was 2 of 7 from the field after making 22 of 27 in the previous five games (81.5 percent). He had five points.

THEY SAID IT

Nebraska: “I thought our guys did a very good job with the game plan from the get go,” Miles said.

Indiana: “We just weren’t getting the ball moved,” Langford said. “We were just playing a little bit too conservative on the 1-3-1, weren’t really attacking, and that’s what you’re supposed to do against the 1-3-1 is attack and get the ball in the middle.”

UP NEXT

Nebraska: Returns home Thursday to face its second straight ranked opponent, No. 6 Michigan State

Indiana: Hits the road for the third time in four games when it visits rival Purdue on Saturday.

— Associated Press —

Northwest’s Witthus named MIAA player of the week

Posted on January 14, 2019

Northwest Missouri State University senior forward Joey Witthus has been named the MIAA men’s basketball player of the week.

Witthus averaged 29.0 points per game, 4.0 rebounds and 3.0 assists in leading Northwest to a pair of home wins over Emporia State and nationally-ranked Washburn.

Against Emporia State, Witthus notched his third 30-point game of the season with 32 points. Witthus scored 16 consecutive points in the second half to turn a six-point game into a 15-point advantage for the Bearcats. Witthus went 11-of-22 from the field and drained five triples to go along with three rebounds, three assists and a steal. Witthus went 5-of-5 from the free throw stripe.

On Saturday against Washburn, Witthus scored a game-high 26 points. Witthus was 7-of-15 from the field that included four buried treys. Witthus was 8-of-9 at the free throw line. He added five rebounds, three assists and two steals in the win to push the Bearcats win streak to 16 in a row.

Witthus shot 48.6 percent from the field, 40.9 percent from three-point range and 92.9 percent from the free throw line.

Northwest and Witthus will be in action again Saturday in St. Joseph, Missouri, against Missouri Western. Tip is set for 7:30 p.m. at the MWSU Fieldhouse.

— Northwest Athletics —

Klieman adds Tuiasosopo to K-State football staff

Posted on January 14, 2019January 14, 2019

MANHATTAN, Kan. – Kansas State head coach Chris Klieman announced Monday that Mike Tuiasosopo has been hired to coach the Wildcat defensive tackles for the 2019 season.

The hire allows Blake Seiler to focus on the defensive ends, while Klieman also announced that Chris Dawson – a nine-year member of the K-State staff – will remain in Manhattan as the Director of Strength and Conditioning.

“Mike is a veteran coach who has a substantial amount of Power Five experience throughout his career, which includes developing defensive linemen and a strong presence on special teams,” Klieman said. “I also was looking for a coach who had an extensive recruiting background on the west coach – and California in particular – and Mike certainly has that.”

Tuiasosopo comes to Manhattan after serving the 2018 season as the defensive tackles coach at UTEP, but he has spent a majority of his career on the west coast and, specifically, in the Pac-10/12.

In 2017, Tuiasosopo was the special teams quality control coach at USC, a year in which the Trojans claimed the Pac-12 Conference title for the first time in nine years. USC was successful in large part to its return game, as the Trojans ranked third in the Pac-12 in kickoff returns (23.5 yards per return) and punt returns (11.9 yards per return). He was also an offensive consultant for USC in 2016 and an analyst in 2015.

Prior to USC, Tuiasosopo worked across town at UCLA as he tutored the Bruin outside linebackers and special teams in 2014. That season, UCLA finished No. 3 in the Pac-12 in total defense (398.5 yards per game), which featured Tuiasosopo product Deon Hollins becoming the Bruins’ sack leader in his first season as a starter. On special teams, the kickoff coverage unit ranked second in the Pac-12 as returner Ishmael Adams finished the season ranked 21st nationally in combined returns.

Tuiasosopo joined Mike Stoops’ staff at Arizona in 2004 and coached in Tucson for seven seasons, including his final three seasons where the Wildcats ranked highly in the nation in total defense (24th in 2008, 25th in 2009, 33rd in 2010). Arizona led the Pac-10 in quarterback sacks all three years, largely due to Tuiasosopo’s defensive front.

