Mizzou Women's Basketball Hosts Florida for Senior Day

Sunday, February 21

Columbia, Mo.

1:00 P.M. CT

University of Missouri

Florida

Mizzou Women's Basketball Hosts Florida for Senior Day

2/20/2021 4:54:00 PM | Women's Basketball

Mizzou and Florida to tip at 1 p.m. CT on SEC Network

MIZZOU vs. FLORIDA
OPPONENT	LOCATION	DAY	TIME (CT)	TV	LISTEN	STATS	GAME NOTES
Florida	Columbia, Mo.	Sunday, Feb. 21	1 p.m. CT	SEC Network	KTGR	Stats	Notes

THE MATCHUP

Mizzou Women's Basketball hosts the Florida Gators for its penultimate home game of the 2020-21 season on Sunday, Feb. 21. Tipoff from Mizzou Arena is scheduled for 1 p.m. CT on SEC Network with Eric Frede and Christy Thomaskutty on the call. The game will serve as Mizzou's Senior Day, as the team will honor Shug Dickson and Shannon Dufficy before the game. In Mizzou's last time out, the Tigers held even with the No. 24/25 Georgia Lady Bulldogs after two quarters, 35-35, before eventually falluing, 82-64. Five of Mizzou's last seven losses dating back to Jan. 3 have coming by an average of four points, including four setbacks to ranked teams, as the Tigers are ever so close to getting over the hump and recording a signature win for the 2020-21 campaign. Florida has lost four of their last five games, with their last win coming on Feb. 11, a 73-66, overtime road win over LSU.

THE SERIES

Sunday's matchup will be the second of the season and the 12th all-time meeting between the two programs, as Mizzou holds an 9-2 advantage in the all-time series. On Jan. 29, Mizzou earned a close, 61-58, victory over the Gators, a win that was the 186th at Mizzou for head coach Robin Pingeton, propelling her to second all-time at Mizzou. The Tigers are 4-1 all-time against the Gators in Columbia, but lost the Gators most recent trip to CoMo, a 75-67 setback on Feb. 16, 2020.

HIGH-POWERED OFFENSE

Mizzou's high-powered offense has steered the way for the Tigers in 2020-21, as Mizzou leads the SEC and ranks third in the NCAA in field goal percentage at 48.8 percent (443-of-907). Mizzou has shot 50 percent or better from the field in eight of 16 games this season and 60 percent or better in two contests. More on Mizzou's hot shooting later. Mizzou's scoring has been a balanced attack as well, as three players are currently averaging double figures: redshirt junior forward LaDazhia Williams (14.5 ppg), sophomore guard Aijha Blackwell (13.5 ppg) and sophomore forward Hayley Frank (12.3 ppg).

DOUBLE-DOUBLE MACHINE

Always an elite scorer, sophomore guard Aijha Blackwell has elevated her rebounding production this season.
Blackwell currently ranks third in the SEC and 20th in the NCAA at 11.1 rebounds per game. Blackwell has produced 10 or more rebounds 11 times this season, including six consecutive games between Jan. 18 and Feb. 7. Over Mizzou's last seven games, Blackwell has recorded 94 rebounds (13.4 rpg), posting 11, 16, 16, 19, 12, 10 and 10 respectively. She is the first Tiger since at least 2002-03 to record 15 or more rebounds in consecutive games, let alone three straight. Her 19-board performance at Kentucky (Jan. 31) was the most since Jessra Johnson had 19 on Nov. 15, 2007. Her 11.1 rebounds per game would be the best mark-ever by a Mizzou sophomore and would rank second overall on the single-season list.
Blackwell has scored in double figures in 14 of 15 games played this season, giving her 10 double-doubles, the most by a Tiger in a single season since Cierra Porter had 12 in the 2016-17 season. Her six consecutive double-doubles from Jan. 18 to Feb. 7 was the longest streak in her career as she became the first Tiger to reach that mark since Christelle N'Garsanet had six straight in the 2005-06 season.

