Mizzou Defeats Kentucky in SEC Opener

Columbia, Mo. – Behind a 20-scoring performance from senior forward Hayley Frank (Strafford, Mo.), the University of Missouri women’s basketball team opened up conference play with a 74-71 victory over Kentucky (8-5, 0-1 SEC) Thursday night in Mizzou Arena.

With the outing, Frank has led Missouri (12-2, 1-0) in scoring seven times this season and has registered 20 or more points on four occasions.

Senior guard Lauren Hansen (Long Island, N.Y.) complimented the effort with 18 points and six rebounds.

Freshman guard Ashton Judd (West Plains, Mo.) impressed off the bench once again as she tied her season-high with 12 points.

Trailing 19-10 at the conclusion of the first quarter, the Tigers bounced back in the second frame with a 20-5 scoring run. Judd converted a 3-point play to spark the charge and Missouri’s defense clamped down as the Wildcats were held scoreless for 5:38.

The game-changing offensive spurt was part of a greater 34-13 run that gave Mizzou a 39-30 lead at the break.

In the second half, Kentucky slowly clawed into the Tigers’ lead. Following a back and third period, the Wildcats strung together a 10-0 run in the fourth that tied the game at 66 apiece with less than 3:30 to go.

Despite the late surge, Frank beat the shot clock with a clutch mid-range jumper at the two-minute mark and gave Missouri a pivotal advantage in the contest.

The Tigers closed out the game with a 5-of-6 performance from the charity stripe.

TURNING POINT

Trailing 17-6 with just under two minutes remaining in the first quarter, Judd got her defender off balance around the basket, the freshman finished through contact and converted at the free-throw line. The play sparked a 34-13 run that was aided by a staunch defensive effort and a 5-of-8 performance from beyond the arc.

TOP TIGERS

• Hayley Frank continues leading the Tiger’s potent offense, adding 20 points and six boards tonight on 6-of-16 shooting while knocking down all six of her free throws.
• Lauren Hansen used an efficient 46% field goal percentage to accumulate 18 points of her own, all while grabbing six boards and two steals.
• Ashton Judd collected a dozen points tonight on 50% shooting, tying a career-high and eclipsing 100 points on the season.
• Katlyn Gilbert (Indianapolis, Ind.) scored seven points, added four rebounds, tied a season-high with four assists and set a new season best with four steals.

GAME NOTES

• Mizzou collects its fifth win against Kentucky in program history, and the Tiger’s first over the Wildcats since a 70-68 decision at the SEC Tournament in Greenville, S.C. on March 8, 2019.
• Missouri moves to 6-5 in SEC openers since joining the conference prior to the 2012-13 campaign.
• The Tigers are 7-0 this season when eclipsing 70 points.
• Mizzou overcame an opening period deficit yet again, moving to a perfect 3-0 on the season when trailing after the first quarter. The Tigers previously defeated UT Martin and UMass in the same fashion.
• The Tigers improved to 12-0 when leading entering the fourth quarter in 2022-23.
• Mizzou’s 29-point second quarter on 55% three-point shooting tied the season high for points in a period, set in the third quarter of the Tiger’s contest against Bradley on Nov. 10.
• Mizzou’s 46.60% season field goal percentage is good for 24th in the nation. The Tiger’s three-point field-goal percentage of 36.04% is 35th in the nation, aided by going 7-for-17 from behind the arc tonight.
• Mizzou dominated the glass, outrebounding Kentucky 41-27, the eighth time the Tigers have outrebounded their opponents this year.
• Eight different Tigers scored in the first half, showcased by Hansen and Judd collecting eight apiece.
• Three Tigers finished with double-digits in the scoring column, the eighth such occurrence in 14 games this season.
• Hayley Frank continues leading the Tiger’s offensive attack by adding 20 points tonight, all of which came after the start of the second period. This was her fourth 20+ point outing of the season, and the third in five games.
• Sara-Rose Smith grabbed her 200th-career rebound in a game that saw her snag seven boards.
• Haley Troup made her 130th career appearance for Mizzou, one shy of the program-record 131 appearances Cindy Kiser made from 1976-80.
• Lauren Hansen added 18 points and six boards on 46% shooting. She has failed to register double-digit points just three times this season.
• Ashton Judd eclipsed the 100-point mark of her young career after tonight’s 12-point outing.
• Katlyn Gilbert tied a season-high with four assists and set a new season high with four steals.
• Jayla Kelly’s two blocks tied a season-high, last achieved versus Western Kentucky on Nov. 14. It was the fourth multi-block game of her career.

UP NEXT

Mizzou hits the road for its first SEC road game of the season as it takes on Auburn on New Year’s Day. The Sunday matinee is set to begin at 3 p.m. and will be broadcast on SEC Network and KTGR.

For all the latest information on Mizzou Women’s Basketball, please visit MUTigers.com. For up-to-the-minute updates, follow the Tigers on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.