Mizzou

Mizzou Women’s Basketball dropped its SEC Tournament opener, 62-48, to Texas A&M. The 23rd ranked Tigers fall to 21-10 overall this season as the loss snaps a five-game winning streak.

After a hot first quarter, the Tigers’ offense went cold over the final 30 minutes of action as Mizzou scored fewer than 50 points for just the second time this season. Senior guard Sierra Michaelis (Mercer, Mo.) led Mizzou with 15 points behind a trio of three-pointers. It marked the 18th time that Michaelis has scored in double figures this season. The Tigers fell to 13-5 in those contests.

Sophomore guard Sophie Cunningham (Columbia, Mo.) contributed 13 points on 5-of-10 shooting. Sophomore forward Cierra Porter (Columbia, Mo.) added nine points and five rebounds.

Mizzou took a season-low two free attempts in the loss. The Tigers have taken less than 10 free throws six times in 31 games during the 2016-17 campaign.

Mizzou grabbed a fast 9-0 lead out of the gate, scorching the nets from beyond the arc. The Tigers hit three consecutive triples to force an Aggie timeout. Mizzou held Texas A&M without a field goal over the first 3:15 of game clock. After Michaelis hit back-to-back three-pointers, Mizzou held a 19-10 lead through 10 minutes of action. The Tigers shot 5-of-7 from three-point range in the opening quarter.

Texas A&M chipped away at Mizzou’s lead in the second frame but timely buckets from Porter and freshman Amber Smith (Shreveport, La.) allowed the Tigers to maintain a 27-24 lead at halftime. Smith finished with six points, three rebounds and two assists.

The Aggies surged in front with a run in the third quarter. After building an eight-point lead, Texas A&M finished off a victory with a strong second half. The Aggies shot 54.5 percent in the second half to secure a double-digit advantage and prevent a Mizzou comeback.