Game 1: Gophers Host Missouri State (11-5-19)

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Ignatius L Hoops

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A RETURN TO GLORY

It was a dream season for Missouri State. The Lady Bears advanced to their 4th NCAA sweet 16 (first since 2001) defeating DePaul and Iowa State in Ames. The success catapulted head coach Kellie Harper (whom Gopher fans remember leading her Western Carolina club into Williams Arena) from Springfield to Knoxville and into her long sought dream job leading the Lady Vols.

Initially, Missouri State’s season was a bit of a nightmare. The Lady Bears went 1-7 losing to some good teams; @ Wichita State, @ Missouri, @ Santa Clara, @ North Texas, South Dakota, @ Indiana and Gonzaga. Their lone victory was over Ball State. But then the transformation: Missouri State went 16-2 in the Missouri Valley Conference (including a win over Drake breaking the Bulldogs 47 game MVC winning streak) Later, proving it wasn’t a fluke they defeated Drake, MVC regular season champ, to take the MVC tourney title earning an 11 seed and their 15th NCAA tournament appearance.

In the NCAAs Missouri State out shot DePaul from behind the arc 11-20 to 10-35 on their way to a 94-79 victory. Next, the Lady Bears silenced an Ames Iowa crowd with a 69-60 victory over Iowa State. The season ended the following week when Missouri State lost a battle of scoring droughts to Stanford 46-55.

What’s changed this season? -the coaching staff. Everyone is gone. Harper and her husband relocated to Tennessee and Missouri State legend Jackie Stiles settled in Oklahoma. They’ve been replaced by coaches familiar to Gopher fans. Taking over the top job is former Michigan State associate head coach, Amaka “Mox” Agugua-Hamilton. And one of Coach Mox’s assistants is Michigan State’s all time scoring leader Tori Jankoska. Amaka Agugua-Hamilton says she likes to play up tempo and press; but given the personnel she may limit the press this season.

What hasn’t changed? While the Lady Bears’ leading scorer, Danielle Gitzen, graduated, four starters and 12 player total return from last year’s roster. This is an experienced team with only one freshman. And naturally they have a chip on their collective shoulders.

https://ozarksindependent.com/2019/10/18/lady-bears-disrespected-by-preseason-poll-and-predictions/

The Missouri State Lady Bears are coming into the season with a chip on their shoulder after what appeared to be disrespect from other coaches and media members in the preseason poll and all-conference team selections.

The Lady Bears were picked second behind Drake, who the Lady Bears beat twice last season, and not a single member of the team was selected to the preseason all-Conference team.

Coach Amaka Agugua-Hamilton, known as Coach Mox, told reporters at Missouri State Lady Bears Media Day that the slights were going to fuel the team.

“I think we were a little disrespected, to be honest,” Coach Mox said. “It just adds fuel to the fire. What we have a chip on our shoulder about is not having a single player on the all-conference team.”

“They worked really hard and gotten better,” Coach Mox added. “I guess they’ll just go out there and prove it.”

She added that the players are also being motivated by the slights.

The coach also talked about coming in as a new coach and how she’s bonded with the players and created a sense with them of what she’s expecting from then team.
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Maybe Coach Mox holds a grudge against the Gophers? I can’t think of one. She did win four games as an interim Michigan State head coach when Suzy Merchant had her medical issues in 2017.

Missouri State plays two exhibition games: the first on the 28th versus Lincoln and the second on November 1st versus South West Baptist. This will give us the chance to update player information before the date with the Gophers. And give us an idea about Coach Mox’s starters, etc. before they face Minnesota.


A Reminder:

Last season the Whalen era began with a prime time, heavily marketed, Friday night match up that was all but ushered through Williams Arena’s main entry on a red carpet. This season’s opener sneaks through a side door at 3:00 PM on Tuesday November 5th.


Missouri State Last Season:

Record: 25-10 (16-2 in MVC)
Offense: 72.8 points/game
Defense: 63.2 points/game
The Lady Bears hit .688 from the free throw line and .333 from behind the arc (4.7 threes per game).


Projected Starters: To be updated as we approach Game Day

G 6’2” Sr Alexa Willard 12.3 ppg
G 5’8” Jr Brice Calip 10.1 ppg
F 6’1” So Jasmine Franklin 9.2 ppg, 7.6 rebound/game AND she fouled out of 11 games!!!
F 6’2” Jr Abby Hipp 4.7 ppg

F 6’1” Sr Shameka Ealy started 10 games before suffering an ACL injury.

