After recording two losses at the hands of Baylor and Missouri State on the road, Mizzou looked to snap the streak and get back into the win column against a 1-6 Alabama A&M team that is full of scrappy players that shouldn’t be overlooked.
Here are some takeaways from the 69-55 win over the Bulldogs.
- A certain double-double queen joined elite company.
For the first time since the 1996-1997 season, a Tiger posted a 20-20 game. That Tiger is, to no one’s surprise, Aijha Blackwell. Before Blackwell, only four other Tigers had done this — Kesha Bonds, Ericka Fields, Renee Kelly and Nancy Rutterwith. Bonds holds the record with 23 rebounds.
2. Hayley Frank has her mojo back.
After a few games where she was held to single digits, Frank has her mojo back. Frank shot a bit under 64% from the field, and sank two corner threes in her 17 point performance. She and Blackwell combined for a total of 37 points to help lead the Tigers to the victory.
Staying together. Always.#OurTownOurTeam pic.twitter.com/RGD2Is3OEs
— Mizzou Basketball (@MizzouWBB) December 12, 2021
3. Despite a poor defensive outing, the Tigers won every quarter.
There were points in the game where Alabama A&M went on some great runs that could’ve deterred the confidence of Mizzou, but the Tigers have improved their ability to close out games, and Sunday showed it. Alabama A&M might only have one win but they’ve kept games close with scrappy play.
Nigeria Jones was able to get easy lanes to the basket and sink mid-range jumpers despite only shooting 33% on 7-21 shots. The same defensive breakdown allowed Jill Harris to go the same thing while adding a couple three-pointers on 57% shooting. Both finished with a combined 27 points, 11 for Jones and 16 for Harris. Despite that, the Tigers weren’t going to let that get in the way of them achieving the victory.
The Tigers are back in the win column and are 9-2 on the season heading into their eight day break.
Next up, Mizzou welcomes Southern University on Dec. 20 at 7 pm. The game will be broadcast on SEC Network+.