Smith’s double double leads Mizzou WBB to WNIT Opening Round Win over Illinois State

With a house courtroom benefit and a recent slate, the Missouri Tigers (18-13) seemed to take down a hungry Illinois State Redbirds group (24-9) going through their first SEC group since 2019 within the first spherical of the Ladies’s NIT.

The Tigers got here out weapons a blazing with two threes on consecutive possessions to take an early 6-0 lead, and it seemed as if the Tigers had been poised for a sizzling night time capturing from past the arc. Because of 11 straight mixed factors from Haley Troup and Hayley Frank, Missouri constructed upon their early capturing and claimed an 11-4 lead. Illinois State lastly appeared to resolve the Tigers’ relentless man-to-man protection halfway by way of the primary quarter and was capable of get some fast buckets en path to a 7-4 run to complete the quarter.

To begin the second quarter, the Tigers posted up right into a zone protection in an try and curtail the Redbirds, and held them to only 5 factors within the first 4 minutes of the quarter. Sadly for Missouri, they had been solely capable of acquire two factors in the identical timeframe, which allowed the Redbirds to crawl again to inside one.

Each groups struggled to get right into a rhythm offensively as turnovers had been aplenty early on, and the stage was set for whichever group would be capable of get their heads within the sport and take over. Missouri refocused and raced to a 9-0 run to take a 26-16 lead behind two three pointers from Sara-Rose Smith and Ashton Judd.

The Redbirds answered with a 7-0 run with assistance from some tight protection and unhealthy free throw capturing from the Tigers earlier than Katlyn Gilbert’s buzzer-beating mid vary bucket to finish the half made it 28-23 Missouri.

Illinois State opened up the second half on a 6-3 run due to some sensible guard play from Maya Wong, who dished and scored early for her group. Foul bother bought to the Tigers’ Hayley Frank as she picked up her third foul with 6:01 left within the third. Controversially, Pingeton allowed Frank to remain within the sport even after the stoppage, which may have put Frank in harmful territory of choosing up a fourth foul. To rub salt within the wound, Lauren Hansen additionally picked up her third private foul, making issues tough for the Tigers’ stars.

Illinois State is an excellent free throw capturing group and the Tigers put them within the bonus above the 5 minute mark of the third quarter, permitting them to consistently get factors on the charity stripe. However each single time the Redbirds bought inside putting distance, the Tigers would reply, as subsequent Frank and Judd buckets put the Tigers again up by eight late within the third quarter. Up 44-34 after three, the Tigers seemed to shut out the sport robust and put away the common season winners of the Missouri Valley Convention away.

The story of the Tigers’ ultimate sport of the common season was their incapability to attain within the ultimate body, and so they seemed to treatment this on the finish. Nevertheless, the Redbirds’ protection had different concepts, holding Missouri to only 4 factors within the first 4 minutes of the fourth.

Missouri continued to abuse Illinois State switching on protection, typically discovering Sara-Rose Smith matched up with the a lot shorter Mary Crompton, giving the Tigers free buckets down the stretch. Paige Robinson, one of many high 5 energetic scoring leaders in D1 & D2 NCAA Basketball, was held to 0 factors up till 4 minutes left within the fourth. Moreover, the Redbirds entered this matchup capturing thirteenth finest within the nation from past the arc, however had been shot at only a 23% clip.

Smith continued to be a matchup nightmare for the Redbirds because the Tigers moved as much as a 52-45 benefit with 3:05 left within the fourth. Illinois State remained in putting distance of the Tigers, nonetheless, making the ultimate minutes of the sport something however straightforward for Missouri.

After some hard-nosed Missouri protection and clutch foul capturing, the Tigers pulled away for a 61-51 victory, giving them their first NIT win since 2015. Missouri performed a reasonably flawless sport in phrases of ball safety, solely turning the ball over 9 instances.

The Redbirds out-rebounded the Tigers 35-31 whereas the 2 groups mixed for 41 fouls. Illinois State shot poorly, capturing 31.9% from the sector and 21.4% from three-point land. Quite the opposite, the Tigers shot 42% from the sector and 30% from three.

Sara-Rose Smith’s double double and Hayley Frank’s 15-point efficiency had been amongst the headliners for the Tigers in tonight’s win.

UP NEXT: The Tigers host the winner of kansas vs Western Kentucky at residence throughout an undisclosed date and time between March 18th and twenty first.