MU women’s team, missing Aijha Blackwell, down to 8 players vs. No. 1 South Carolina
The Missouri women’s basketball team is playing without its star and other key pieces against the unanimous No. 1 team in the country in the first SEC game of the season on Thursday night.
The 11-2 Tigers, off to their best start in recent years, have just eight players available against No. 1 South Carolina, due to health and safety protocols. Guard Aijha Blackwell, who leads the team in scoring (16.6 points per game) and rebounding (12.7) and has established herself as one of the best players in the conference, is among those sitting out the critical contest.
The MU program tested its players on Tuesday for COVID-19, according to a team spokesperson who declined to provide further information. Other notable absences include guard Izzy Higginbottom (7.0 ppg) and forward Micah Linthacum. Forward Skylah Travis, center Jayla Kelly and forward Da’Necia Trusty were also missing from the pre-game warmups.
Mizzou will have to rely heavily on forward Hayley Frank, who ranks second on the team in scoring (14.7 ppg) and rebounding (4.9 rpg).
The Tigers took then-No. 5 Baylor to the wire on the road earlier in the season and had the potential to do something similar against the Gamecocks on home court. But with Blackwell and others missing, the prospects for doing so became significantly more difficult.
Or so it seemed ...
Mizzou kept it close in the first quarter and then took its first lead of the game in the second, coming by way of a Lauren Hansen three-pointer. The Tigers led the Gamecocks 32-26 at halftime.
Frank led Missouri with 14 points in the first half, followed by 11 points from LaDazhia Williams and seven from Hansen. Robin Pingeton’s squad held South Carolina to 33.3% shooting from the field and forced five turnovers in the half.
Thursday night’s game is the only time the two teams will face each other this season. A solid performance could be a huge boost for a Mizzou team trying to prove itself after being projected to finish 11th in the SEC.
In the wake of COVID-19 shutdowns across college basketball, the SEC changed its forfeit policies last week. The new rules state that games will continue as scheduled if the affected team has at least seven scholarship players and one countable coach available. The Tigers were one player over that threshold.
Athletic department staffers, ushers and coaches wore masks in Mizzou Arena prior to tipoff, a precaution that hadn’t been seen at recent games. The men’s team has also been affected this week, as MU men’s basketball head coach Cuonzo Martin tested positive for COVID-19 and was unable to travel for the Tigers’ SEC opening loss at No. 18 Kentucky on Wednesday night.
This story was originally published December 30, 2021 at 6:15 PM.
