COLUMBIA, Mo. – After a bye week that saw many teams rise and fall, the flawed Missouri women’s basketball team returned to the court Monday, to face off against a skilled Mississippi State squad. In a shocking 78-77 upset that saw numerous Tigers elevate their game, Missouri had finally claimed victory to the delight of the small but raucous crowd in attendance at Mizzou Arena.
Before the matchup, history suggested Missouri’s winless trend of SEC play would continue. Mississippi State was backed by a talented pair of seniors in Jerkaila Jordan and Eniya Russell, as well as ample size at center in Junior Madina Okot. Additionally, the Bulldogs had owned the Tigers in head-to-head opportunities, holding the 11-5 advantage in previous matchups, and a 4-3 record on Missouri’s home court.
To make matters worse for Missouri, the Tigers had shown in their last 18 conference games that victory seemed impossible, losing in every way to the complete spectrum of teams. Whether it be a ranked NCAA Championship contender, or the unrefined team with work to do, Missouri couldn’t get the job done.
Monday, the Tigers flipped the script. Weathering an impressive 40-point storm from the aforementioned Jerkaila Jordan, Missouri played with improved pace, defensive form and in-game adjustment, limiting the opportunities the Bulldogs had to pull away when the game swung numerous times in their favor. Additionally, sophomore guard Grace Slaughter broke through her ceiling once again, scoring a career-high 31 points, on a solid 47.6% from field goal range. Backed by Laniah Randle and Ashton Judd’s 14 points each, and two well-timed three-pointers by Abbey Schreacke, The Tigers ended up down by one with only seconds left in the game.
In a sequence that should be replayed for her entire career, Slaughter got her hands on the ball with 10 seconds left after a clutch turnover forced by Randle. Under pressure by Mississippi State’s Denim DeShields, Slaughter elected to send up a fall-away jumper from midrange that would sink in the basket and give Missouri the 78-77 win at the buzzer.
Where Missouri goes from here remains to be seen. A post-season NCAA tournament berth seems unlikely, as the Tigers only sit at 12-10, but stranger things have happened on the collegiate scene. Missouri will likely have to show proof that change has taken place within the program, and that Monday’s win was the new rule and not the exception to it. Despite it all though, no one can deny that the Missouri women’s basketball team are winners once more.
Missouri returns to action Thursday night, when they will take on No. 5 ranked Texas in Austin.