Mizzou’s Maddie Stock fights for a loose ball during the SEC Tournament (photo/courtesy SEC Conference)
Missouri had the ball with a final chance to perhaps tie the game on its last possession, but Mississippi State’s Jerica James came up with a steal in the closing seconds to seal a victory for the 13th-seeded Bulldogs, as they top Missouri 73-70 on the opening day of the 2014 Southeastern Conference Women’s Basketball Tournament in Duluth, GA.
Bri Kulas scored a game-high 18 points and had a game-high 11 rebounds for Missouri, which dropped to 17-13 with the loss. The Tigers made 11 three-pointers in the game, shooting 47.8 percent (11-of-23) from beyond the arc.
“I am so proud of them. It starts with Bri Kulas. She’s been a great leader for us all season long,” said head coach Robin Pingeton. “With our team and the culture that we’ve worked hard to create, we have a group of young ladies that’s committed to the front of their jersey, their approach day in, day out. They have a second-to-none work ethic.”
Sierra Michaelis added 16 points for the Tigers and Morgan Eye scored 10, but was just 1 for 6 from three-point range.