Mizzou’s Katlyn Gilbert looks to make a play during the Tigers’ 66-65 win at Alabama on Thursday. (Photo courtesy: Mizzou Athletics)

Team	1	2	3	4	Total	Records
Missouri	17	13	26	10	66	14-2, 3-0 SEC
Alabama	19	13	21	12	65	12-4,1-2 SEC

Cedric Williams
Senior Editor

TUSCALOOSA, AL — On a night when it didn’t shoot well from the floor or the free throw line, and saw only one of its starters score in double-figures, the University of Missouri women’s basketball team got a huge lift from its bench to pull out a thrilling 66-65 road win against the University of Alabama.

The victory gave Missouri a 14-2 overall record and a 3-0 mark in Southeastern Conference play, while Alabama fell to 12-4 and 1-2. But with its starting lineup having a collective off night, it seemed like the Tigers wouldn’t be in any position to win on Thursday.

Fortunately, several players came off the Mizzou bench to help the Tigers snag what proved to be a tough road victory.

Grad student senior Katlyn Gilbert led the way with 13 points, five rebounds, and four assists, while teammates Sara-Rose Smith, a junior, and Ashton Judd, a freshman, each added 11 points. Smith also had a game-high 10 rebounds to pick up her fifth double-double of the season.

Senior Lauren Hansen was the only Mizzou starter to reach double figures. She had 10 points, which included three three-pointers and a key free throw late in the game that proved to be the one point extra the Tigers needed to hold off the Crimson Tide.

Mizzou’s Hayley Frank had nine points, including a huge 30-foot three-pointer at the end of the third quarter that gave the Tigers the lead heading into the fourth quarter.

In fact, Frank scored seven of those points during a 90 second stretch from the end of the third to the beginning of the fourth that helped Mizzou turn a two-point deficit into a five-point lead. Then after Alabama called a timeout to regroup, the Tigers got the ball back and Hansen drained a three that gave Mizzou its biggest lead of the night at 61-53.

From that point on, the Tigers struggled offensively and only scored five more points the rest of the game. Fortunately, the Mizzou defense was terrific in the final quarter and held Alabama off just enough to win the game.

The game-deciding stretch came in the final seven seconds with the Tigers ahead by a point. Alabama called timeout to set up its final play, while Mizzou set up its defense.

The Tide’s Hannah Barber made an inbounds pass to Sarah Ashlee Barker, who fired up a shot that clanged off the back rim. Both clubs fought for the rebound, but the clock ran out before anyone could gain possession, and that allowed Mizzou to walk out of the Coleman Coliseum with the win.

Mizzou’s Sarah Linthacum, a player who came in after Frank fouled out, was credited with a blocked shot on Barker’s final attempt, in just another case of a Missouri player coming off the bench to contribute to Thursday night’s win.

The Tigers, who have won three in a row and eight of their last nine, will look to keep the win streak going when they return to the court on Sunday, January 8, for another SEC battle against rival Arkansas. The Lady Razorbacks are 15-3 on the season and 2-1 in SEC play.

Sunday’s contest will at Mizzou Arena will tip off at 2 p.m., and will be broadcast and streamed live on SEC Network-Plus.

Missouri 66

##	Player	GS	MIN	FG	3PT	FT	ORB-DRB	REB	PF	A	TO	BLK	STL	PTS
01	Lauren Hansen	*	28	3-9	3-6	1-2	0-3	3	1	0	1	0	1	10
43	Hayley Frank	*	30	4-9	1-4	0-0	0-2	2	5	0	4	0	0	9
13	Haley Troup	*	18	1-2	1-1	2-2	0-3	3	1	0	2	0	0	5
04	Mama Dembele	*	15	0-3	0-2	2-2	0-1	1	1	3	4	0	1	2
32	Jayla Kelly	*	9	1-2	0-0	0-2	0-0	0	0	0	0	0	0	2
10	Katlyn Gilbert		29	6-10	1-2	0-0	1-4	5	4	4	1	0	1	13
02	Sara-Rose Smith		27	5-7	0-1	1-1	1-9	10	1	4	2	1	1	11
24	Ashton Judd		26	4-9	1-2	2-2	1-0	1	2	0	0	0	0	11
20	Sarah Linthacum		9	1-1	0-0	1-2	1-1	2	0	0	0	2	0	3
21	Averi Kroenke		9	0-1	0-0	0-0	1-1	2	3	2	1	0	0	0
TM	TEAM		0	0-0	0-0	0-0	2-2	4	0	0	2	0	0	0
	Totals	–	200	25-53	7-18	9-13	7-26	33	18	13	17	3	4	66

Alabama 65

##	Player	GS	MIN	FG	3PT	FT	ORB-DRB	REB	PF	A	TO	BLK	STL	PTS
23	Davis,Brittany	*	37	10-22	4-9	2-2	2-4	6	2	1	2	0	3	26
31	Rice,Jada	*	22	4-5	0-0	3-4	3-2	5	4	1	1	2	0	11
03	Barker,Sarah Ashlee	*	29	3-10	1-3	3-4	2-5	7	3	1	3	1	3	10
32	Nye,Aaliyah	*	18	2-5	1-3	0-2	0-2	2	1	0	2	0	1	5
05	Barber,Hannah	*	27	2-4	0-1	0-0	2-4	6	2	1	1	0	0	4
01	Abrams,Megan		20	2-7	1-4	1-1	0-1	1	1	1	2	0	1	6
00	McQueen,Loyal		22	1-7	0-0	1-2	0-1	1	0	2	0	0	0	3
10	Cobbins,Ryan		17	0-0	0-0	0-0	0-1	1	2	1	1	0	0	0
22	Weathers,Karly		7	0-0	0-0	0-0	1-0	1	0	0	0	0	0	0
13	Cunningham,JeAnna		1	0-0	0-0	0-0	0-0	0	1	0	0	0	0	0
TM	TEAM		0	0-0	0-0	0-0	3-3	6	0	0	0	0	0	0
	Totals	–	200	24-60	7-20	10-15	13-23	36	16	8	12	3	8	65

2022 Missouri Tigers Upcoming Women’s Basketball Schedule

Sun., January 8 — vs. Arkansas* — 2 pm

Thu., January 12 — vs. #7 LSU* — 6 pm

Sun., January 15 — at #1 South Carolina* — 12 pm

Sun., January 22 — vs. Tennessee* — 2 pm

Thu., January 26 — at Georgia* — 6 pm

Sun., January 29 — at Kentucky* — 2 pm

Thu., February 2 — vs. Vanderbilt* — 8 pm

Sun., February 5 — vs. Alabama* — 4 pm

* – Denotes Southeastern Conference game

All Mizzou home games will be played at Mizzou Arena.