Tuiasosopo tutored All-Pac 10 performer Ricky Elmore in addition to Brooks Reed and De’Aundre Reed to 2011 NFL Draft selections. Reed was a second-round pick (No. 42 overall) by the Minnesota Vikings. Tuiasosopo also coached two others that earned all-conference honors and were drafted into the NFL, Earl Mitchell – a third-rounder in 2010 – and Lionel Dotson in 2008. In 2010, he tutored Justin Washington to several Freshman All-America honors.

Tuiasosopo received his start in coaching at Montclair Academy in Van Nuys, California, coaching the defensive line and special teams in 1990 and 1991. He was then a graduate assistant at Pacific before becoming the head coach at Berkley High School in 1993 and 1994.

Tuiasosopo earned his first full-time collegiate job at Utah State as he coached the Aggie defensive line from 1996 to 1999. From there, he moved to Nevada to coach the defensive line from 2000 to 2002, and he worked at Utah during the 2003 season when the Utes earned a 10-2 record and a No. 21 final ranking.

Tuiasosopo lettered four years as a defensive tackle at Pacific Lutheran University (1985-88) and was a starter for the final three seasons en route to a pair of First Team All-Columbia Conference honors. He comes from a football-rich family tradition as his uncle Bob Apisa (Michigan State/Green Bay), cousin Manu (UCLA/Seattle/San Francisco) and younger brother Navy (Utah State/Los Angeles Rams/St. Louis Cardinals) each played collegiately and in the NFL. His nephew, Marques, played quarterback at Washington and with the Oakland Raiders and New York Jets, while he is currently the passing game coordinator and quarterbacks coach at California.

A native of Carson, California, who was born in American Samoa, Tuiasosopo graduated from Pacific Lutheran with a degree in physical education and health in 1989, while he earned his master’s degree from Pacific in Education Administration Credentials in 1992. He is married to Kathy Bowles, and the couple has four children, daughters Lanea and Maya, and sons Titus and Luke.

2019 K-State Football Coaching Staff
Chris Klieman (Head Coach)
Courtney Messingham (Offensive Coordinator/Tight Ends)
Ted Monachino (Defensive Coordinator/Linebackers)
Brian Anderson (Running Backs)
Joe Klanderman (Safeties)
Collin Klein (Quarterbacks)
Van Malone (Cornerbacks)
Jason Ray (Wide Receivers)
Conor Riley (Offensive Line)
Blake Seiler (Defensive Ends)
Mike Tuiasosopo (Defensive Tackles)

— Northwest Athletics —

Griffons let 10-point second half lead slip way, lose to Emporia State 85-79

Posted on January 13, 2019

ST. JOSEPH – Missouri Western (8-9, 2-4 MIAA) fell to Emporia State (7-7, 2-3 MIAA) 85-79 in the MWSU Fieldhouse on Sunday afternoon. The Griffons struggled offensively down the stretch in the second half, as the Hornets outscored the Griffons 21-9 over the final seven minutes of the game.

NOTABLES

Emporia State was lights out from the opening tip, jumping out to a 16-point lead in the first nine minutes.
The Griffons began to chip away at the deficit halfway through the first half, using a 20-9 run to trail by just one point at halftime.
Tyrell Carroll kept the Griffons in the game in the first half. Carroll had 17 points on 64 percent shooting going into halftime.
Alex Martin’s layup with just under nine minutes to play gave the Griffons their largest lead of the second half at 68-58.
The Hornets regained the lead on a three pointer with 4:26 remaining.
Tyus Millhollin hit Bryan Hudson on a layup to bring the Griffons within just two at 78-76 with under 90 seconds left.
On the next possession, Emporia State’s Aaron McGee pulled down a crucial offensive rebound and converted the layup to stretch the lead back to four.
The Hornets had a significant edge on the boards, outrebounding the Griffons 44-26.
The Griffons shot 48 percent from the field in the loss.

LEADERS

Hudson set a new career-high with 28 points. Hudson had an efficient game, shooting 86 percent from the field and making all four of his three-point attempts.
Tyrell Carroll finished with 20 points, six rebounds, and four assists.
Lavon Hightower added 16 points.

