Junior guard Shannon Dowell led the Missouri Tigers women’s basketball team to an 81-50 win over Southern Illinois on Tuesday at Mizzou Arena. Dowell scored 30 points, shooting 8-of-11 from the field and making all ten of her free throw attempts. She also recorded four rebounds.
Senior forward Jordana Reisma contributed 12 points on efficient shooting, with five rebounds and two steals.
Dowell opened the game by hitting her first three-pointer of the season, helping Mizzou establish an early lead. In the first five minutes, she scored seven points to extend the Tigers’ advantage.
Mizzou was ahead by five midway through the opening quarter. Reisma’s layup began a 9-3 run that ended with a three-point play from redshirt-senior guard Jayla Smith, who completed a layup and made her free throw to push the lead to eleven.
Reisma scored eight points in the first period on perfect shooting as Mizzou finished the quarter up 22-18.
Dowell started strong again in the second quarter, hitting another three-pointer and scoring nine consecutive points for Mizzou. The Tigers maintained pressure at the rim throughout this period. Junior guard Lisa Thompson drove through traffic late in the half, while Smith added a driving layup before halftime, sending Mizzou into intermission leading Southern Illinois 38-28.
In the third quarter, Dowell hit two more three-pointers within three minutes for a career-high four makes from beyond the arc during one game. Junior guard Grace Slaughter also connected on a three-pointer to increase Mizzou’s lead to fifteen halfway through the third period.
Thompson added another basket late in the third and assisted Smith on a fast-break layup as time expired in that frame. The Tigers led 57-42 entering the fourth quarter.
Mizzou increased its lead early in the final period when sophomore guard Chloe Sotell made her first three-pointer of the night. Later, Slaughter saved possession by passing to freshman Ma’riya Vincent, who returned it for Slaughter’s basket under pressure.
Sotell then made another three-pointer to give Missouri its largest margin of twenty-six points during this contest. The Tigers closed out their victory with a decisive 10-1 run.
Missouri will next host Troy at Mizzou Arena on Thursday at 11:30 a.m., with coverage available via SEC Network+.
