COLUMBIA, Mo. – Mizzou Women’s Basketball suffered its first loss of the season Friday to Green Bay, 56-49 at Mizzou Arena. Junior guard Amber Smith (Shreveport, La.) led the way for Mizzou by recording her fourth career double-double with 23 points and 10 rebounds. Smith shot 8-for-10 from the free throw line in the game and blocked two shots.

TURNING POINT

Mizzou led in the game for a majority of the first half thanks to 15 first-half points from Smith, but the pesky Green Bay team was able to take the lead by the end of the third quarter after edging the Tigers, 14-12, in the third period. The Phoenix were able to hold Mizzou to 3-for-11 shooting from the field in the period, while Green Bay shot 42.9 percent (6-for-14).

TOP TIGERS

• Smith scored the team’s first nine points, draining two jump shots and three free throws in the first four minutes of the game. Smith finished with 23 points and 10 rebounds to record her second double-double of the season and fourth of her career.
• Smith was successful on 8-for-10 trips to the free throw line in the game, and record two blocks, giving her nine total on the season.
• Smith scored a season-high 23 points, coming just short of surpassing her career high of 27 points against LSU on Jan. 4, 2018. Smith also brought in 10 rebounds.
• Senior guard Lauren Aldridge (Marshfield, Mo.) scored 7 points and dished out a season-high four assists.

NOTES

• Smith recorded two blocks in the game, giving her nine on the season after recording just 33 blocks in her first two seasons as a Tiger. Smith had eight blocks in 2016-17 as a freshman and 25 in 2017-18 as a sophomore.
• Mizzou pulled down 15 offensive rebounds in the game, the most since recording 15 against LSU on Jan. 4, 2018. The Tigers outrebounded Green Bay, 40-33 in the game, the second time in three games this season Mizzou has outrebounded its opponent.

UP NEXT

Mizzou will continue its three-game home stand Monday Nov. 19 at Mizzou Arena, as the Tigers host SIU Edwardsville. Tipoff is slated for 7 p.m.

— Mizzou Athletics —

COLUMBIA, Mo. – Mizzou Men’s Basketball signed a pair of future student-athletes to its 2019 recruiting class, head coach Cuonzo Martin announced Wednesday. Versatile forward Tray Jackson (Detroit, Mich.) and explosive guard Mario McKinney inked National Letters of Intent to attend and play at Mizzou.

Jackson is a 6-foot-8 four-star power forward ranked No. 56 in ESPN’s 2019 Top 100. The Detroit native averaged 13.3 points and 5.0 rebounds for the Meanstreets on the Nike EYBL circuit. He shot 38.7 percent from beyond the arc and poured in 218 points in 16 games. At the 2018 Peach Jam, Jackson chipped in 12.2 points per game over five contests and shot 73.1 percent from the free throw line.

“Tray has the potential to be an immediate impact player in the SEC,” Martin said. “He fits that positionless mold, with the ability to shoot, score at the rim and defend at a high level. The Detroit-to-Mizzou connection has a storied tradition here in Columbia and we’re excited for Tray to join the program and continue that legacy.”

Jackson was an Associated Press Michigan Class A all-state Honorable Mention after his senior campaign at Detroit Western International. He was the catalyst in Detroit Western’s upset win over Detroit East English in the 2018 state tournament opener, scoring 27 points and grabbing 10 rebounds. Jackson opted to reclassify to the 2019 class and spend a prep school season this year at Sunrise Christian Academy in Wichita, Kan.

McKinney was tabbed the No. 1 player in the state of Missouri’s class of 2019 by both ESPN and 247Sports. A four-star recruit ranked No. 19 nationally at the point guard position and No. 125 overall, McKinney was a 2018 Class 4 all-state honoree and the Public High League’s player of the year.

“Mario is an incredible athlete, he’s tough, quick and his ability to attack the rim will help our program immensely,” Martin said. “I know he’s excited to represent his home state and his family legacy at Mizzou, and that’s important to our program. We’re looking forward to him joining the Mizzou Basketball Family next season.”

