Mizzou women’s basketball locks down Texas A&M for SEC win

Grace Slaughter hit a jumper with 6:13 remaining in the first to give Mizzou a 5-4 lead. The Tigers took control, leading the final 33:47 and defeating Texas A&M 75-62. It all started by winning the first quarter 21-9.

This was an outstanding game for the Mizzou defense, scoring only 40 points through three quarters. The Aggies shot 34% from the field and 20% from three as the Tigers kept them in check. Texas A&M turned the ball over 17 times, which Mizzou managed to turn into 19 points of its own. Both SEC wins for the Tigers have come when they held their opponents to 69.5 points per game. By contrast in losses that number jumps to 84.5.

The offensive depth showed up for Mizzou with five players in double-digit points. Slaughter led the way per usual with 24 points, shooting 6-11 from the field and 11-15 on free throws. It was a massive game for Jayla Smith, scoring 15 points on 5-11 on field goals and 4-4 on free throws off the bench.

“I just think my teammates created for me well,” Smith said. “With my drives and also my shots…just going [up] off of two feet [and] being strong.”

Sharpshooters Abbey Schreacke and Chloe Sotell combined for 21 points while making a pair of threes each. Jordana Reisma was the final Tiger in double-digits with 10 thanks to a perfect 3-3 on field goals, 1-1 on threes and 3-5 on free throws. The senior did see limited action, fouling out in the fourth quarter after only playing 11 minutes.

One problem the Tigers continue to hash out is turnovers. Mizzou finished the game with 20, turning into 16 points for the Aggies. However, it didn’t end up playing an outcome in this matchup as the Tigers defense did their part to even out the impact of those turnovers.

Here is a play-by-play of how this win played out:

The Tigers held the advantage from the jump, leading 21-9 after the first quarter. Mizzou took control after a slow start with a 19-5 run in the final seven minutes of the frame. The team found success at all three levels, finishing the quarter with splits of 55/60/75. Seven different Tigers scored in the quarter, but Schreacke was the standout with six points on a pair of threes.

Mizzou continued that hot streak with a 9-4 run to open the quarter, leading by 17 points at the media timeout. The Tigers did most of their damage at the free throw line, with seven of those nine points coming at the stripe. The team finished the first half 14-17 at the line compared to 4-8 for Texas A&M. Slaughter was a big part of that attack, scoring nine points in the half on 5-6 from the FT line. The Aggies finished the half strong with a 7-0 run, cutting the Tiger lead back to 10.

The Tigers built the lead to 59-40 through three quarters, thanks in large part to starting the quarter on a 13-4 run. While the Aggies attempted to cut down the lead at the free throw line, a Sotell three at the buzzer put an exclamation point on the frame. This quarter was all done on the offensive end for Mizzou, scoring 24 points while shooting 10-16 from the field. Reisma and Smith came alive with seven points each in the quarter.

Texas A&M made a late push, scoring 30 points in the fourth quarter and cutting the final score down to just 11 points. But Mizzou kept them at bay with 22 points of their own, shooting 13-17 at the FT line. Slaughter scored another 10 points in the fourth for her third straight game of 20-plus points. Overall she has scored 20 or more 11 times this year.

This was a massive win the Tigers needed to snap a two-game losing streak as they try to distance themselves from the basement of the SEC. After a bye Mizzou returns to action against Mississippi State at 2 p.m. on Sunday in Starkville. The game will be available to watch on SEC Network+ through the ESPN app.