No. 25 Mizzou suffered its first loss of the season on Thursday night as No. 17 Washington prevailed, 79-66. Sophomore forward Cierra Porter led the Tigers with 16 points and has now scored in double figures in all three games to begin the 2016-17 campaign.
Sophomore guard Sophie Cunningham added 14 points and six assists for Mizzou. Redshirt freshman Hannah Schuchts set new career highs with 12 points and seven rebounds in 30 solid minutes off the bench.
Washington hit 15 three-pointers and shot 45.5 percent from beyond the arc to stave off Mizzou. The Huskies’ All-American point guard Kelsey Plum poured in a game-high 32 points behind a 10-of-23 effort from the floor.
Mizzou got off to a hot start on Thursday with a strong opening quarter. Redshirt senior Lindsey Cunningham drilled a contested three-pointer to cap an 8-2 Mizzou run that handed the Tigers a 16-13 advantage less than seven minutes into the game. Redshirt senior Lianna Doty ripped away a steal and finished a layup in transition to give Mizzou a 26-21 lead at the quarter break. Doty has a team-high 10 steals through three games this season.
Washington buried seven three-pointers in the second quarter to swing the momentum, but Mizzou kept pace with tough buckets. After the Huskies surged ahead 37-30, Lindsey Cunningham nailed a three-pointer and Sophie Cunningham knocked down a pair of free throws to slice the deficit to two. The two squads traded baskets down the stretch, but another Washington trey allowed the Huskies to take a 46-39 advantage into halftime.
Washington pushed ahead 62-47 in the third quarter and maintained its lead throughout the second half. Schuchts scored eight of her 12 points in the final 20 minutes, but Mizzou could not mount a late comeback.
Mizzou finishes the Preseason WNIT 2-1 and now turns to a home game next Tuesday as the Tigers host Indiana State. Tip off is set for 7 p.m. on SEC Network Plus.