Southern Illinois University
3-2,0-0MVC
University of Missouri
4-1,0-0SEC
Women’s Basketball falls at Missouri
12/20/2020 | 2:47:00 | Women's Basketball
COLUMBIA, Mo. - The Southern Illinois University women's basketball team fell to the Missouri Tigers, 79-43, Sunday afternoon inside Mizzou Arena.
The Salukis (3-2) got to within one, 7-6 after three minutes of play thanks to a three by Payton McCallister. The Tigers answered with 10-straight points before a put-back by Gabby Walker cut SIU's deficit to six, 26-20 with 5:21 to go in the first half. Mizzou, however, scored 13 of the final 15 points in the frame to take a double-digit lead into the half that it never relinquished.
Missouri used its considerable length and size advantage to swarm passing lanes and continually forced SIU to take difficult shots, which resulted in Southern shooting just 25-percent from the floor in the second half. The Tigers out-scored the Salukis 40-to-21 over the final 20 minutes of play.
"We got sped up too much but our kids worked their butts off and we just had a lot of shots not fall today," head coach Cindy Stein said. "We talked about making sure that we were taking shots in rhythm but that's what happens when the adrenaline gets flowing, you're playing a SEC team and in an arena that means so much to our kids. So many of them went to camps here when they were kids and they wanted to show out. From an effort standpoint, I thought we were really good. But from an execution standpoint, we've got a long way to go."
Gabby Walker reached double figures off the bench for the third-straight game and finished with 11 points. Abby Brockmeyer tallied eight points and eight rebounds while Adrianna Katcher added seven points and seven rebounds. The Tigers made it a point of emphasis to take away both Brockmeyer and Makenzie Silvey, who shot a combined 5-for-27 (18%) from the field.
"This team is capable of doing a lot of things," Stein said. "Theres a lot of learning going on when we are on the floor. We've got two freshmen starting and we've got some kids that are coming in that have some experience but it puts a lot of pressure on Makenzie, Abby and Gabby. They were the focus point of the defense and stepped up and did some good things. This was a great learning experience. It's going to make us better. Can we go in and beat Illinois? I think we can beat anybody when we do the little things. But we have to get there."
Missouri helped its own cause by shooting 61.2% (30-of-49) from the floor, including 69.2% (9-of-13) from behind the arc. It is the best an opponent has shot from the field against the Salukis since Drake made 62% of its attempts on Feb. 2, 2018. The Tigers also held the Salukis to 27% from the field.
The Salukis return to action Tuesday, Dec. 22 when they travel to the University of Illinois to take on the Illini. Tip-off is set for 2 p.m.
