Missouri forward Hannah Linthacum (34) celebrates a big three during the second half of a game against Truman State on Tuesday, Oct. 29, 2024, at Mizzou Arena. | (CAL TOBIAS/ROCK M NATION)
The home team controlled from start to finish, winning 112-62
Hey y’all, Mizzou women’s basketball is back! While this one won’t count in the record books, don’t tell the Tigers that, as they controlled this one from start to finish in a 112-62 exhibition drubbing of Truman State.
You can tell it’s still football season as the Tigers jumped out to an early 7-0 lead in the first 100 seconds of the game. All the points came from Grace Slaughter, showing off some improved dribbling skills plus another look at her silky-smooth shot. Slaughter led the team outright with 17 points on 6-12 shooting in 24 minutes.
“As a team we really emphasize just wanting to show what we’ve been working on this summer and this fall, and come together and just have fun on the court,” Slaughter said.
After one quarter Mizzou led 34-16, shooting the lights out of the building at 73.7%.
That lead only ballooned at the half with Mizzou cracking 60 points. Truman State was held to 34 points, as the Tigers played a high-risk-high-reward defensive press in the full court. The Bulldogs turned the ball over eight times leading directly to nine Tiger points. On the contrast, it led to several opportunities for Truman State to blow past double teams and find the open woman for easy buckets.
“I thought there were some stretches they really just felt our energy. We were relentless.” said head coach Robin Pingeton after the game. “There’s some possessions that they moved the ball way too easily compared to how we practice.”
(CAL TOBIAS/ROCK M NATION)
Missouri head coach Robin Pingeton shouts to players during the first half of a game against Truman State on Tuesday, Oct. 29, 2024, at Mizzou Arena.
It was a diverse scoring effort, with 12/13 participating members finding the bottom of the net (sorry, Abbey Schreacke), and six players in double-digits. Sophomores Hilke Feldrappe and Lucija Milkovic put up 10 each after some impressive performances in the fourth quarter including some nifty passes.
Overall, the Tigers only turned the ball over six times, making high-quality passes while using all five players on the court. This included no turnovers from newly appointed point guard Nyah Wilson. The New Mexico transfer led the offense in transition with her speed and ability to knife to the basket in a Mama Dembele-esque way. She finished the game with 11 points on 5-7 shooting, 4 assists and a steal.
“Just making sure I’m having fun with my teammates as well, knowing that they have my back and I have theirs, like that just takes a toll off my back,” Wilson said.
(CAL TOBIAS/ROCK M NATION)
Missouri guard Nyah Wilson (8) drives down the court during the first half of a game against Truman State on Tuesday, Oct. 29, 2024, at Mizzou Arena.
While this game answered many questions, it continued to throw another twist in the now Sherlock-level case of Mizzou’s starting center. Texas transfer Tionna Herron was nowhere to be found on Tuesday, as she was dealing with a family issue; she is expected to be back on campus on Thursday.
Hannah Linthacum saw the start on the night, playing 12 minutes and scoring 4 points on 2-2 shooting. The now-sophomore looked taller AND stronger, making her presence inside known against an undersized Bulldog team.
Angie Ngalakulondi saw the backup spot but that didn’t stop her from making her presence known on the court. She finished a perfect 6-6 with 13 points while controlling the glass with five rebounds in only 12 minutes!
The Tigers did a majority of the damage inside, outscoring the Bulldogs 68-16 in paint points while only making eight threes on the day. This size advantage and a willingness to go the rack will pose a huge advantage in more competitive matchups.
This matchup was never even close, with Missouri never trailing and leading in every conceivable category.
After this exhibition Mizzou ramps up for their opener on the road against Vermont at 5 p.m. on Monday, Nov. 4 and will be streaming live on ESPN+.
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