Tigers Fall in WNIT

COLUMBIA, Mo. – University of Missouri women’s basketball (18-13) concluded the 2021-22 campaign after falling to Drake (19-13) in overtime of the opening round of the Women’s National Invitation Tournament, 83-78.

The Tigers went on a 10-0 run to start the game, including five points from Aijha Blackwell. Mizzou would lead by as many as 13 in the opening period.

Drake cut into the Mizzou lead quickly with an 8-0 run to start the second quarter. The Bulldogs would take their first lead with 3:25 to go in the half on a Maggie Bair layup. Maddie Petersen’s layup with five seconds to go would give the Bulldogs a 27-26 advantage at the break.

The Drake lead would extend to as many as four points in the third quarter, but a pair of Jayla Kelly layups put the Tigers back in front at 40-38. A Maddie Petersen offensive board and putback would tie it up with 42 seconds to go in the third before Sara Beth Gueldner’s three gave the Bulldogs the lead heading into the fourth.

Each team traded buckets in a high-scoring fourth quarter. Aijha Blackwell scored 16 of her 27 points in the period including three, three-pointers. The Bulldogs led by six with only three minutes to go in regulation before Hayley Troup knocked down a clutch three to cut the deficit in half. After a Petersen layup, Blackwell would hit one of two free throws before Izzy Higginbottom added a layup to make it a two-point game. Aijha Blackwell’s jumper with 41 seconds left would ultimately send the game into overtime.

The Tigers led early in overtime after Mama Dembele laid it in while drawing a foul, but Mizzou could not sustain it. With the Bulldogs leading by one with just over a minute to go, Maddie Petersen and Izzy Higginbottom traded threes, but Petersen’s layup with 38 seconds remaining put the game nearly out of reach. After Blackwell hit one of two free throws, the Tigers were forced to foul. Down the stretch, Kate Dinnebier hit all six of her free throw attempts to give Drake the win.

NOTES

Aijha Blackwell recorded her 20^th double double of the season with 27 points and 10 rebounds. She finishes the year with the highest single season rebounding average in program history at 13.0.

Izzy Higginbottom finished with 14 points for her second double-digit output over the last three games. She concludes her freshman season with four games with 14 points or more.

Hayley Frank finished the season with 24 double-digit efforts. Her 80 three-pointers on the year rank sixth in Mizzou history for a single-season while her 46.2 three-point percentage ranks second.

Mizzou tied a season-low with only three offensive rebounds in the contest, matching the Tigers’ loss to Ole Miss.

The Tigers finish the year with a 2-2 record in overtime games.

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