Sophie Cunningham drives around a Loyola-Marymount player (photo/Mizzou Athletics)

Sophie Cunningham drives around a Loyola-Marymount player (photo/Mizzou Athletics)

Mizzou women’s basketball is closing in on history after improving to 9-0 for just the second time ever, after their 80-48 win over Loyola Marymount.   The only other Mizzou team to begin 9-0 was the 1982-83 squad which finished the season 25-6 and ranked 14th nationally.

The Tigers took the drama out of this game early, scoring the game’s first 21 points and holding LMU off the board until there was just 3:07 left in the first quarter.  Columbia sisters Sophie and Lindsey Cunningham scored the first ten points.  Sophie led all scorers with 23 points, going 9-11 from the field and a perfect 3-3 beyond the arc. She also had five rebounds, tied a career-high with three assists and notched two assists.  It was the third time she’s gone for more than 20 in a game.

Mizzou heads to Boulder, Colorado, Saturday to face Colorado at 2:30 p.m. on the Pac-12 Network.  A win would give the Tigers their first ever 10-0 start.