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Several tall three-point shooters will not be easy for the Gophers to defend.
 

Why a 3 pm start that is going difficult not only from work perspective, but commute and traffic on campus will be busy. That and finding parking will be issue. This is good team and opponent, what is reason for 3 pm, I doubt TV. If you want to take kids, or neices, nephews this start time is bad news for potential ticket sales. They need to try and get start time pushed back to five so more kids can make it.
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Gopher Men's Basketball have a game at 7 on the 5th, my guess is this is the latest the Women's game could be pushed back.
 

https://www.espn.com/womens-college...ings-2019-20-drake-south-dakota-rice-lead-way

The ESPN Mid-Major Preseason Rankings have Missouri State tied for 10th.
10. (tie) Missouri State (25-10, 16-2 Missouri Valley)
That's right. It's preseason, so the more, the merrier, with a tie for the final spot. Missouri State opened last season with seven losses in its first eight games. It lost only three of its next 27 games, the last of those defeats against Stanford in the second round of the NCAA tournament. Enough of that team returns, led by Brice Calip (10.1 PPG), Alexa Willard (12.3 PPG) and Jasmine Franklin (7.6 RPG), to expect that momentum will carry over. But in addition to leading scorer Danielle Gitzen graduating, Missouri State lost coach Kellie Harper to Tennessee. Shameka Ealy's return from a torn ACL should help new coach Amaka Agugua-Hamilton settle in.
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The ESPN Preseason Mid-Major Rankings:

1. Drake
2. South Dakota
3. Rice
4. Ohio
6. Boise State
7. Florida Gulf Coast
8. Princeton
9. Marist
10. South Dakota State
10. Missouri State
 
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bball_craz_26 said:
Missouri State blasts opponent in exhibition game 109-32. My guess is Gophers will have to hold them below 109 to win in one week.

https://missouristatebears.com/news...lincoln-in-exhibition-opener.aspx?path=wbball
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In last season’s exhibition game Missouri State defeated Lincoln University (Jefferson City, MO) 100-54. This season the Lady Bears weren’t so kind blowing out Lincoln 109-32. The Lady Bears scored led 21-0 five minutes into the game on their way to a 52-15 half-time lead. The starters were:

Jasmine Franklin: 16 minutes; 21 points
Alexa Willard: 16 minutes; 18 points
Emily Gantner: 13 minutes; 9 points
Mya Bhinhar 16 minutes; 6 points
Brice Calip: 17 minutes; 2 points

Missouri State’s up tempo offense was 12-22 from three and 5-13 from the foul line.


Half the fun of exhibition games is learning about the various schools. Lincoln University’s quick history from it's web site:
At the close of the Civil War, soldiers and officers of the 62nd United States Colored Infantry, stationed at Fort McIntosh, Texas, but composed primarily of Missourians, took steps to establish an educational institution in Jefferson City, Missouri, which they named Lincoln Institute. The following stipulations were set for the school:

1. The institution shall be designed for the special benefit of the freed African-Americans;
2. It shall be located in the state of Missouri;
3. Its fundamental idea shall be to combine study and labor.

Members of the 62nd Colored Infantry contributed $5,000; this was supplemented by approximately $1,400, given by the 65th Colored Infantry. On January 14, 1866, Lincoln Institute was formally established under an organization committee. By June of the same year, it incorporated and the committee became a Board of Trustees. Richard Baxter Foster, a former first lieutenant in the 62nd Infantry, was named first principal of Lincoln Institute. On September 17, 1866, the school opened its doors to the first class in an old frame building in Jefferson City.

In 1870, the school began to receive aid from the state of Missouri for teacher training. In 1871, Lincoln Institute moved to the present campus. College-level work was added to the curriculum in 1877, and passage of the Normal School Law permitted Lincoln graduates to teach for life in Missouri without further examination. Lincoln Institute formally became a state institution in 1879 with the deeding of the property to the state. Under the second Morrill Act of 1890, Lincoln became a land grant institution, and the following year industrial and agricultural courses were added to the curriculum.
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They have done a terrible job of promoting it, but people with tickets to the men's game later that night can show their ticket at will-call and get in to see this game. I was advised to arrive before halftime to be sure the ticket window was still open. I read about it under promotions and then asked for clarification at the men's exhibition game last night. They knew something about it, but no real details and it wasnt announced during last night's game. They suggested I call the ticket office, which I did this afternoon and they confirmed.
 

