Sports    News    Search    Classifieds



Tigers face another tough test vs. Texas

  • Missouri opens the home conference season against the No. 12 Longhorns.
By JOSE ALFREDO FLORES, Missourian staff
January 5, 2001 The Big 12 Conference is home to some of the toughest women’s basketball programs in the country and Missouri opens the year against two of them. After losing at No. 13 Texas Tech on Wednesday 84-62, the Tigers will face No. 12 Texas in their home conference opener Saturday at 1 p.m.

JOE DON BUCKNER/Associated Press
Amanda Lassiter and the Missouri women's basketball team hope to rebound from a Big 12 Conference opening loss when they take on Texas on Saturday at the Hearnes Center.
The Longhorns have owned Missouri (9-3, 0-1 Big 12) in past, winning all seven games, but Coach Cindy Stein has been waiting for the challenge.

“We’ve been anxiously waiting for the conference season,” said Stein, in her third year as Missouri coach. “You know you’re going to go up against some of the best teams in the country. This is obviously what we want. We feel our team is ready to do that. We need to get experience in these big games and hopefully reach some of our goals.”

Team goals include being competitive in the conference and earning a NCAA Tournament berth after making the WNIT last season (18-12, 7-9 Big 12).

The team has senior forwards Marlena Williams (11.6 points per game, 2.3 rebounds) and Amanda Lassiter (20, 7.4, 28 blocks) returning to lead the Tiger in the frontcourt. Stein says that while these two will serve as leaders on the court, she wants other players to play key roles.

The Tigers have four freshmen and three sophomores on then team.

“The younger players are getting better,” Stein said. “They are learning the group concept and are playing solid at backup. If we want to be competitive in this conference we need good bench production. If there’s any breakdown, people can take advantage. Everybody needs to do their job.”

Texas (13-2, 1-0 Big 12) is coming off an impressive conference opening victory at home against Texas A&M on Wednesday led by freshman forward Stacy Stephen’s third double-double of the year (10 points, 12 rebounds). Stephen is averaging 10.9 points, 8.6 rebounds, and senior guard JoRuth Woods is averaging a team-high 11.5 points and 5.9 rebounds.

Going to the game
Who: Missouri vs. Texas
What: College women's basketball
When: Saturday 1 p.m.
Where: Hearnes Center
Radio: KFRU/AM-1400.
“Texas is a really good ball club,” said Lassiter, the Big 12 Newcomer of the Year. “They are extremely well coached and are very athletic. We have to have to come at them with the intensity that defines Missouri basketball.”

Missouri basketball is “attacking with patience,” said Lassiter. “We don’t want to rush our shots. We want to be intense on defense and offense.”

Comments? E-mail News or Sports

Back to top     News    Sports    Search    Classifieds