COLUMBIA, Mo. — The Lady Tiger women’s basketball team rallied in the third quarter to cut the deficit from 17 points to two points, but No. 22 Missouri held on for the 52-46 win over LSU Thursday evening here at Mizzou Arena.
Junior Alexis Hyder led the Lady Tigers with a career-high 23 points and is the first Lady Tiger to score 20 or more points this season. Hyder was 8-of-11 from the field and 7-of-7 from the free-throw line. She also hauled in six rebounds and set a new career mark with five steals. Hyder has scored in double figures in the last seven-straight games.
After being held to just four points in the third quarter, Missouri scored nine of their 15 points in the fourth quarter on three-pointers. They opened the fourth period with three treys to pull ahead, 46-37, with 1:33 left in the game. LSU had a chance to close the gap but missed their first five free-throw attempts in the quarter before Hyder hit two to give LSU the 37 points. LSU was able to cut the lead by four, 50-46, but there was only five seconds left on the clock at that point. Mizzou dropped in two more free throws for the eventual 52-46 win.
Missouri hit 10 treys and LSU managed just one three-pointer by Rina Hill. LSU was out-rebounded, 32-26 but managed to force Mizzou to turn the ball over 18 times to LSU’s 15 miscues. Both teams scored 12 points off turnovers.
“Our inability to defend in the first quarter really set the tone for Missouri offensively,” said head coach Nikki Fargas. “They were able to get the looks that they wanted from the three and from inside. I was proud of our team for making the adjustment at the half and trying to show the effort and the energy that it takes to play a team like Missouri that can spread you. This is a 40-minute game. It is not 20 minutes or three quarters. It is 40 minutes. When we have played hard for 40, we have put ourselves in position to win ball games. I give a lot of credit to Missouri down the stretch. They made the plays they needed to.”
In all eight SEC games, LSU has held each of their SEC opponents below their scoring average, some by as much as 20-plus points below average. Mizzou came into the game averaging 74 points per game and was held to just 52 points. In all but two games, LSU has forced its opponent to turn the ball over more times than their average; and has held the team’s leading scorer below their own scoring average. Missouri’s Sophie Cunningham came into the game averaging 13.9 points per game and was held to just three points tonight.
Missouri took control of the game early in the first quarter, using four three-pointers, including a half-court shot by Juanita Robinson at the buzzer to take the 22-10 lead heading into the second quarter. Hyder and Anne Pedersen combined for LSU’s 10 points with Hyder scoring the first six points and Pedersen adding the last four of the period. Hyder hit the first bucket of the game for LSU and then it was nearly three minutes before LSU scored again. Mizzou took advantage of LSU’s scoring drought, running off an 11-0 run to take the 16-4 advantage with 4:51 left in the first period.
Both LSU and Missouri struggled in the early part of the second quarter as the teams were a combined 0-for-9 before Jordan Frericks hit a jumper at the 6:25 mark to put Mizzou up, 24-10. LSU did not score in the second quarter until Akilah Bethel hit two free throws with 4:42 left on the clock. At that point, LSU used a 6-0 run to get within 11 as Missouri led 27-16. Morgan Stock and Maddie Stock each dropped in threes for the 33-16 Mizzou lead at the half.
LSU was 7-of-20 from the field, including an 0-for-3 mark from three-point range, at the half. Missouri hit 12-of-28 shots, including six treys. Missouri had the advantage on the boards, 18-14 and also scored 10 points off nine LSU turnovers.
LSU rolled off a 6-0 run to open the third quarter, forcing Mizzou to call a timeout with 8:18 left in the period and LSU down by just 11. LSU continued the run to 15-straight points, cutting the deficit to two points with 2:57 left on the clock. Missouri hit a three pointer and a free throw as LSU outscored Missouri, 19-4, and went into the fourth quarter down by just two points, 37-35. Missouri held on to outscore LSU, 15-11, in the fourth quarter for the win.
Bethel led the Lady Tigers with nine rebounds. She was held to just four points. Hill registered seven points while Pedersen added six points.
Lindsey Cunningham led Missouri with 16 points, nine of which were off treys. Morgan Stock, who led her squad with four treys, scored 12 points. Frericks led Mizzou in rebounding with nine boards. Missouri had five more players than LSU see action tonight as the Lady Tigers continue to be without Jenna Deemer and Ann Jones, and are down to just seven scholarship players on the roster. Deemer has missed the last five games and Jones has missed the last three contests.
The Lady Tigers (8-13; 2-6 SEC) open the second half of the SEC schedule next week, playing three games in seven days. Fortunately, two of the three are at home, including a Monday matchup with Auburn at 6 p.m., on Feb. 1 at the Maravich Center. The first 500 fans in attendance will receive an LSU flag. Following that game will be an 8 p.m. meeting on Thursday at the PMAC against the Mississippi State Bulldogs. The first 500 fans at that game will receive a thermo tote. LSU closes out the busy week at Kentucky on Sunday at 11 am CT. All three games will be broadcast by SEC Network.
For all of the latest news and information on Lady Tiger basketball, visit www.LSUsports.net/womensbasketball. Fans also can follow the program on its social media outlets at www.Facebook.com/LSUwbkb, @LSUwbkb and @NikkiCaldwell on Twitter, @LSUwbkb and @LSUNikkiCaldwell on Instagram.