Mizzou Central

Mizzou Fends Off Saint Louis in an In-State Road Clash

Chloe Sotell posted a new season-high scoring mark in the Tigers' final away game of non-conference competition
Brady Shanahan|
Dec. 14, 2025; St. Louis, Missouri, USA; Missouri Tigers guard Saniah Taylor (2) looks to dribble toward the basket while defended by a Saint Louis Billikens player at Chaifetz Arena.
Dec. 14, 2025; St. Louis, Missouri, USA; Missouri Tigers guard Saniah Taylor (2) looks to dribble toward the basket while defended by a Saint Louis Billikens player at Chaifetz Arena. | Sam Simon/MissouriOnSI

St. LOUIS — Missouri (10-3) fell into a hole early against Saint Louis, allowing the Billikens to strike on an 8-0 to start the game. The Tigers failed to find the bottom of the net until the 5:17 mark of the first quarter. Missouri erased the deficit with Jordana Reisma snapping the cold spell and sparking a 17-2 run by the end of the quarter.

The Tigers' lead snowballed as the game went on, reaching as high as 22. A late Saint Louis rally was thwarted, and the Tigers ultimately earned their 10th victory of the season and dismantled the Billikens, 82-66.

"It got a little sloppy today. Sometimes games are going to be played and it's not going to be the prettiest" Head Coach Kellie Harper said. "when the game is pretty, it's easy, and teams that can figure out a way to win even when it's ugly, I think, are the really, really good teams."

The late run from the opening frame extended into the second. Chloe Sotell was the hot hand of the quarter, scoring eight consecutive points for Missouri. Her scoring outburst helped her reach a new season-high. Since transferring into the program after spending a freshman campaign at Pepperdine, Sotell has continued to see her role with the Tigers expand.

"We have three players that have been our primary scorers all season long, but that doesn't work if you don't have other players step up and make plays," Head Coach Kellie Harper said. "Chloe was able to do that today. She played with great confidence.

On the other end, Abbey Schreacke did the dirty work for the Tigers. She nabbed three steals while also drawing a charge to shut down the Saint Louis offense. Schreacke's defense led to offense. After she intercepted a pass, she found Jayla Smith streaking down the court for the fastbreak score. The bucket marked the start of an 11-2 run the Tigers took into the break, leading 42-27.

Jayla Smith shoots a layup
Dec. 14, 2025; St. Louis, Missouri, USA; Missouri Tigers guard Jayla Smith (11) shoots a layup while contested by a Saint Louis Billikens player at Chaifetz Arena. | Sam Simon/MissouriOnSI

Missouri dominated in the opening minutes of the half. Schreacke, Grace Slaughter and Saniah Taylor each buried a triple to give the Tigers their largest lead of the day. However, the Billikens flipped the script, closing out the quarter on a 15-3 run.

The deficit proved too much for Saint Louis to overcome, and Missouri kept a safe distance through the fourth quarter. Shannon Dowell sealed the game at the free throw line, sinking 5-6 while scoring 7 in the final period. In the fourth quarter, the Tigers made 13 of 17 at the line to come away on top.

Shannon Dowell pushes past defenders to shoot the ball
Dec. 14, 2025; St. Louis, Missouri, USA; Missouri Tigers guard Shannon Dowell (1) shoots a layup against the Saint Louis Billikens at Chaifetz Arena. | Sam Simon/MissouriOnSI

Three Tigers finished atop the scoring column with Sotell, Slaughter and Dowell each scoring 16. Smith added another 13. Missouri managed to dish out 17 total assists. Dowell has made recent strides as a playmaker, posting a team-best 5 assists, followed by Smith with 4.

"The biggest message that I give our team is we're not good enough to just walk on the court and win," Harper said. "I wish we were, but we're not. We have to play. We have to be good. We have to play well to get wins. Hopefully something that we're learning as we go."

With limited reps remaining before conference play, Missouri still has a ways to go in cleaning up its nightly performances. The Tigers lost the rebound battle 47-38, allowing the Billikens to grab 20 offensive boards.

The sloppy play extended to the turnover column, with Missouri surrendering the ball 18 times. Alternatively, the Tigers forced 19 turnovers from Saint Louis. That includes three steals from Schreacke, Dowell and Smith. Missouri totaled 11 steals as a team — its highest total of the season. The Tigers' ability to force turnovers is a sign of the defensive aggression needed to compete in the Southeastern Conference.

"I'm sure they're [Missouri] not happy with their turnover numbers, as we are not happy with ours," Saint Louis Head Coach Rebecca Tillett. "There was a series where it was back-and-forth turnovers between both teams, and it was like, who's going to seize this moment and make a play and shift the tide?"

The Tigers seized their moment and are back in the win column after a heartbreaker at home against a talented Illinois squad snapped their five-game winning streak. Harper spoke about the sloppy play and how to navigate the hangover from an emotional game.

"The turnovers that we could have controlled, those are the ones that we've got to clean up and make simpler plays. [...] To be a really good team or to maximize your potential, you've got to cut those out," Harper said. "The games that we have great intensity and great emotion, he following game, we've seen a little bit of let down. We talked about it with our team, and we tried to stay motivated and keep them sharp."

Missouri has two non-conference games remaining before SEC play gets underway. The Tigers will host North Alabama at noon on Sunday, Dec. 21, before picking things up out of the holiday at 2 p.m. on Sunday, Dec. 28, against Kansas City.

SEC competition begins with the New Year, at 6:30 p.m. on Thursday, Jan. 1, when the Tigers face Texas at Mizzou Arena.

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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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