COLUMBIA, MO. • After a few days of headlines that had little to do with basketball, the Missouri women’s team returned to the court Thursday hoping to make history. Robin Pingeton’s No. 15 Tigers, engulfed in controversy since Sunday’s loss at South Carolina, had never beaten a team ranked as high as No. 2 Mississippi State, but the Tigers couldn’t put the finishing touches on an upset at Mizzou Arena, falling to the undefeated Bulldogs 57-53.
Sophie Cunningham’s 3-pointer with nine seconds left evened the score and ignited the crowd of 5,095, but Mississippi State’s Victoria Vivians knocked down what proved to be the game-winner, a short jumper with 2.