McKinney helped lead Vashon High School to back-to-back Missouri Class 4 state championships in 2016 and 2017. As a junior, he averaged 17 points, six rebounds and four assists on his way to second-team St. Louis All-Metro recognition.

McKinney is the cousin of former Mizzou guard Jimmy McKinney, who shined for the Tigers and scored 1,146 career points from 2002-06. Mario chose Mizzou over Louisville, Kansas State, Auburn, Oklahoma State, Iowa State and VCU.

— Northwest Athletics —

COLUMBIA, Mo. – Mizzou Women’s Basketball head coach Robin Pingeton announced the signings of two talented Missouri prep athletes Wednesday, as Aijha Blackwell and Hayley Frank each signed national letters of intent and will continue their athletic and academic careers at the University of Missouri. The class is ranked 11th overall in the nation by espnW, as both signees are five-star recruits and top-30 prospects in espnW’s 2019 HoopGurlz Recruiting Rankings.

“Words can’t describe how excited we are about this recruiting class,” said Pingeton. “They are elite level players and high character individuals who will help us continue to elevate our program. The fact that they are from the state of Missouri makes it even that much more special.”

Blackwell, from Whitfield School in Berkeley, Mo., who was recruited by just about every Division-I program in the country, is ranked No. 8 in the nation and No. 1 in the state of Missouri in espnW’s 2019 HoopGurlz Recruiting Rankings. She is a three-time Missouri Basketball Coaches Association (MBCA) Class 3 All-State selection (2016-18), and a USA Today first team Missouri selection in 2018. As a junior, Blackwell led Whitfield to the Class 3A state semifinals and a 22-7 record, as she averaged 24.2 points, 8.3 rebounds, 2.8 assists and 2.0 steals per game. Entering her senior season, Blackwell is one of 50 high school seniors named to the watch list for the 2019 Naismith High School Trophy.

“I chose Mizzou because it is like home to me,” said Blackwell. “I have always dreamed about being a part of a winning atmosphere and culture. This is the best decision I have ever made. I wouldn’t want to be anywhere else.”

Blackwell was selected to play for the USA U18 National Team this past summer, where she helped lead Team USA to a gold medal in Mexico City at the 2018 FIBA Americas U18 Championship. She averaged 9.3 points, 3.7 rebounds and 2.7 assists per game over six games during USA’s championship run, including eight points, four rebounds and three steals in the gold medal game win over Canada.

Blackwell’s father, Ernest, was a four-year letterwinner for Mizzou Football who played running back from 1994-97 and was drafted by the Kansas City Chiefs in 1998.

Frank, from Strafford, Mo., is the No. 29-ranked player in the nation and the No. 2-ranked player in the state of Missouri. Coached by her dad, Steve, Frank has helped lead Strafford High School to three consecutive Missouri Class 3 state championships and 82 consecutive wins. She has been named to the MBCA Class 3A All-State team each of the last three seasons (2016-18), the MBCA Class 3 Player of the Year in 2016-17 and 2017-18, the 2017-18 Gatorade Missouri Girls Basketball Player of the Year and the 2018 Missouri Wendy’s High Heisman state winner. Entering her senior campaign, Frank has already racked up 2,293 points and 1,213 rebounds.

“I chose Mizzou because of the values the coaches and the team stand for,” said Frank. “I feel it is the best opportunity to grow, not only as a player, but as a person as well.”

As a junior, the 6-foot-2 guard led the Indians to a 33-0 record and third straight state title after averaging 24.9 points, 12.7 rebounds, 7.1 assists, 3.3 steals and 3.0 blocks per game. Frank led Strafford to a second consecutive state title as a sophomore in 2016-17, averaging 24.0 points, 13.0 rebounds, 6.5 assists, 3.0 steals and 2.2 blocks per game en route to a 33-0 season. She was named the Class 3 Player of the Year in both seasons.

Frank is an all-state infielder on the Strafford softball team and a state qualifier for the golf team. Away from the court, Frank has maintained a 4.05 GPA, is the vice president of the student body, and is a part of the National Honor Society.

— Mizzou Athletics —