UP NEXT

The Griffons will host unbeaten No. 2 Northwest Missouri on Jan. 19.

— MWSU Athletics —

Tigers drop to 0-2 in the SEC with loss at South Carolina

Posted on January 13, 2019

COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) — No one else might have believed in South Carolina as they entered Southeastern Conference play as the only team with a losing record, but Gamecocks coach Frank Martin made sure his team didn’t lose faith.

Keyshawn Bryant scored 15 points and Chris Silva added 14 points as South Carolina (8-7, 3-0 SEC) continued its surprising league start with an 85-75 win over Missouri on Sunday. It’s only the third time in 28 seasons the Gamecocks have won their first three SEC games.

“Young guys, man,” Frank Martin said when asked what has happened to a South Carolina team that went 5-7 in non-conference with losses to Stony Brook and Wofford. “Being a good team is not like flipping a light switch.”

On Sunday, it was a combination of the freshman Bryant’s 7-of-9 shooting and Silva’s taking advantage after Missouri’s big man, Jeremiah Tilmon, fouling out with 12:57 left trying to post up on Silva.

“It doesn’t matter what situation we are in — coach always believes in us,” Silva said.

The Gamecocks led the entire second half, but the Tigers (9-5, 0-2) kept hanging around. Three times Missouri cut the lead to three but couldn’t get closer.

The last time came on Javon Pickett’s 3-pointer with 3:17 left. But Felipe Hasse and A.J. Lawson hit back-to-back 3-pointers to put South Carolina ahead 79-70 with 2:03 to go.

Hasse added 14 points and six rebounds for the Gamecocks.

The freshman Pickett led all scorers with a career-high 21 points. Mark Smith and Jordan Geist each added 14 for the Tigers.

The game was originally scheduled for Saturday afternoon, but Columbia, Missouri received about a foot of snow Friday into Saturday, and the Tigers couldn’t make it out of town until Saturday.

TILMON’S TROUBLES

It’s been a rough three games for Tillmon. The sophomore has fouled out of three games in a row, and his 13 minutes Sunday was his longest outing of the three.

Tillmon was disqualified in 12 minutes against Morehead State and nine minutes versus Tennessee.

Missouri coach Cuonzo Martin said Tillmon’s troubles Sunday were more on him than on a veteran all-SEC preseason first team player like Silva taking advantage of him.

“It’s him looking in the mirror and figuring out his next move,” Martin said of Tillmon.

RARE START

The other two times South Carolina has started 3-0 in the SEC have been special seasons.

In 1997, they started 11-0 and won their only SEC regular season title.

In 2017, South Carolina opened 5-0 in the SEC and went to their only Final Four.

A DAY LATER

Both Cuonzo Martin and Frank Martin said delaying the game by a day wasn’t a factor in the outcome. Missouri couldn’t get out Friday because the snow came faster and harder than forecast.

“It’s a part of it,” Cuonzo Martin said. “You make adjustments.”

Frank Martin said he learned winter weather can mess up plans quickly during his years coaching at Kansas State and the safety of a traveling team needs to always be first over any inconvenience of postponing a game.

“I lived out there, so I understand travel gets complicated sometimes,” he said.

BIG PICTURE

Missouri: The Tigers turned the ball over 20 times, their second-worst performance this season. South Carolina had 16 turnovers, but the Gamecocks outscored Missouri 33-17 off the miscues.

South Carolina: The key to the Gamecocks surprise SEC start comes on offense. Teams typically score less once league play starts, but South Carolina is averaging 81 points in tis three SEC games, eight more points than non-conference play.

UP NEXT

Missouri: The Tigers host Alabama on Wednesday.

South Carolina: The Gamecocks are on the road against Vanderbilt, who has opened 0-3 in the SEC.

— Associated Press —

Richardson’s field goal with 0.8 seconds left lifts MWSU women past Hornets

Posted on January 13, 2019

ST. JOSEPH – Tied at 66 in the final seconds of regulation, Missouri Western isolated Melia Richardson for the final shot. Richardson drove down the left baseline and sank a turnaround jumper to give Missouri Western the lead with 0.8 seconds remaining.

