After outscoring Alabama 17-10 in the third quarter, Mizzou women’s basketball was in striking distance of victory, trailing by only four points. But the Tide shut down the Tiger offense in the final frame, winning the quarter 24-11 and the game 65-48.
This marked Mizzou’s lowest point total all season, shooting a mere 29.4% from the field and 22.2% from three. These offensive struggles affected Grace Slaughter and Shannon Dowell, the Tigers’ two leading scorers this season. The duo combined for 14 points, finishing 3-19 from the field and 0-4 from three. Slaughter still managed to finish with 11 points and rebounds for her seventh double-double of the season.
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But the strongest offensive weapon for the Tigers was Jordana Reisma, finishing the game with 15 points and five rebounds while shooting 7-8 from the field. Reisma’s most productive quarter was the third with seven points on a perfect 3-3 field goals.
Rebounding continued to be an issue for Mizzou, losing the battle 48-36 overall and 14-5 on the offensive glass. The Tide turned those nine extra chances into a 23-8 advantage in second chance points as one of the main deciding factors in the neutral site showdown.
Both teams had issues holding onto the ball, finishing the game with 16 turnovers each. But Alabama took advantage of the opportunities throughout the game with a 16-7 edge in points off opponent turnovers.
Here’s how the game played out from the start:
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Points were hard to come by early as Alabama led 13-9 at the end of the first quarter. Alabama jumped out to a quick 6-0 run before the Tigers responded with a 9-0 run of their own to snatch the lead. But the Tide closed the quarter with another mini 5-0 run to retake the lead through 10 minutes. Mizzou struggled to shoot the ball, finishing the quarter 2-14 from the field and 1-6 from three. But the Tigers managed to minimize the deficit in part by forcing four Alabama turnovers.
Alabama continued to build its lead by outscoring Mizzou 18-11 in the second quarter to take an 11-point lead into the break. The Tide made three triples compared to just one for Mizzou, using the long-ball to create some separation. Reisma did her best to keep it close, scoring six of the Tigers’ 11 points in the frame.
The third was one of the most impressive quarters Mizzou has played during SEC play, beating Alabama by seven points in the first 10 minutes out of halftime. The Tigers brought the deficit back to four thanks to a strong defensive performance, holding the Tide to 25% from the field and 10% from three in the quarter. Reisma continued her hot streak with seven points in the frame on a perfect 3-3 from the field including a made triple.
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But the Alabama offense caught fire in the final frame, scoring 24 points to prevent any chance of Mizzou completing the comeback. Their offense shot 9-16 from the field and 5-7 from three, thanks in large part to 14 fourth quarter points off the bench from Ace Austin. By comparison the Tigers shot 4-10 from the field and 0-4 from three in the final 10 minutes.
It was a tough end to the first season under new head coach Kellie Harper, ending the year on a seven-game losing streak, with six of those teams nearly locks for the NCAA Tournament. Success in the SEC Tournament has continued to elude the Tigers, failing to win a game for the sixth consecutive season.
With this loss and the way they ended the season it’s quite unlikely that Mizzou will receive a bid to the Women’s Basketball Invitational Tournament. If it’s truly the end, Harper finished year one with a record of 16-16, battling through offseason changes and a plethora of injuries to stay competitive to the very end.
