By: Josh Neighbors

On Wednesday night at Mizzou Arena, the Missouri Tiger women’s basketball team defeated Southeast Missouri State 74-32. The Tigers improved their record to 8-0, one of the best starts in the last twenty years for the program.

Usually it is the offense guiding Mizzou to victory, but tonight it was the Tigers efforts on the defensive end that propelled them to victory. They held the Red Hawks to 20 percent shooting from the field including a 2-17 performance (11 percent) from behind the arc. The most impressive team stat for the Tigers was the 22 turnovers they forced, as nine different players recorded.

Freshman phenom Sophie Cunningham turned in another complete performance, scoring 16 points, grabbing 6 rebounds and dishing out 3 assists. Jordan Frericks had a double-double scoring 13 points and recording 10 rebounds, 5 of which were on the offensive end. Cierra Porter was also in double digits with 12 points.

Olivia Hackmann was the only Red Hawk to get into double figures, scoring 12 points. SEMO opened this year with a loss, then proceeded to win their next four contests, but have now hit a rough patch dropping three straight after tonight’s loss. The Red Hawks have a quick turnaround as the travel to Wichita State to face the Shockers this Friday in Wichita.

Missouri will be back in action next Monday at Mizzou Arena where they will be looking for their fifth home victory of the season and ninth overall as Loyola Marymount travels to Columbia to face the Tigers. The Tigers will then travel to Boulder, Colo. to face off again Colorado in a game that could give the Tigers a 10-0 start.