Happy Trails, Haley Troup! We’ll miss ya

It’s been a frustrating run through conference play for the Mizzou Women’s Basketball squad. Despite stellar non-conference play, the Tigers stumbled to a 6-10 SEC record, putting them in the unenviable position of needing to win the SEC Tournament to secure an NCAA Tournament bid.

However, not even a 61-52 home loss to Florida on Sunday could overshadow a bittersweet mood at Mizzou Arena as the Tigers celebrated the storied career of Haley Troup. Troup, who finished with seven points and eight rebounds against the Gators, played her final regular season game as a Tiger, capping a memorable six-year run. It’s a career that Chris Kwiecinski of the Columbia Tribune argues should be considered with the best of the best in black-and-gold.

The Robin Pingeton era has overseen four NCAA Tournaments, perhaps the best player in MU history in Sophie Cunningham and the switch from the Big 12 to the SEC. Troup is the latest to leave an indelible mark on the program, which is one that will remain in the record books for quite some time.

Across those 145 games and counting, Troup has been exactly when MU has needed her to be. Whether it’s a scoring player, a defensive stalwart or a key rebounder, Troup has been the player Pingeton has been able to call upon at any moment.

Never one to miss a chance to gas up her players, Pingeton agrees, showering praise on the graduate guard.

In this era of college basketball, six years of loyalty may seem like an eternity. To Pingeton, it meant the world.

“I don’t know if I can even articulate how special that is and how much it means to me,” Pingeton said. “We always say iron sharpens iron, and she’s definitely sharpened me and it’s just been a blessing to be able to coach her and be around her for this long.”

The latest star that Troup has played with, senior Hayley Frank, echoed the sentiments of Mizzou fans everywhere headed into this week’s SEC Tournament — that one of the team’s goals is to make something special happen for Haley.

“She’s definitely just a special one that I’ve been truly blessed to play with,” Frank said. “I’m excited for March, and we’re gonna try and get something done for her.”

Yesterday at Rock M

• In which Sam recounts and studies the hall of Mizzou’s dominant win over Georgia
• In which Lauren previews Mizzou’s Senior Day tilt against Florida aka Haley Troup Day

More Links:

• Ben Frederickson at the Post-Dispatch thinks Mizzou could be riding a hot streak after they flipped the script on their poor shooting start against Georgia. He also argues that Dennis Gates should be second-in-line for the SEC Coach of the Year award.
• Analytics from the past 10 conference tilts show us more of what we already know — Mizzou may be playing above its head defensively, even if the offense continues to impress.

• Behind four innings from Rorik Maltrud and another homer from Hank Ziesler, Mizzou got its series clincher against Florida International in a 9-5 victory.
• Speaking of Mizzou Baseball... Tiger alum (and Royals minor leaguer) Robbie Glendinning will be joining up with Team Australia for the upcoming World Baseball Classic. Best of luck, Robbie!
• A tough sixth inning doomed Mizzou Softball against Oregon in the first game of a double-header as the Tigers fell 6-4. They recovered well against Long Beach State, however, cruising to a 9-0 win to close out the 2023 Mary Nutter Cathedral City Collegiate Classic.
• Mizzou Women’s Golf is sitting at 13th after one day of play at the Westbrook Invitational in Peoria, Arizona.
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