BALANCED SCORING

Through 16 games this season, Mizzou has had a balanced attack leading the way in scoring, as three are currently averaging double figures: redshirt junior forward LaDazhia Williams (14.5 ppg), sophomore guard Aijha Blackwell (13.5 ppg), and sophomore forward Hayley Frank (12.3 ppg) with redshirt senior guard Shug Dickson (9.6 ppg) nearby.
Consider the small sample size - 16 games - but the last Mizzou team to have four players average in double figures was the 2006-07 Mizzou Tigers.
Already this season, Mizzou has had five games where five players have scored in double figures, the most since the 2005-06 Tigers did so in seven contests, including four straight between Nov. 27 and Dec. 11, 2005.

DAY IN THE MIDDLE

A much needed presence in the middle of the paint, redshirt junior forward LaDazhia Williams has become a go-to offensive option in her first season in the Black & Gold. She has scored in double figures in 15 of Mizzou's 16 games, including a career-best mark of 23 points at Kentucky (Jan. 31). Williams recorded her first career 20-points game with a then-career best 20 points against Texas A&M (Jan. 24).
Williams has scored in double figures in 11 consecutive games dating back to Jan. 31, the longest streak of her career.
She has been highly efficient in her offensive output as well, as she is shooting 59.6 percent (93-of-156) thorough Mizzou's first 16 games. That mark ranks second in the SEC and ninth nationally. Williams will set the all-time single season program record if she finishes above 61.2 percent, a mark set by Kesha Bonds in 1995-96.

NOTES FROM LAST TIME OUT

As a team, Mizzou shot 43.3 percent from the field (29-of-67) against Georgia (Feb. 14), the 11th time this season the Tigers have shot at least 40 percent from the field.
The Tigers also sank 53.3 percent from the three-point line (8-of-15), its second-best mark of the season and the third time this season they have shot at least 50 percent from deep.
Redshirt junior forward LaDazhia Williams led Mizzou in scoring for the seventh time this season with 17 points on 7-of-13 shooting from the field. It marked the 15th time she has scored in double figures this season.
Sophomore forward Hayley Frank scored 14 points to record her 11th game this season in double figures. She drained three shots from beyond the three-point arc, the seventh time this season and the 19th time in her career she has made multiple three-pointers in a game.
Redshirt junior guard Haley Troup scored in double figures for the fifth time this season and the 12th time in her career with 14 points. She made two triples in the game, her fourth game this season with multiple three-pointers.
Redshirt senior guard Shug Dickson recorded a season-best eight rebounds in the game. Dickson also dished out four assists in the game, the 11th time this season she's dished out at least three assists.

HOT SHOOTING

All season, Mizzou has been able to shoot the ball at an extremely high level. Mizzou currently leads the SEC and ranks fourth nationally in field goal percentage at 48.8 percent (443-of-907).
Sophomore forward Hayley Frank has lit up the net so far this season, as her shooting percentages currently sit at 56.7 percent (68-of-120) from the field, 42.9 percent (24-of-56) from three and 85.7 percent (36-of-42) from the free throw line. Frank would rank near the NCAA's top in each category, but her makes per game fall below the minimum threshold.
Redshirt junior forward LaDazhia Williams has also helped lead the charge from the field this season, as she is shooting 59.6 percent (93-of-156) from the field, a mark which ranks second in the SEC, ninth nationally and would be the second-best mark in a single season in program history.
Mizzou has shot the lights out this season, recording field goal percentages of 50 percent or better in eight of its 16 games and 60 percent or better twice. Mizzou's eight games of 50 percent or better is its best since 2018-19 (six), while its two games of 60 percent or better ties the most in the Coach Pingeton era with the 2016-17 squad.
Against New Orleans (Dec. 16), the Tigers shot an incredible 63.2 percent (36-of-57) from the field, the 10th-best mark in program history and their best mark since a 65.9 percent (27-of-41) performance against Ole Miss on Jan. 3, 2019.
Mizzou shot above 60 percent again in its win against Southern Illinois (Dec. 20), shooting 61.2 percent (30-of-49).
Since the 1977-78 season (43 seasons), Mizzou has shot better than 60 percent from the field just 25 times, with six occurrences (24.0 percent) happening under head coach Robin Pingeton.