Mizzou came out flat in its opening round WBIT matchup with Seton Hall in New Jersey. The Pirates held the lead for over 21 minutes before the Tigers stormed back, outscoring their opponents 15-5 in the fourth to pull off the 67-57 comeback victory.
The Tigers’ defense proved to be the difference maker in the win, holding Seton Hall to shooting 28% from the field and 21% from three while turning the ball over 17 times. In the fourth quarter alone the Pirates shot 2-22 on field goals and 1-14 on threes. This was the fewest points Mizzou has allowed since they held North Alabama to the same number on Dec. 21.
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The other major advantage for the team came close to the basket. Mizzou held the advantage in paint scoring 34-22 to secure easy buckets.
Offensively Grace Slaughter continued to be the engine, finishing the game with 20 points and 10 rebounds for her eighth double-double of the year. She shot 7-14 from the field, 3-6 on triples and 5-6 from the line. Fourteen of those points came in the first and fourth quarters, limiting the deficit and helping the Tigers pull away late.
It was a huge game for Jordana Reisma, as she ended with 17 points on 8-12 shooting from the field. This continued her hot streak, averaging 15 points across the last three games. She carried the offensive load in the third quarter with seven points.
Mizzou fell behind 17-14 at the end of the first quarter after an 11-5 Seton Hall run to end the quarter. The same issues continued to plague the Tigers, finishing the quarter with eight turnovers which led to six easy points the other way. Both teams struggled from the field, shooting below 40% each in the first 10 minutes. Slaughter was the bright spot for Mizzou early on, making her mark on the game with seven points and six rebounds.
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Seton Hall stretched the lead out to six in the second quarter with a massive triple. But Mizzou fought back with an 8-4 run to close the half, trailing 29-27 through 20 minutes. The Tigers shot much better in the second, finishing the quarter 6-12 from the field compared to 4-15 for Seton Hall. While five different Tigers scored in the quarter, Jordana Reisma hit two easy shots in the paint, bringing her up to four points in the first half. Slaughter led all scorers with 10 points.
Both offenses got rolling in the third quarter, leaving the teams deadlocked at 52. Seton Hall opened up a 7-point lead before Mizzou closed the quarter with a 14-7 run capped off with a Shannon Dowell layup at the buzzer. The Tigers scored 25 points in the frame with Reisma, Dowell and Slaughter combining for 17 of those. As a team Mizzou shot 9-13 from the field and 3-4 from deep to push back against the Pirates.
The fourth quarter was a defensive showdown, but the Tigers outscored Seton Hall by 10 to complete the comeback. Mizzou shot 6-15 from the field to score 15 in the final frame. Slaughter carried the load in the quarter with seven points while shooting 1-2 from three.
The Tigers advanced to the second round of the tournament and will next play on the road against BYU. Tip-off is set for either Sunday or Monday at 8 p.m. The game will be available to watch on ESPN+ on the ESPN app.
