Mizzou Remains Winless in the SEC After Loss to No. 7 Vanderbilt

Dowell returned to action and Schreacke scored a season high in the Tigers' third straight loss

Vanderbilt guard Mikayla Blakes (1) drives to the basket as Missouri guard Abbey Schreacke (23) reaches in during the second half of an NCAA college basketball game at Memorial Gymnasium Thursday, Jan. 8, 2026, in Nashville, Tenn. Vanderbilt won 99-68. | Mark Zaleski / The Tennessean / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Three games into its Southeastern Conference slate, Missouri (12-6, 0-3 in SEC) has faced three of the top seven-ranked teams in the nation. It has been a rocky return to the SEC for head coach Kellie Harper, who previously coached at Tennessee. The Tigers' latest test sent Harper back to her home state, matching up with Vanderbilt (16-0, 3-0), who thrashed Missouri for the 99-68 victory.

The Commodores remain among the last few undefeated teams in the country, while boasting one of the most dynamic offenses in the country. Vanderbilt is captained by the sophomore phenom, Makayla Blakes, who was named an All-American last year as a freshman. Blakes, the nation's second leading scorer at 24.9 points per game, led an all-around scoring effort to dismantle the Tigers. Five Commodores scored at least 15 points in the win.

Missouri returned its second leading scorer, Shannon Dowell, after missing four games with a lower-body injury. She was limited in playing time, also due in part to being in foul trouble. Dowell had a shaky night in her return to the floor, managing 8 points on 3-8 shooting across 22 minutes.

Despite the Tigers' tough outing as a collective, Abbey Schreacke strung together a season-best performance. Schreacke drilled five 3-pointers while totaling 19 points, which is the second-highest total of her collegiate career. She was responsible for half of Missouri's triples on the night. The team shot a combined 10-32 clip from beyond the arc, well below the season average of 38% on threes.

Missouri is currently in a spiral after opening conference play with a hard fought 17 point loss to No. 2 Texas. The Tigers followed up their failed upset bid with a disappointing 22-point road defeat at the hands of the now No. 6 Kentucky.

The Tigers fell apart late in the game, allowing Vanderbilt to run away with the win. Missouri trailed by just 4 points at the end of the opening quarter, where it shot 58% from the floor before the deficit grew to 11 by halftime. Entering the final frame, the Commodores looked to have the game in hand, leading by 15, but their lead doubled in size by the sound of the final buzzer.

Blakes led all scorers with 20 points, followed by Aubrey Galvan with 19. Sacha Washington matched three other Commodores with 15 points but led all players with 16 rebounds, helping Vanderbilt dominate the rebound battle 43-32. She grabbed 8 of her team's 18 offensive boards.

Grace Slaughter was the only other Tiger to score double figures alongside Schreacke. She posted a double-double with 12 points and a team-best 10 rebounds.

Missouri faces yet another challenge, hosting Alabama (16-1, 2-1), which has suffered its first loss of the season against No. 3 South Carolina in its Conference opener on Jan. 1. The Tigers and the Crimson Tide will square off at 6 p.m. on Monday at Mizzou Arena.