COLUMBIA - Perfect endings are rare in life, and few go out on top.
After four consecutive years of 22-plus wins, the Missouri women's basketball team is on course for just its third 20-loss season in 46 seasons. The come-down hasn't been easy, but with two freshmen stars on the roster and three transfers looking to make an impact next season, the program will give its four seniors a deserving send-off for keeping the transition as smooth as possible.
The Tigers will honor Amber Smith, Jordan Roundtree, Jordan Chavis and redshirt senior Hannah Schuchts prior to today's game against Mississippi at Mizzou Arena. The game, which is also the pink-out cancer awareness game, will be televised on SEC Network, with pregame honors starting at 4:40 p.m. and tip-off set for 5 p.m.
This group of players actively contributed to the best four-year stretch in program history, but will likely see their final season end in the Southeastern Conference Tournament, unless Missouri pulls off a streak of upsets to win the SEC Tournament for the first time in program history.
"It's a special group of seniors," Pingeton said Friday. "They all bring their own characteristic traits, but just a special group. I feel like they've been here for a long time, and at the same time it seems like only yesterday.
"I always really struggle on Senior Day, and this time of the year I know how much time and energy and emotion they invest into this program. And it goes way beyond a couple-hour practice six days a week and games, it's what happens in that locker room, it's their investment in this community and this university."
Missouri (7-19, 4-9 SEC) is a game back of the eighth seed in the conference standings. The Rebels (7-19, 0-13 SEC) are locked into one of the bottom four seeds that play against each other on the tournament's first day.
"Resiliency," Smith said when asked what the legacy of this class would be. "I'd say adversity, and being able to be resilient."
Smith is currently sixth among active SEC players in career points (1,246), fifth in career rebounds (660) and tied for 10th in blocked shots (75), with Schuchts ahead of her in third place, with 133. Schuchts is 10th in program history in blocks, one ahead of Cierra Porter.
A double-digit scoring effort in today's game would move Smith into 20th place on Missouri's all-time scoring list, surpassing Jessra Johnson's 1,255. She and Schuchts are both within striking distance of the career 3-point percentage leaderboard among players with at least 60 attempts: Smith is at 35.9 percent and Schuchts is at 35 percent.
Jordan Chavis is currently in 10th place on the list, shooting 36.8 percent to surpass Julie Helm's 36.5 percent mark, thanks to one of the best 3-point shooting seasons in program history. She entered this season shooting 96-of-285 on her career, or 33.6 percent, and is 45-of-98 (45.9 percent) this season, which is close to Lindsey Cunningham's mark of 47.3 percent set in the 2015-16 season.
Chavis sat out last Sunday's game against Florida due to concussion symptoms, but suited up against Vanderbilt and had 10 points and five assists. She said Friday her injury at LSU came from being hit in the back of the head by a ball after two balls colliding during warmups, and her headache worsened throughout the game.
Smith jokingly told Chavis she "didn't have a choice" to miss more than one game, and Chavis said she was happy to be back, particularly for Senior Night.
"I'm not much of a crier, but if I do cry then you know it hit me hard," she said. "It's going to be tough. But hopefully we get the win, that would be a big win for us, so I can't wait."