Mizzou Central

Mizzou Dismantles North Alabama in Return Home

Despite missing one of their key contributors, the Tigers managed to defeat the Lions
Brady Shanahan|
Sam Simon/MissouriOnSI

Missouri returned to Columbia for its first home game since losing to Illinois on Dec. 10. The Tigers hosted North Alabama on Sunday, and it was a one-sided affair from wire to wire. Grace Slaughter set the tone early for Missouri, scoring 16 points in the opening quarter of the Tigers' 84-57 win.

The dominant win marks the Tigers' highest scoring output since they beat Northwestern on Nov. 29, when they totaled 85 points. Sunday's performance is the third-highest team total of the Kellie Harper era, which emphasizes a fast-paced offense. Slaughter led the way for Missouri, racking up 25 points to pace all players.

The high-octane offensive outburst came on an afternoon when Missouri was missing one of its most versatile scorers. Shannon Dowell, who appeared in a boot prior to the game, is considered day-to-day, as Harper stated after the game. She boasts averages of 16.4 points and 7.6 rebounds, while often operating as the Tigers' lead guard.

Haper mentioned that several Tigers stepped up in Dowell's absence. Along with Slaughter, Jayla Smith offered up a standout performance. She recorded a career-high 17 points to go along with three blocks and a steal on the defensive end of the ball.

Smith made 3-of-5 from behind the arc. She made two of the Tigers' three triples from the first half, while the team shot the ball at a 3-15 clip across the first two quarters. Despite not shooting the ball well, Missouri held a 38-20 lead at the break.

The lead continued to grow in the second half with Abbey Schreacke catching fire and connecting on three shots from deep. Her shooting touch was contagious — four other Tigers made a 3-pointer in the third period.

Missouri's hot hand continued into the final frame, with Chloe Sotell picking up where Schreacke left off. She drilled three more 3-pointers of her own. The Tigers shot the three at a remarkable rate in the second half, knocking them down at a 12-23 rate.

Schreacke added 12 points while Sotell scored 11, adding a game-high 13 boards in the absence of Dowell, who leads the team in rebounding. Saniah Tyler took over much of the ball-handling duties, dishing out a career-high six assists, leading the Tigers to their highest team assist total of the year with 22.

Next up, Missouri will face Kansas City in its final game of the calendar year. The Tigers host the Kangaroos at 2 p.m. on Sunday, Dec. 28, at Mizzou Arena in their final game of non-conference play. SEC competition begins on Jan. 1 when Missouri hosts No. 2 Texas.

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Brady Shanahan
BRADY SHANAHAN

Brady Shanahan is a journalism student at the University of Missouri, and covers baseball and softball for Missouri Tigers On SI. He's from the St. Louis area and has contributed to The Maneater student newspaper, Columbia Missourian, KOMU 8, and KCOU as a beat reporter.

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