Missouri’s 8-0 start was exceptional. They then lost to the 5th best team in the nation by only 2 points, which heightened the excitement around the team to levels not seen since the Sophie Cunningham days. Missouri State put a sizable dent in the hype train with a 79-51 domination over the Tigers on Friday.
“The last 48 hours were rough,” said head coach Robin Pingeton about the loss to Missouri State. “I didn’t feel like that was the same Missouri team I had been surrounded by for the last six months. There was so much we could have done better.”
With the mid-major Alabama A&M Bulldogs coming to town, there was one goal entering the contest for Robin Pingeton’s squad; get the train back on the rails. And they did just that with a 69-55 win.
While not a perfect performance by any means — and the game was significantly closer than it should have been — they will take it. Junior sensation Aijha Blackwell had another fantastic game, finishing with a dominating 20 point, 20 rebound performance.
However, that was not even the beginning of her immense value. Defensively, she shut down scorers inside, playing very disciplined by only committing two fouls. The Tigers were significantly better with her on the floor, as she finished with a +19.
“She doesn’t care who gets the points,” Pingeton said of Blackwell. “It was a pretty special night for her.”
Sophomore guard Mama Dembele played one of her largest roles offensively of the season. While normally she is merely a facilitator and an exceptional perimeter defender, Dembele scored seven points while being a massive part of the offense in the second half.
Junior guard Lauen Hansen had a miserable start to the game, shooting 0-3 in the first three quarters. However, she turned it on in the fourth, hitting three key mid-range jump shots in the final minutes of the contest.
The Missouri Tigers are a good basketball team. They may put up a terrible loss every now and then (such as the game against Missouri State), but they have the makings of a top-25 team that can make noise in the SEC.