NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Mizzou Women’s Basketball (12-7, 2-3) picked up its first conference road win with a gritty 74-68 victory over Vanderbilt on Sunday afternoon at Memorial Gymnasium. Senior guard Sierra Michaelis (Mercer, Mo.) led four Tigers in double figures with 19 points. Michaelis has now reached double figures 12 times this season and Mizzou is 9-3 in those contests.
Mizzou’s win over the Commodores marked the first time in program history that the Tigers have won back-to-back road games against Vanderbilt. Mizzou sunk a season-high 13 three-pointers to push past the Commodores. The Tigers have made 25 triples over the last two games.
Freshman Jordan Chavis (Lexington, N.C.) led the three-point barrage, shooting a perfect 4-of-4 from beyond the arc. She finished with 12 crucial points and two assists in 26 strong minutes. Freshman Amber Smith (Shreveport, La.) posted 12 points of her own behind a career-high three triples and added four rebounds.
Sophomore Cierra Porter (Columbia, Mo.) scored in double digits for the 17th time in 19 games this season as she finished with 16 points. Porter’s free throws in the final minutes helped seal the win.
The first half was a back-and-forth, physical battle. Porter’s nine first-half points paced Mizzou. Vanderbilt took a 29-27 lead into the break after a layup that just beat the buzzer.
The two teams continued to trade buckets to begin the third frame. With Mizzou trailing 39-36, Chavis checked in and exploded offensively from long range. She nailed three 3-pointers in third quarter alone to give the Tigers a slight edge. Chavis ended the third quarter with a steal and an assist in transition as Mizzou led 51-48 through three quarters.
The Tigers built a 61-56 lead with 4:24 remaining, but Vanderbilt battled back with an 8-0 run to seize a 64-61 advantage. Mizzou responded though, as Michaelis and Smith helped the Tigers regain momentum. After a Michaelis steal and layup, Smith sunk a key trifecta on the next possession to catapult Mizzou in front, 66-64, with 1:17 left.
The Tigers got a defensive stop and then converted eight consecutive free throws in the final minute to seal a big road win. Mizzou is now shooting 78.7 percent from the line this season, which leads the SEC.
Mizzou returns home to face Texas A&M on Thursday at Mizzou Arena. The matchup, which tips off at 8 p.m.
— Mizzou Athletics —