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https://missouristatebears.com/news...bears-top-sbu-92-49-in-exhibition-finale.aspx

Missouri State closed out its exhibition slate 2-0 with a 92-49 rout of Southwest Baptist University (Bolivar, MO). Missouri State went on a 17-0 run starting the game and led 24-4 at the end of one.
Sophomore Jasmine Franklin collected a double-double with 15 points and 13 rebounds, shooting 5-for-7 to finish the exhibition season 15-for-17 from the floor. Alexa Willard added 15 points and five assists, Brice Calip had 10 points and five helpers, and Abby Hipp grabbed 11 rebounds to go with nine points.
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Last night the Lady Bears were 7-19 from behind the arc and 17-29 from the line.

The Lady Bears starting lineup seems set. The Gopher will need to pay some attention to Jasmine Franklin. Last night:

6'2" G Sr Alexa Willard played 27 minutes with 15 points
6'1" F So. Jasmine Franklin played 21 minutes with 15 points
5'8" G Jr Brice Calip played 24 Minutes with 10 points
6'4" C Jr Emily Gartner played 19 minutes with 8 points
5'9" G So Mya Bhinhar played 21 minutes with 2 points

Other:
6'2" F Jr Abby Hipp played 19 minutes with 10 points
 


I forgot to add this note (it was a rather tedious game in Williams and Jankoska posted 20 points and 14 rebounds. Hubbard was out with a broken nose):

Head Coach Amaka Agugua-Hamilton makes her debut as the Lady Bears’ eighth head coach. Coach Mox is familiar with the Big Ten after spending the last six seasons at Michigan State, and actually owns a victory at Minnesota, winning 93-74 on Jan. 30, 2017, in an interim capacity with the Spartans. Additionally, Missouri State assistant and former Spartan Tori Jankoska recorded a triple-double against the
Gophers later that season, with 24 points, 10 boards and 10 assists on Feb. 16. Coach Mox is looking to become the third MSU coach to win her debut, alongside Reba Sims (1969) and Cheryl Burnett (1987)
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What was the reference to a closed, exhibition loss? anyone know to whom?
 


Anyone watching the game on BTN plus? I have no sound.
 

6 turnovers in 5 minutes. C'mon.. may be the first game, but we can't afford to give away this one to an unranked team.
 


Within the first 8 minutes, we have Pitts and four newbies. Bello's second foul within the first 90 seconds has them off their game plan. I like Sconiers, though.
 

ugly half for sure, 14 turnovers, pitts with 6 of them. Taiye needs to stay on the court or we're in trouble this year, just a completely different team with her.
 

Whalen is more intense on the sidelines than we became accustomed to last season.
 


Remember when the scoreboard showed player stats? Now, there's literally nowhere in the arena that displays them. Unless the TVs in the stands are supposed to (they're turned off).
 




More turnovers than rebounds. That stat can never, ever happen again. Coaching needs to teach Bello how to play without fouling and get Sconiers and Powell up to speed fast.

*** misread the box score - we had 2 more rebounds than turnovers. ***
 

Deep trouble in the post with T. Bello out, where are the rebounds going to come from? Starters looked discombobulated from the start, wonder if the should play open scrimmages before the season starts. Missouri State is going to be good no question, just disappointed that the Gophers came out so flat. Do like Powell and Scalia and Sconiers looked promising. Welcome back Gadiva, but need more from you.
 


Katogopher said:
Deep trouble in the post with T. Bello out, where are the rebounds going to come from? Starters looked discombobulated from the start, wonder if the should play open scrimmages before the season starts. Missouri State is going to be good no question, just disappointed that the Gophers came out so flat. Do like Powell and Scalia and Sconiers looked promising. Welcome back Gadiva, but need more from you.
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Backup bigs are a massive question mark, Kehinde and Tomancova havent really showed anything and did not look good today. Klarke is gonna have to step up big time. I'm not too worried about Diva, been along time since she played in a game gonna have to shake off the rust.
 

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