Tigers hopeful despite loss to Texas

Missouri played strong defensively.

By Greg Young

Published Feb. 26, 2009

Despite Misouri's 66-56 home loss against Texas, a loss that ended the team's two-game home winning streak, coaches and players found some positives in the performance.

Missouri started out the game on a warm shooting streak, and at one point led by 10 in the first half against Texas. However, Texas closed the half on a 21-5 run to take a six-point lead into the half. The Tigers were led with 18 points from senior guard Alyssa Hollins, who has emerged from a slump that plagued her at the start of Big 12 play.

One of the key shifts during the game was when Texas switched to its 2-3 zone, which keyed its first half. After the Tigers took a 19-9 lead off of a jumper by Hollins with 9:41 left in the half, the Tigers scored a total of five more points before the break.

Hollins said after the game she felt that the Tigers adjusted fairly well in the second half to the zone.

"They went into the 2-3 and we were stagnant for a little bit," Hollins said. "We were also having issues with offensive rebounds."

The Tigers were without the services of one of their leading scorers, junior forward Jessra Johnson, for a majority of the first half because of foul trouble. Despite this, Johnson was still able to finish with 16 points and 10 rebounds.

"When Johnson went out that really helped us, it made it a little easier on us," Texas coach Gail Goestenkors said. "They just didn't have as much firepower on the floor."

The leading scorer for Texas (20-7, 8-5 Big 12) was junior guard Brittainey Raven, who had a new career high with 31 points. The win for Texas ended a two game conference-losing streak, and put it in a three-team logjam for fourth in the Big 12.

Despite the 31-point game from Raven, coach Cindy Stein was pleased with the Tigers' defensive effort.

"Our kids battled," Stein said. "I wasn't pleased with some offensive possessions. I thought we battled defensively and battled on the boards."

The Tigers have a bit of a break in their Big 12 schedule as they face Colorado, who is 3-10 in the Big 12. The Tigers have yet to win a conference game on the road, and are 3-7 away from Mizzou Arena on the season.

"The main thing with us is that we stay focused on getting better," Stein said. "We are not that far from the top, it looks like that in the record, but when you look at the competitive nature of our teams, everything comes down to possessions."

Hollins agreed with Stein's assertion that the team is very close to making a run in the Big 12.

"We are right there," Hollins said. "We've got to start making plays, this league is too good to just be staying right there."