Women’s Basketball Falls to No. 5 LSU

COLUMBIA, Mo. – The University of Missouri women’s basketball team (14-4, 3-2 SEC) was defeated by No. 5 LSU (17-0, 5-0), 77-57, Thursday night at Mizzou Arena.

For a third consecutive contest, senior guard Lauren Hansen (Long Island, N.Y.) scored in double figures as she led the Tigers with 22 points on 8-of-20 shooting. Junior guard Mama Dembele (Manlleu, Spain) joined Hansen by scoring 11 points, her season high, while dishing out a pair of assists.

In the first quarter, Mizzou had a strong defensive start by forcing four turnovers and notching three steals to keep itself in the game. LSU, however, took the lead early and held a double-digit advantage after 10 minutes of action.

The host Tigers found a groove offensively in the second quarter and shot 50% from the field on 6-of-12 shooting. Hansen led the charge with five points in the quarter and knocked down a 3-pointer. Despite the efficient shooting effort by Mizzou, LSU matched the Tigers’ field goal percentage in the frame and remained in control of the contest.

Coming out of the half trailing by 16 points, Mizzou battled back into the contest with a 16-5 run to open the half and cut the deficit to four. Missouri nailed five-consecutive field goals and came up with defensive stops on four-consecutive LSU possessions.

Hansen and Dembele played a crucial role in bringing Mizzou to within single digits, as the duo combined for 16 of the Tigers’ 20 points in the third.

As the third quarter drew to a close, LSU recovered and went on a run to bolster its lead to 15 points. Despite playing the nationally-ranked Tigers close in the second half, Mizzou couldn’t mount a final surge for the lead in the fourth quarter.

TURNING POINT

After Mizzou cut a double-digit halftime deficit to four points, LSU reclaimed momentum with a 12-0 run to rebuild its lead to 56-41 entering the fourth quarter.

TOP TIGERS

• Hansen’s 22-point effort marks her fourth 20-point outing this campaign. She also tied a season-high 37 minutes in the contest.
• Dembele scored in double figures for the first time this season with 11 points on 4-of-8 shooting from the floor.
• Graduate guard Haley Troup (Gadsden, Ala.) put in a solid showing on the score sheet and on the glass with six points and a season-high seven rebounds.

GAME NOTES

• LSU maintains an all-time series lead between the two programs, 13-4, claiming its fourth-straight victory over Mizzou after tonight’s result.
• A 16-point deficit at halftime is Mizzou’s largest of the season. The Tigers suffered their first loss this season when trailing at the break, as they were previously 5-0 in such games.
• Mizzou’s seven-point opening quarter is the team’s lowest offensive output in a quarter this season (previous low was nine, which occurred twice).
• Mizzou’s 24 points off turnovers is a season high, with the previous high being 22 against Kentucky.
• Hansen’s 22-point outing is her fourth 20+ point performance of the year. She’s reached double digits in 14-of-18 contests.
• Dembele’s 11-point outing was a season high, hitting double-digits for the first time this season
• Troup’s first bucket saw her eclipse 800 career points in tonight’s six-point outing.
• Senior forward Hayley Frank (Strafford, Mo.) recorded a season-high three steals, her most in a game since tallying four against Alabama on March 1, 2020.
• Junior center Jayla Kelly (Chesterfield, Mo.) set a new career-high in minutes with 23. Her previous high was 20 against Georgia (Feb. 17, 2022).
• LSU’s 54.2% mark from the charity stripe is the second-lowest percentage against Mizzou all season behind Missouri State’s 41.2% performance from the line.
• Mizzou won the turnover battle, only committing 17 compared to LSU’s 19.
• At the free-throw line, Mizzou shot 11-of-12 (91.7%), signifying its best free-throw shooting performance this season.
• In the third quarter, Mizzou totaled 20 points, marking just the sixth time in 17 games that LSU has allowed 20 or more points in a quarter.

UP NEXT

The Tigers’ string of tough opponents continues Sunday, as Mizzou heads to Columbia, S.C. to face No. 1 South Carolina. Tipoff is scheduled for noon, and the game will be broadcast on ESPN 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.