Sophomore Amber Smith had a career-high 23 points, grabbed five rebounds, and added four assists on Thursday night, leading the Missouri Tigers to a 73-59 win over Kansas State, in the first meeting between the rivals since MU left for the Southeastern Conference in 2012.
The Tigers, who went to their scoring depth much more so than any other game this season, had a dominating 41-22 halftime lead, despite leading scorer Sophie Cunningham missing her first five shots from the field, and Jordan Frericks scoring just four points in the opening 20 minutes.
Kansas State ended the third quarter on a 10-0 run, which brought it within 13. Then, the Wildcats came within eight with 8:20 left. A late-game surge, ignited on a Smith three-pointer with 6:55 left in the fourth quarter, clinched the game for the Tigers. The Tiger women host New Orleans in the next game on the slate, Saturday afternoon at 2 o’clock.
