Missouri women's basketball struggling to contain strong opponents
Tuesday night’s game against Colorado proved to be one of the worst collapses of the season for the Missouri women’s basketball team. It lost 80-79 in overtime after leading by as many as 12 during the game. Although the Tigers came out strong, their intensity slowly dwindled as time ran down, and it appeared as though the team lost its confidence as the second half progressed.
The Tigers’ record now stands at 1-12 in conference play and 11-15 overall. That puts them last in the Big 12 just behind Colorado, who improved to 3-10 in conference play and 13-13 overall.
The Tigers could find no answer for Colorado junior forward Brittany Spears and senior guard Bianca Smith, who combined for 60 of the Buffalos’ 80 points. Spears led all scorers with 34 points, including a 3-pointer that tied the game with 30 seconds remaining in regulation and sent the game into overtime.
It seems that the Tigers’ recent woes have dealt with a situation featuring one player whom the team cannot contain. For example, during Missouri’s 65-39 loss to Iowa State on Feb. 7, the Tigers were unable to contain star senior guard Alison Lacey, who led all scorers with 18 points.
The Tigers can play good defense and have shown potential to shut down powerful offenses. However, that defense seems to slowly wear down as the game winds down, and one player from the opposing team takes advantage of the situation.
At this point in the season (with only three games remaining and the Big 12 tournament looming ahead) the team seems content to play halfheartedly throughout the game. The Tigers can only hope that the season draws to a close as soon as possible.