COLUMBIA, Mo. - Sophie Cunningham knew the question was coming.
She's been avoiding the thought. And she didn't really want to answer it when asked what the emotions for her would be like on her sister Lindsey Cunningham's Senior Night prior to No. 24 Missouri women's basketball's game at 7 p.m. today against Mississippi.
"I've been having to visualize what I'm going to do, I'm not trying to be emotional but I know it's going to be emotional," Sophie Cunningham said with a laugh. "But after I'm done being emotional I'm going to take care of business on the court."
Lindsey Cunningham has taken the same mindset. But the two are undecided on who might be more emotional today.
"I just tried to soak it all in and there were times when one of us is in a slump or up or down we just remind each other this is our last go around together, let's make the most of it and we're going to have to talk about it at senior night tomorrow just to keep our emotions in check," Lindsey Cunningham said. "Sophie talks a big game, but I think she's going to miss me."
Lianna Doty and Sierra Michaelis are the other two seniors being recognized. Doty and Cunningham, who are both redshirt seniors, arrived prior to head coach Robin Pingeton's third season leading Missouri's program. At that point the Tigers had six straight losing seasons.
There was no winning culture when they arrived - at least not compared to what it is now.
Attendance figures were in the hundreds, not like the 5,789 fans who watched Missouri (19-9, 9-5 SEC) upset No. 6 South Carolina 62-60. Players had to provide their own shoes. Practice jerseys were just hand-me-downs from the most recently graduated senior class.
Yet Pingeton sold to her recruits on the chance of building a program up from scratch. That approach sold Doty on playing at Missouri.
"Coach told me about this my freshman year that we were going to go through a lot of ups and downs because there was a lot of downs at that point, but it's going to build our bond that much stronger," Doty said. "It's just one of those things you don't develop except through time and through trials."
Missouri would get its first winning season under Pingeton during Doty and Cunningham's freshman season. The Tigers haven't had a losing season since then.
The five straight winning seasons for Missouri is the longest such streak since 1985-90. Last season Missouri won its first NCAA Tournament game since the 2000-01 season. This season the Tigers control their own destiny to finish fourth in the SEC - the highest finish ever since Missouri joined in 2012-13 - and get a double-bye in the SEC Tournament.
"I think it's been cool to be part of the different steps of building this program," Cunningham said. "I think senior night is going to be a really big deal (today). I'm going to try to keep it in but if I get something in my eye it probably was just a scratch or something."
Cunningham would go to camps at Mizzou Arena when she played for Rock Bridge High School. In her senior year she played on that court when the Bruins won the Missouri Class 5 State Championship.
Yet its not just the big games that stick out most to her.
"Really the games are the best part but there are so many times we're here in the summer, late night, early mornings and blood, sweat, tears that have been on that court," Cunningham said. "But I wouldn't trade it for anything, it's been awesome."
Michaelis had a bit of a different path to Mizzou Arena.
Coming from Mercer - a town of 318 people near the Missouri-Iowa border - the big-city-by-comparison atmosphere was a bit surprising for her. She remembers how different the atmosphere in Mizzou Arena was last Sunday compared to when she first arrived.
"The fan base is growing, I was recruited here to build a program and it's happening, and fast," Michaelis said. "Have you seen this place on game days? It's rocking."
All three agree their legacy as seniors is a group who helped build the foundation of a program on the upswing in the SEC. But not just in the win/loss column.
"We were part of the group that built the standards for our team on the wall in the locker room and are just part of our foundational piece to what this program's about," Doty said.
Pingeton admitted she's preparing herself for the emotions of Senior Night. She is a self-described emotional coach, but is also one who stays focused at the task in front of her. That means beating Mississippi (16-11, 5-9 SEC).
"I love them for far more than what they do on box scores, it's who they are as people," Pingeton said. "I don't think those emotions are going to be what we need facing a very good Ole Miss team so we're going to keep ourselves in check. I'm going to be a great role model for my players and I'm going to handle it the right way and we're going to stay focused and look forward to when the time comes really brag about our senior class and this season at our end of the season banquet.
"But we have to keep things in the proper perspective and keep them in their place right now."