Mizzou Women's Basketball Splits Two Close Games in Daytona Beach Classic
The final 60 seconds of play is what ultimately decided both games for Missouri women's basketball at the Daytona Beach Classic. On Friday against Tennessee Tech, two free-throws from Hannah Linthacum with one minute remaining was enough to seal a 66-65 win for the Tigers.
Against Kent State on Saturday, however, a layup and two free-throws for Kent State in the final 15 seconds closed off the Tigers' chances for victory. Missouri sits at 5-2 on the 2023 season following the tournament.
Friday's game against Tennessee Tech was a tight race for all 40 minutes. There was only a 1-point gap between both teams at the conclusion of each quarter. Missouri trailed 65-61 in the final two minutes until guard Abby Feit landed a three-point shot with 1:27 remaining. Hannah Linthacum's two successful shots from the charity stripe were the final points in the 66-65 win.
In the win, Freshman guard Grace Slaughter and Senior guard Mama Dembele both had season-best performances. Slaughter did not miss a single field-goal, scoring 18 points, the fifth double-digit scoring performance of her young career. Dembele recorded a season-high of 16 points, while also adding five assists and two steals.
On Saturday against Kent State, Missouri had to claw back from a slow, turnover-filled start that put the Tigers at a 21-7 deficit after the first nine minutes of play. Near the end of the first quarter, graduate forward Hayley Frank led the charge for Missouri to put together a needed 24-11 run through the second quarter. Frank scored a career-high of 30 points in the loss while also grabbing eight total rebounds.
At the end of the first half, Missouri only trailed 32-31. Missouri was able to take over the lead late in the fourth quarter, holding a 64-63 lead with just 19 seconds remaining after Frank had scored on four consecutive free-throw attempts. A layup from Kent State's Corynne Hauser followed by two free-throw makes from Katie Shumate brought in a 67-64 win for Kent State.
The Tigers will continue their season this Thursday at 4 p.m. when they travel to play Virginia in the inaugural SEC-ACC challenge.
