The Mizzou women’s basketball team fell to 12-5 on the season and 1-3 in SEC play after losing to No. 6 Kentucky, 69-43, on Sunday afternoon (Jan. 13) at Mizzou Arena. The loss snapped an 11-game home winning streak for the Tigers, which was their best home start since 2005-06. Sydney Crafton (Jefferson City, Mo.) led Mizzou with 11 points on 4-of-7 shooting on the day.
Aside from Crafton, junior Bri Kulas (Shawnee Mission, Kan.) gave Mizzou a lift, scoring nine points in the loss, while center Liz Smith (Overland Park, Kan.) added eight more points. In fact, Kulas, Smith and Crafton were a big reason why, that despite a glaring height differential, Mizzou tied UK in the paint points, 24-24, on Sunday. The Tigers played good team basketball again on Sunday, assisting on 12 of 18 field goals, led by seven dimes from freshman point guard Lianna Doty (St. Louis, Mo.), just one off of her career-high.
UK had three players score in double-figures on Sunday, led by 17 from DeNesha Stallworth. A’Dia Mathies added 14 points and point guard Jennifer O’Neill added 11 more. Mizzou held UK to just 38.8-percent shooting in the loss, but UK hit all 12 of its free throws and out-rebounded the Tigers, 40-37. The UK bench also outscored the Tiger bench, 16-6, and the Wildcats had 16 second-chance points while the Tigers had just five.
