Preview: Mississippi Visits Missouri in SEC Women’s Basketball Clash

COLUMBIA, Mo. (Interstat) — The No. 12-ranked Mississippi Rebels, looking to rebound from a lopsided loss, visit the Missouri Tigers in a Southeastern Conference women’s basketball matchup Thursday night at Mizzou Arena.

Mississippi (16-4, 3-2 SEC) enters after a 59-82 road loss at Georgia on Sunday, which snapped a two-game conference win streak. The Rebels had previously averaged 83.5 points in victories over Mississippi State and Oklahoma. Forward Christeen Iwuala is a key figure, coming off a 13-point, 10-rebound double-double against the Bulldogs. Over her last five games, she is averaging 9.8 points and 6.8 rebounds.

Missouri (13-8, 1-5) seeks to end a three-game skid within the league, most recently falling 71-89 at Florida. The Tigers have struggled defensively in SEC play, allowing an average of 81.2 points in their five conference losses. Their offense runs through guard Grace Slaughter, who is in prolific form. She scored a career-high 29 points against Florida and has averaged 19.6 points over her last seven contests.

The matchup pits Mississippi’s overall balance against Missouri’s high-scoring backcourt. The Rebels have shown resilience on the road this season, including a win at Oklahoma, and will rely on forwards Iwuala and Cotie McMahon, who had 11 rebounds and 5 assists against Georgia, to control the interior.

Missouri, meanwhile, will need another standout performance from Slaughter and support from guard Shannon Dowell (23 points vs. Florida) to challenge the ranked Rebels. The Tigers’ last SEC win was a 94-69 rout of Arkansas on Jan. 15.

Thursday’s game is the only scheduled meeting between the teams this season. Mississippi leads the all-time series 13-8, but Missouri won the last encounter in 2025.

Tip-off is set for 8 p.m. EST. Mississippi hosts Tennessee on Jan. 26. Missouri remains home to face Texas A&M on Jan. 25.