Mizzou women’s basketball “molly whops” Arkansas for first SEC win

Mizzou women’s basketball took full advantage of the difficulty change, dismantling Arkansas 94-69 for its first SEC win under head coach Kellie Harper. The Tigers led by 16 at the end of the first quarter and never looked back, leading for 39:49 of the game.

The offense was clicking on all cylinders, as the Tigers scored the most points since Nov. 11 when they put up 97 against Arkansas State (ironic). The shooting was red hot at all three levels, finishing 57.1% from the field and 68% from three. This all started with the passing, as Mizzou racked up 20 assists for a 1.3 assist/turnover ratio. By comparison, Arkansas finished with a 0.4 ratio in the same stat.

“We really wanted to find the open man…I thought we did a good job,” Harper said. “We stayed relatively disciplined with our shot selection, I think that’s that’s a big deal. Being able to be selfless and find your teammates, it’s a big deal.”

Jordana Reisma led the Tigers in scoring with 21 points on an extremely efficient 8-12 from the field and 2-3 from deep. This marks her highest output since she scored 22 in the aforementioned Arkansas State win. When Reisma is rolling, Mizzou’s offense is hyper efficient.

“It was great to see her get going…to get her some get her some looks early,” Harper said. “Getting to the paint is a big deal for us, and it opens up the floor for our shooters.”

Grace Slaughter contributed with 17 points on 6-14 shooting while grabbing 12 rebounds for her sixth double-double of the season. Shannon Dowell matched her with 17 points of her own in what has been her best game since her return from injury. This was her highest scoring total since putting up 20 against Cal in early December.

“When you first come back, you have low loads and you kind of try to figure out a rhythm,” Dowell said. “My teammates and my coaches have been very supportive and just constantly just infusing good energy into me. So I think that’s really been great for me.”

Chloe Sotell found her way back into double-digits with 16, leading the team with four-made threes on 10 attempts. She did more than just score, adding six rebounds and seven assists to add value in other aspects of the game.

Saniah Tyler set a new season-high with 11 points on a perfect 4-4 from the field and 3-3 from three. As a result the Tiger attack was not only dangerous, but balanced.

Both teams finished with similar turnover numbers as Arkansas had 17 and Mizzou had 15. But the Tigers made the most of those takeaways, winning the points off turnover matchup 24-3, finding easy buckets in transition against a disorganized defense.

This was even a more monumental feat as the Tigers have been battling with injuries for weeks, leaving only nine healthy players available for tonight’s showdown. Some players have seen their practice roles limited further, leaving as few as SIX healthy players at one point.

“It makes things very difficult,” Harper said. “We’re just getting really creative on our drills and our sets and our assignments and our scouting reports…We’re constantly learning something about them and and trying to figure out how to help them be their best for the for the next opponent.”

Here’s a play-by-play of how the game played out:

Mizzou won this game in large part due to an electric first quarter where they outclassed Arkansas 20-4. The Razorbacks offense failed to get anything going, finishing the quarter 1-18(!) from the field. Reisma led the Tigers offensive attack with eight points in the first quarter. The forward did her damage with a pair of layups plus a free throw make and a triple. As a whole the Tigers shot 8-13 in the quarter, using their defensive stops to attack Arkansas out of rotation.

“I thought we really connected defensively. I thought our change in defense is a little bit helped us out,” Harper said. “We just look poised, We look disciplined. We started with just such great confidence on both ends of the court.”

Arkansas played much better in the second quarter, including a 12-0 run to cut the deficit as close as nine. But the Tigers’ consistency paid off, making their last four shots of the half and taking a 42-28 lead into the break. Both teams shot the ball quite well from distance, with four-made triples each. Mizzou scored 22 points in the quarter by showing off their depth as five different players made a shot in the frame. The Tigers maximized their chances by only turning the ball over once, which also avoided any easy scoring opportunities for the Razorbacks.

The Tigers continued that momentum into the second half, pushing the lead to 66-44 through three quarters. After a slow start Mizzou ended the frame on a 16-5 run in the final five minutes to push the lead over 20. While Slaughter and Reisma continued to terrorize the Razorback defense, Saniah Tyler made the largest impression with a pair of threes in the quarter. In addition the Tigers made a concerted effort to get to the free throw line, finishing 9-11 in the third alone.

Mizzou kept the offense flowing in the fourth, scoring 28 points while shooting an absurd 10-14 from the field. This quarter belonged to Dowell, who scored 10 of her 17 points thanks to finishing a flawless 4-4 on field goals in the frame. Sotell added eight points of her own thanks in large part to a pair of triples.

Now the Tigers look to build on this momentum in a road showdown with Florida at 1 p.m. on Sunday in Gainesville. The game will be available to watch on SEC Network+ through the ESPN app.