In their first home conference game of the season, the Missouri Tigers (9-5, 0-1 SEC) sought to defeat the Alabama Crimson Tide (13-3, 0-1 SEC) in order to secure a much-needed first win in conference play. Alabama defeated the struggling Tigers 79-64 thanks to a strong second-half performance.
Both teams scored 51 points in the first quarter, which is the second-highest total Missouri has scored in a quarter this season, behind the 57 points scored in the fourth quarter of the Tigers’ earlier season loss to St. Louis. The first quarter saw a full offensive assault on both ends of the court.
This season, Sarah Ashlee Barker has become a threat for the Crimson Tide, and the first period demonstrated her presence as she scored 12 points to lead Alabama to an impressive 11-15 from the field and 5-8 from beyond the arc.
Despite such startling figures, Missouri trailed Alabama by just five points after the first quarter as they mounted a well-rounded comeback that saw four players score three or more points to put Alabama ahead 28–23 at the break.
In basketball, teams rarely shoot well for the whole of a game, but halfway through the second quarter, Alabama improved to 8-11 (72.7%) from three-point range. The bright side was that the Tigers were still only behind five, and they knew they could add a crucial win to the SEC record if they could contain Alabama’s explosive start.
With 3:33 remaining in the first half, Grace Slaughter tied Hayley Frank for nine points, demonstrating her calm composure akin to that of an experienced player. She also kept the Tigers within striking distance of the Tide while their shooting woes faded.
With 1:26 remaining in the first half, both teams were even at 39 thanks to an 8-0 run that was marked by the Tigers’ stifling defense, which kept the Tide without a field goal for more than three minutes, and their opportunistic and clinical transition moves.
Mama Dembele performed admirably in the first half, as her season-long development as a scoring threat has unlocked a wealth of opportunities for her as a distributor in Head Coach Robin Pingeton’s approach. With ten points and five assists by halftime, Dembele was primed for yet another double-double.
Pingeton was blunt about the squad and their performance on the postgame radio broadcast, even if it looked like a strong first half. She chastised her squad for their lack of toughness right away, stating Alabama was just a little bit quicker and more prepared than them and that if they didn’t realize it was SEC competition, they would end up losing games. “We practiced harder than I saw in the game tonight,” she said emphatically, complimenting the team’s effort.
The Missouri Tigers’ troubles in the third quarter have been the season’s narrative. In all three of their games against Power 5 opponents, they have been outmatched in the third quarter. In those games, Missouri has been outscored 95-42 in the third quarter.
The Tigers’ difficulties appeared to be exacerbated when they gave up a 13-2 lead to Alabama to start the fourth. In just five minutes, all the effort Missouri had put in to tie the game appeared to have been for naught.
Missouri was forced to throw erratically the entire third quarter as Alabama’s defense suffocated them and clogged passing lanes, denying them nearly as many easy looks as they had in the first half. This game was characterized by the changes made at halftime, and Alabama was clearly the superior side in that regard (and it wasn’t close).
With just one quarter remaining, Alabama led 60-47 after the Tigers’ dominance in the third quarter, which ended with a final score of 19-6 in favor of Alabama.
The other Abby, Abby Feit, made a tough shot inside to cut the margin to just single digits, while Abbey Schreacke finished the fourth quarter on a high note by draining a triple to get the lead back to within ten.
Missouri began the fourth quarter on a 7-0 run thanks to Dembele’s continuous turnover machine, but Alabama responded as they had all night. But Missouri remained alert and shrewd, and they managed to keep the game close until the very last whistle.
With 2:21 remaining, Aaliyah Nye’s dagger three made the score 72-64 after the game had come as close as 69-64. Nye scored 23 points during the game while making 7 of 14 three-pointers.
But Missouri was dealt a blow when rising sensation Mama Dembele appeared to have injured her knee, leaving the once-vibrant Mizzou Arena silent. With her right leg immobile, Dembele was taken off the floor in tears. This clearly portends poorly for her availability for the remainder of the season and dealt a severe blow to Missouri’s prospects of qualifying for the championship.
The injury not only dealt Missouri a serious blow on the offensive end (taking out three point guards in as many games), but it also negatively impacted the team’s confidence in their ability to rally late in the game.
Alabama would go on a 10-0 run to end the game and win 79-64 with relative ease. The Tigers shot 25-53 from the field and just 5-20 from beyond the arc, while the Tide went 28-58 from the field and, more importantly, shot 15-30 from three-point range. Both teams had the same amount of rebounding—30—but Alabama had more turnovers—12 compared to Mizzou’s 16.
With Dembele probably sidelined for a considerable amount of time (no updates were provided during the game), Missouri’s record now stands at 9-6 overall and 0-2 in SEC play. This squad will need to work extremely hard if they hope to make it to the semifinals.
Up Next: On Thursday, January 11 at 7 p.m. CST, Missouri hosts No. 1 South Carolina.
Leave a Reply