Despite a blazing start from beyond the arc, the Missouri women’s basketball team couldn’t keep pace with No. 2 Texas, falling 89-71 in their Southeastern Conference opener Thursday evening at Mizzou Arena.
Junior guard Grace Slaughter led the Tigers with 20 points, 15 of which came in the first half, shooting 6-of-13 from the field and hitting 3-of-4 from three-point range. Abbey Schreacke added 15 points, including three triples, while sophomore Chloe Sotell contributed 11 points, three 3-pointers and six rebounds.
Missouri came out of the gates firing, connecting on its first six shots, including four from long range, and raced to a 17-5 lead over the Longhorns in the first four minutes. Sotell scored five of those points, helping the Tigers take an early advantage.
Texas fought back late in the first quarter, shooting 40 percent from the field to take a 24-20 lead by the end of the period. The second quarter turned into a defensive battle, with both teams going nearly three minutes without a made field goal. The Longhorns eventually took their first lead of the night with under three minutes remaining in the half, sending Missouri into halftime trailing 41-38.
The Tigers stayed in striking distance in the second half, with Slaughter and Schreacke hitting key shots, but Texas pulled away in the third quarter with a 7-0 run to extend its lead to double digits. Missouri was able to trim the deficit to 10 points in the fourth quarter, but the Longhorns held on to secure the win.
As a team, Missouri shot 53.5 percent from the field and 63.2 percent from three-point range, but the Longhorns’ size and depth proved too much in the second half.
The loss drops Missouri to 12-4 overall and 0-1 in SEC play. Texas improves to 16-0 and 1-0 in conference action.
The Tigers will travel to face No. 12 Kentucky on Sunday, Jan. 4, at 11 a.m. at Memorial Coliseum. The game will be broadcast on SEC Network.
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