Mizzou’s Aijha Blackwell takes a shot, while Illinois’ Kendall Bostic tries to defend, during Wednesday’s NCAA women’s college basketball game between the Tigers and Illini at State Farm Arena in Champaign, Ill. (Photo: Nathan Assata)
| Score by Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Missouri (11-2) | 16 | 24 | 20 | 24 | 84 |
| Illinois (5-7) | 16 | 10 | 20 | 19 | 65 |
by Cedric Williams
Senior Editor
The University of Missouri women’s basketball team will go into its Christmas break enjoying another year of Braggin’ Rights over Illinois, after claiming an 84-65 victory over the Illini, Wednesday afternoon at the State Farm Center in Champaign, Ill.
The Tigers, who have now won the Braggin’ Rights Game the last two times it’s been played (the teams didn’t play in 2020 due to Covid) and four of the last five, took control of Wednesday’s contest in the second quarter when they outscored the Illini, 24-10.
Junior Aijha Blackwell led the way for Missouri with 18 points and 15 rebounds, her third straight game with double-digit points and rebounds, and ninth double-double of the season.
Tiger teammates Hayley Frank and Lauren Hansen scored 14 points apiece, and combined to hit four-of-five three-pointers, while LaDazhia Williams added 13 points off the bench, and Haley Troup scored 10 points as well, in a contest where Mizzou led by as many as 22 points early in the fourth quarter.
Illinois was led by De’Myla Brown, who had a game-high 22 points, and Sara Anastasieska, who scored 19 points.
The Illini began the game red-hot and jumped out to a 13-1 lead, after making five of their first seven shots, including three three-pointers by Anastasieska.
But Mizzou rallied back with a 15-3 run of its own to close the quarter with the score tied at 16.
The second quarter was when Missouri really got rolling, as it began that frame with a 9-2 run to go up 27-18.
Then after a couple of Illinois baskets, the Tigers got really hot and closed the half with a 13-4 run – including back-to-back-to-back three’s by Blackwell, Frank, and Troup – that gave Mizzou a 40-26 halftime edge.
The third quarter was back and forth for both clubs, as Mizzou led by as many as 17 points, but Illinois got as close as 11 in the final minute. That was though, before Hansen drained a three in the final seconds of the quarter to put Missouri up 60-46 heading into the final stanza.
The fourth quarter was more of the same, with Mizzou opening with a 12-4 run to go ahead 72-50 with eight minutes to go, then cruising the rest of the way for what proved to be a 19-point win.
The Tigers have now won three games in a row to improve their overall record to 11-2, while Illinois fell to 5-7.
Wednesday’s contest was Mizzou’s final non-conference game of the season, as Southeastern Conference play will begin when the Tigers return from Christmas break on December 30.
On that day, Mizzou will host unbeaten and No. 1-ranked South Carolina (12-0) in a matchup at Mizzou Arena that will be televised nationally on SEC Network and is scheduled to tip off at 6 p.m.
| Mizzou | Player | GS | MIN | FG | 3PT | FT | ORB-DRB | REB | PF | A | TO | BLK | STL | PTS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 33 | Aijha Blackwell | * | 29 | 6-11 | 2-4 | 4-6 | 3-12 | 15 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 18 |
| 43 | Hayley Frank | * | 30 | 5-9 | 1-1 | 3-3 | 2-4 | 6 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 14 |
| 01 | Lauren Hansen | * | 26 | 5-8 | 3-4 | 1-1 | 0-2 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 14 |
| 13 | Haley Troup | * | 30 | 4-13 | 1-4 | 1-2 | 1-2 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 10 |
| 04 | Mama Dembele | * | 26 | 1-2 | 0-1 | 0-0 | 0-2 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 4 | 2 |
| 00 | LaDazhia Williams | 16 | 5-6 | 0-0 | 3-4 | 2-3 | 5 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 13 | |
| 30 | Izzy Higginbottom | 14 | 4-10 | 0-3 | 1-2 | 1-0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 9 | |
| 40 | Micah Linthacum | 4 | 1-1 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 1-0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | |
| 20 | Sarah Linthacum | 2 | 1-1 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | |
| 02 | Sara-Rose Smith | 15 | 0-1 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 1-1 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 24 | Kiya Dorroh | 6 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 32 | Jayla Kelly | 2 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| TM | TEAM | 0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 1-6 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| TOTALS | – | 200 | 32-62 | 7-17 | 13-18 | 12-34 | 46 | 13 | 14 | 11 | 2 | 5 | 84 |
| Illinois | Player | GS | MIN | FG | 3PT | FT | ORB-DRB | REB | PF | A | TO | BLK | STL | PTS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 05 | De’Myla Brown | * | 31 | 9-21 | 1-8 | 3-4 | 1-2 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 22 |
| 00 | Sara Anastasieska | * | 23 | 7-12 | 5-8 | 0-0 | 0-1 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 19 |
| 11 | Jada Peebles | * | 26 | 3-10 | 0-2 | 0-0 | 0-1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 |
| 24 | Adalia McKenzie | * | 30 | 2-12 | 0-1 | 0-1 | 3-1 | 4 | 0 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 4 |
| 44 | Kendall Bostic | * | 29 | 2-4 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 4-9 | 13 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 4 |
| 32 | Aaliyah Nye | 22 | 2-8 | 2-6 | 0-0 | 1-1 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | |
| 03 | Solape Amusan | 5 | 2-2 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 1-0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 4 | |
| 12 | Jayla Oden | 17 | 0-4 | 0-1 | 0-0 | 2-2 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 14 | Geovana Lopes | 9 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 1-0 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 22 | Eva Rubin | 5 | 0-1 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 1-1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 02 | Lyric Robins | 3 | 0-1 | 0-1 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| TM | TEAM | 0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 1-1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| TOTALS | – | 200 | 27-75 | 8-27 | 3-5 | 15-19 | 34 | 13 | 13 | 8 | 1 | 7 | 65 |
| Mizzou Tigers Women’s Basketball Upcoming Schedule |
| Thu., December 30 — vs. #1 South Carolina — 6 pm |
| Sun., January 2 — at Vanderbilt — 2 pm |
| Thu., January 6 — vs. Auburn — 7 pm |
| Sun., January 9 — at Arkansas — 2 pm |
| Thu., January 13 — at #21 LSU — 7 pm |
| Mon., January 17 — vs. #13 Georgia — 6 pm |
| All Mizzou home basketball games will be played at Mizzou Arena. |