TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — Sophomore guard Sophie Cunningham and senior guard Sierra Michaelis combined for 42 points Sunday to lead the No. 24 Missouri women’s basketball team to a 65-56 victory against Alabama in the regular-season finale at Coleman Coliseum.
Michaelis had a game-high 22 points (four 3-pointers) and had 10 in the fourth quarter to help Missouri (21-9, 11-5 Southeastern Conference) wrap up the No. 3 seed for the SEC tournament, which begins later this week in Greenville, South Carolina. Missouri will earn a double bye until Friday.
Junior Quanetria Bolton and freshman Jordan Lewis had 13 points and 12 points, respectively, for Alabama (17-12, 5-11), which finished 12th. Alabama will take on No. 13 seed Vanderbilt at 10 a.m. Wednesday in the opening round of the SEC tournament.
“I thought our kids today really competed,” Alabama coach Kristy Curry said. “We just came up short.”
Lewis scored eight points in a stretch of the third quarter that helped Alabama build a 10-point lead, but Missouri scored eight-straight points to end the third quarter to cut the deficit to 44-42 entering the fourth quarter.
The Tigers continued their run in the fourth, scoring five unanswered to take a 47-44 lead at the 8-minute, 50-second mark. Missouri pushed its lead to seven with 3:54 to play, but Alabama cut it to two. Michaelis then scored five-straight points followed by two free throws by Cunningham to seal the deal.
Missouri reached 11 conference victories for the first time since 1989-90. The Tigers have won 10 of their past 12 games and five-straight games. Missouri has two winning streaks of at least five games in conference play for the first time in program history.
Cunningham had 20 points, including 15 in the second half. She has reached 20 points in four consecutive games to close the regular season, averaging 26.5 points per game in that span.
Sophomore Cierra Porter and redshirt senior Lindsey Cunningham combined to post 17 points and 13 rebounds. Michaelis added eight rebounds for the second-straight game as Missouri outrebounded Alabama, 42-29. The Tigers have beaten their opponents on the glass 22 times in 30 games this
season.
Bolton had a team-high six rebounds, while freshman Ashley Knight had four blocked shots to tie Yolanda Watkins for the most blocks in a season at Alabama with 68. Watkins record has stood for 23 years as she accomplished the feat during the 1993-94 campaign.
“This is a great honor for her (Ashley Knight),” Curry said. “It’s given us a different dimension inside, to be able to overplay on the perimeter and be able to pressure more because we know we’ve got great help waiting there that can really change things at the rim. I know we will all be excited when she can get that one more block.”
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