COLUMBIA - The Missouri women's basketball team survived a sustained second-half effort from Missouri State to win its season opener.
It also survived one of the worst second-half offensive performances in recent memory, including scoring just three points in the third quarter, with free throw shooting and defense to hold off the Bears 65-61 Tuesday night at Mizzou Arena.
The No. 16 Tigers shot 5-of-24 from the floor in the second half, and were 0-for-12 from the field in the third quarter. Missouri (2-0) did not make a jump shot in the second half until just under the halfway mark of the fourth quarter despite taking a double-digit lead into the halftime break because of a 29-point second quarter on 12-for-16 shooting from the floor.
"I think we self-inflicted a lot of the pain and suffering that we went through on that court tonight," Missouri coach Robin Pingeton said. "I felt like we didn't play sharp, we lost our discipline, we lost our focus at times. I don't think you have to over-analyze it, I think it is what it is, and it was a very ugly game for us."
Sophie Cunningham struggled early and sat for a large chunk of the second half, but she scored 10 of her 12 points in the fourth quarter playing with four fouls. Grace Berg (12) and Akira Levy (11) were also in double figures for Missouri, and Amber Smith and Hannah Schuchts added seven each.
"I need to bounce back quicker," Cunningham said. "I didn't do a good job for my teammates tonight and I'm disappointed in myself about that. But I think they really stepped up."
Levy was the team's offensive motor in the first half, shooting 5-of-6 from the floor and scoring all 11 of her points in the first half. She contributed three rebounds, three assists and two steals against one turnover. Berg was impressive in the second half, scoring six and shooting 4-for-4 at the foul line.
Missouri State hung around during the Tigers' dry spell with offensive rebounds and second-chance points, and after clawing back from a 15-point halftime deficit had an answer for all but the final burst from Missouri. Despite their struggles earlier in the half, the Tigers made five of their last nine shot attempts to close the game and were 12-for-16 at the foul line in the final quarter to keep the Bears just out of striking distance.
"We're going to have those nights," Pingeton said. "Proud of our kids for staying the course and finishing strong that fourth quarter."
Missouri State might have had the slight advantage in height, and though the Bears didn't use it much for scoring in the paint, they matched Missouri's rebounding efforts on the defensive glass and nearly doubled it on the offensive side, something Pingeton highlighted as significant room for improvement.
The Tigers also need to improve their 3-point shooting. No Missouri player made more than one in the game, despite 21 total attempts, and the team is shooting 25 percent from deep in its first two games.
Green Bay comes to Mizzou Arena at 6 p.m. Friday. The Phoenix started exhibition play with blowouts, and lost to Northwestern and No. 15 DePaul by a combined 11 points last week and will not play another game between last Friday's loss at DePaul and its game against Missouri.
The Phoenix are a perennial power in the Horizon League, have made the NCAA Tournament each of the last four seasons. They will be another strong test for the Tigers to start the season.