Missouri women overcome odds with win against Indiana
The Tigers traveled to Bloomington, Ind., on Sunday for their first road game of the season. Missouri stole a 76-71 victory against Indiana despite multiple factors working against them.
Before the game began, the cards seemed stacked against the Tigers.
First of all, the Hoosiers were an undefeated 3-0 coming into the match, including a win against the Memphis team, which gave Missouri its only loss. Also, the Tigers had not won their road opener the last three seasons, adding to the pressure.
Once the game began, more disadvantages began to pile up. In their first two games of the season as well as in their exhibition game, Missouri scored more than 40 points in the first half and went into the break with a commanding lead. But in this one, Indiana led 38-36 at halftime.
If the second half went anything like it did in their first two games, the Tigers would have been blown out. Against Northern Iowa and Memphis, Missouri’s field goal percentage plummeted in the second while their opponent’s shooting improved.
Fortunately for the Tigers, this trend didn’t make the road trip. They hung with the Hoosiers in the second half and the teams traded the lead all half. A late run and a clutch jumper by senior forward Marissa Scott opened the door for the win.
Missouri fought pre-game and in-game factors that all pointed to a loss. The “tale of two halfs” stigma so often mention by coach Cindy Stein was avoided in the victory.
The Tigers now head to Tallahassee, Fla., for the Seminole Classic this weekend. They will face Florida A&M on Friday before playing host to Florida State on Sunday.