How Mizzou claimed the first SEC win of coach Kellie Harper’s tenure in Columbia

When Arkansas came to town Thursday, the Missouri Tigers women’s basketball team recognized the opportunity.

The Tigers’ matchup with the Razorbacks represented a chance for the former squad to grab its first Southeastern Conference win. But the latter one felt the same way.

Both teams entered the game with a disappointing 0-4 record in SEC play and each was desperate to break a losing streak. Missouri had lost its last four, while Arkansas had lost its previous five straight.

In the end, it was Mizzou that found victory for the first time since Dec. 28, defeating the Razorbacks 94-69 at home. That marked its largest win over a power conference opponent since March 2019.

“Our team had a really good outlook coming in,” Missouri coach Kellie Harper said. “I thought they played with really good confidence, and I’m proud of them for handling what these last few weeks have been and not letting it beat (them) down.”

If there was ever a game that the Tigers (13-7, 1-4) needed to win, this was it. Coming into the game, Arkansas (11-9, 0-5) sat at the very bottom of the SEC standings, one spot below Mizzou. Facing the struggling Razorbacks at home felt like a must-win scenario, and the Tigers pulled through.

“We have prepped for this for so long,” Harper said. “We saw our schedule. We’re going to have stretches that are going to be hard. We’ve talked openly and honestly about those stretches with our players and being able to bounce back and recover after losses.”

Missouri controlled the game from the jump and never trailed once. By the end of the third quarter, the Tigers held a commanding 66-44 lead and didn’t look back. Mizzou shot 57.1% from the field and 46.4% from deep in the win.

Five Tigers posted double figures: Senior forward Jordana Reisma led the charge with 21 points, junior guards Shannon Dowell and Grace Slaughter followed with 17, sophomore guard Chloe Sotell logged 16, and senior guard Saniah Tyler recorded 11.

Dowell recently returned to the court after suffering a lower-body injury, and this marked her most complete game back. She admitted she is still working to rediscover her role in the offense.

“Everyone has been so supportive of me coming back and figuring it out,” Dowell said. “I think it’s been taking me some time.”

For the Razorbacks, senior Taleyah Jones posted 22 points, and junior Ashlynn Chlarson pitched in 14 before fouling out. Redshirt senior Wyvette Mayberry tacked on 10.

The Tigers established control early, grabbing a 16-point lead after the first quarter. Reisma led the way with eight points, while Dowell added five.

More impressive than the Tigers’ offensive performance was that of the defense, as Mizzou allowed just four points from Arkansas in the entire frame. The Razorbacks did themselves no favors, shooting very poorly from the field (1-for-18). They attempted six triples and made none.

Two of their four points came from free throws, while the other 2 came courtesy of a bucket from Jones.

Arkansas improved its shooting in the second, shooting 50%. The Razorbacks even went on a 12-point run to cut Missouri’s lead to nine points, at 30-21, but the Tigers responded: Mizzou hit four threes to squash the comeback attempt.

One of the Tigers’ most exciting plays came when junior guard Abbey Schreacke hit a shot from beyond the arc as the buzzer sounded to propel the Tigers to a 37-24 lead.

The ensuing and-one put Missouri up 38-24. The half ended on a high note for the Tigers as Tyler drilled a three for a 42-28 advantage.

Missouri next faces Florida in a game that could possibly result in another win for the Tigers. The Gators are 0-5 in conference play. The two teams meet at 1 p.m. Sunday in Gainesville, Florida.

The Tigers may be without redshirt senior guard Jayla Smith, as Harper revealed she is day-to-day with an injury following Thursday’s win.

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