The Lady Hornets’ full-court inbound pass tipped out of bounds, giving Missouri Western (8-7, 3-3 MIAA) the 68-66 win over the Emporia State (11-4, 2-3 MIAA) at home on Sunday.

NOTABLES

The Griffons set the tone early with their defense in the first quarter, holding Emporia State to 11 percent shooting and just nine points in the first quarter.
Both teams picked up the scoring pace in the second quarter, shooting a combined 61 percent as the Griffons took a 27-26 lead into halftime.
Richardson led all scorers in the first half with 10 points.
The Griffons outscored the Lady Hornets 18-14 in the third quarter to take a five-point lead into the final quarter.
Emporia State used an 11-2 run to take its first lead of the second half with 4:29 to play.
Katrina Roenfeldt’s made free-throw gave the Griffons the 66-64 lead with 28 seconds remaining.
Jessica Wayne’s layup tied the game at 66 a piece with 19 seconds left.
On the next possession, Richardson drilled the game-winner off the glass
The Griffons shot 58 percent from the field in the second half and 66.7 percent in the fourth quarter
MWSU out-rebounded Emporia State 33-27 and outscored the Hornets 36-20 in the paint

LEADERS

Roenfeldt earned a double-double with a game-high 22 points and 10 rebounds. Roenfeldt scored 17 of her 22 in the second half.
Richardson finished with 18 points, seven rebounds, and three assists.
Brittany Atkins finished with 14 points on 6-of-10 shooting

UP NEXT

Rivalry Saturday comes to the MWSU Fieldhouse Jan. 19 as the Griffons host Northwest Missouri (6-9, 2-4)

— MWSU Athletics —

Missouri women come up short at Florida 58-56

Posted on January 13, 2019

GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Mizzou Women’s Basketball dropped its first conference game of the season Sunday, as the Tigers fell to Florida, 56-54, at Exactech Arena. The Gators closed the game on a 17-3 run, and outscored the Tigers, 22-11 in the fourth quarter to secure the victory.

Mizzou shared the ball well in the game, as the Tigers assisted on 73.9 percent of its made field goals (17-of-23) in the game, its second-highest percentage of the season behind 89.5 percent (17-of-19) against Duke (Nov. 25). Senior guard Sophie Cunningham (Columbia, Mo.) led Mizzou in assists in the game with eight, which match a season-high (St. Louis, Dec. 9) and was one off from a career-high.

TURNING POINT

Florida outscored Mizzou 22-11 in the fourth quarter to capture the win. The Gators ended the game on a 17-3 run, and retook the lead for the first time since the first quarter with a layup from Delicia Washington with 2.2 seconds remaining. Mizzou had a chance to respond on its side of the floor, but was unable to get a shot up as the Gators escaped with the win.

TOP TIGERS

Junior guard Amber Smith (Shreveport, La.) paced the Tigers in points and rebounds with nine and seven, respectively.
Cunningham scored five points and matched a season-high with eight assists, raising her season average to 3.3 per game.
Junior guard Jordan Roundtree (St. Louis, Mo.) scored nine points and matched a career-high with three three-pointers made, equaling her total from a Dec. 10, 2017 game against SIUE.

NOTES

Mizzou assisted on 17 of 23 of its made field goals, (79.3 percent), the second-highest percentage of assists to field goals this season, behind only the 89.5 percent (17-of-19) against Duke (Nov. 25).
Cunningham dished out eight assists, matching her season-high from the eight dimes she passed out against Saint Louis (Dec. 9). The Tiger senior has now recorded five or more assists in four of her last five games.
Since being inserted into the starting lineup on Dec. 17 against Texas State, Roundtree has score eight or more points in five of seven games. During that stretch, Roundtree has raised her scoring average from 1.8 to 3.8 points per game.
Mizzou sank 42.1 percent (8-for19) of its shots from the three-point line, its 12^th game this season with seven or more made threes. The mark was Mizzou’s fourth game shooting 40 percent or better from deep this season, and its third in the last four games.

UP NEXT

Mizzou will return to Columbia for its next contest, as the Tigers host Georgia on Thursday, Jan. 17. Tipoff from Mizzou Arena is scheduled for 6 p.m.

— Mizzou Athletics —