Nov. 21, 2008
Complete Release in PDF Format 
COLUMBIA, Mo. - The Missouri women’s basketball team (0-2) returns home to the comfy confines of Mizzou Arena for a contest against the Summit League’s Western Illinois (1-1) on Saturday, Nov. 22 at 6:30 p.m. The Tigers hold a 5-1 lead in series history with the Westerwinds. The two teams last met in the first round of the WNIT on March 19, 2003, when Mizzou picked up a 72-69 victory. Western Illinois earned its only victory against Mizzou, a 68-66 overtime win, on Dec. 11, 1997.
Up Next
The Tigers return to Mizzou Arena on Tuesday, Nov. 25 for a 6:30 p.m. contest against the Indiana Hoosiers. Mizzou then travels to Evanston, Ill., to compete in the Mildred and Roger L. White Invitational. On Saturday, Nov. 29, the Tigers will face the Holy Cross Crusaders at Noon before a 3 p.m. contest against host Northwestern on Sunday, Nov. 30.
Scouting Western Illinois
The Westerwinds enter Mizzou Arena with a 1-1 record, including a 70-53 win over Robert Morris and a 70-48 loss to Northern Illinois. Western Illinois is coming of a 14-16 season in 2007-08, when the team tied for second in the Summit league with a 12-6 mark. Senior forward Nicole Myers and sophomore forward Lindsey Wutt both lead Western Illinois with 9.5 ppg., while Myers also brings down 9.0 rpg.
Head Coach Leslie Crane, a former assistant coach at Mizzou under Joann Rutherford, is 165-124 in 11 seasons at WIU. Crane hails from the same hometown as Missouri’s Marissa Scott and coached girls basketball and volleyball in the late 1980’s at Bekah Mills’ former high school.
Mizzou Assistant Coach Doshia Woods played for Western Illinois in 1999-2000 and 2000-01. She averaged 8.8 ppg. in 57 games and still holds the Westerwind’s single season three-point field goal record with 62.
Tigers suffer 65-55 loss at Illinois
The Missouri women’s basketball team kept the game tight throughout but fell to the Illinois Fighting Illini 65-55 in Champaign, Ill., on Wednesday night. The loss droped Mizzou to 0-2 on the year while Illinois improved to 3-0.
Senior Alyssa Hollins led the Tigers with 16 points while junior Jessra Johnson added 10. Sophomore RaeShara Brown pulled down nine rebounds to post a career high and redshirt freshman Bekah Mills dished out five assists.
Hollins hit two three-pointers in the first few minutes of the second half to give Mizzou a 34-32 lead with 16:38 remaining in the contest. The Illini responded with a three of their own but Jones hit back-to-back baskets, the last off an assist from Mills after Frazier nabbed a steal, for a 38-35 Tiger lead with 14:57 on the clock.
With the Tigers down 48-44, Hollins again hit a three-pointer to bring the squad within one, 48-47, with 8:16 left in the game. However, Illinois’ Macie Blinn nailed a trey on the next possession to put the Fighting Illini back up four, 51-47. The shot kick started an 11-0 run for the Illini, as the home team opened up a 59-49 led with just under four minutes remaining.
Hollins nears 1,000
Entering Saturday’s matchup with Western Illinois, Hollins needs just 41 points to become the 26th player in Mizzou history to reach 1,000 points.The senior entered her final year with 930 points and now stands at 959 after scoring 13 points against South Dakota State in the season opener and 16 at Illinois on Wednesday. If Hollins scores at her average of 16.6 ppg. a season ago this year, the guard would finish her career 10th all-time in scoring.
The last Tiger to reach the 1,000-point plateau was EeTisha Riddle (04-07), who accomplished the feat against in the 2007 Phillips 66 Big 12 Championship againstTexas on March 6, 2007.
Brown a beast on the boards
At 5-8 sophomore RaeShara Brown is Mizzou’s second shortest player yet after two games, the guard leads the Tigers with 7.5 rpg. Brown opened the 2008-09 season with a career high six boards against South Dakota State. She followed that up with a nine rebound performance, including four on the offensive end, at Illinois on Wednesday.
The sophomore recorded 44 rebounds all of last year but has 16 so far this year in only two games. Additionally, Brown has started both games and is playing a team second best 31.0 mpg. this season. She tied her career high with six points against South Dakota State on Nov. 14 on 3-of-6 shooting from the floor.
Freshmen make an impact
Freshman Christine Flores and Kendra Frazier both earned important playing time on Wednesday at Illinois. against the Fighting Illini’s All-American center Jenna Smith. Flores played 14 minutes, pulled down five rebounds and scored four points. In only 12 minutes before fouling out, Frazier hit two of her three shot attemps for five points and recorded two blocks and two steals.
Mills finally hits the court
Redshirt-freshman Bekah Mills finally hit the court in a Mizzou uniform in Missouri’s exhibition contest with Southwest Baptist on Nov. 7. The El Dorado, Kan., native missed all of last season due to a knee injury suffered during the preseason. Mills started the contest and played 17 minutes. She was 2-of-5 from the floor to finish with five points, five rebounds, one assist, one steal and no turnovers.
In her second official game with Mizzou, Mills dished out a team season high five assists in 23 minutes.
Jones on target
Sophomore Shakara Jones led Mizzou in scoring against South Dakota State in the season opener with 16 points on 5-of-8 shooting from the floor. Five days later the forward hit half of her eight shot attempts to record eight points in the game.
So far this year Jones is shooting .563 (9-16) from the floor, tops on the team with at least 10 field goal attempts. Her scoring average of 12.0 ppg. is also second on the team to Hollins’ 14.5 ppg.
Tigers finally hit from behind the arc
One season after setting a new program single season record with 197 three-pointers, the Tigers failed to hit a trey in the season opener against South Dakota State. Hollins finally broke Mizzou’s 0-for-6 2008-09 start from behind the arc with a three-pointer 19 seconds into the second half at Illinois on Wednesday.
Hollins went on to hit two more threes in the game to increase her career Missouri record for three-point field goals to 169.
Tigers sign prep recruit for 2009-10
Kansas City prep star Trenee Thornton signed a National Letter of Intent to enroll at the University of Missouri and play basketball, Head Coach Cindy Stein announced on Monday. Thornton will suit up as a Tiger for the 2009-10 season.
“We are so excited to have such an outstanding young lady in Trenee Thornton,” Stein said. “She brings good court sense and savvy and the ability to play any of the guard spots. She can create her own opportunities and get the ball to who you need to. Trenee prides herself on her defense and will be able to fit in well into the style of defense that we want to play.”
Thornton averaged 19.4 ppg., 5.6 rpg., 4.2 apg., 3.8 spg. as a junior for Central High School in Kansas City, Mo. She earned Interscholastic League Most Valuable Player honors following the season, to go along with all-district, all-metro and all-state honors. Over her career, Thornton has averaged 14.6 ppg.
Height aplenty
Last season the Tigers were one of the smallest teams in the Big 12. This year Mizzou could be one of the tallest after the addition of four newcomers. Frazier is the squad’s tallest member at 6-5, two inches taller that last year’s tallest player, Nicole Wilson, and a legitimate center in the paint. Flores and Brock add more height in the middle this season, standing 6-3 and 6-2, respectively. Additionally, Gee gives Mizzou height on the wing at 5-11.
