COLUMBIA, Mo. (Interstat) — The Missouri Tigers used a dominant second-half performance to pull away from the Southern Illinois Salukis for an 81-50 victory in a non-conference women’s basketball game Tuesday night at Mizzou Arena.

A crowd of 2,553 watched the Tigers improve to 4-1 on the young season, while the Salukis fell to 1-2.

The game was competitive through the first 20 minutes, with Missouri taking a 38-28 lead into halftime. The Tigers opened the game on a 7-0 run, capped by a Shannon Dowell 3-pointer, and never trailed. Southern Illinois, however, stayed within striking distance for much of the first half, closing the first quarter down 22-18 and battling to keep the deficit at 10 points at the break.

Any hope of a Saluki comeback was extinguished in the third quarter as Missouri tightened its defense and expanded its offensive execution. The Tigers outscored Southern Illinois 19-14 in the period, and then put the game completely out of reach with a 24-point explosion in the fourth quarter while holding the Salukis to just eight points.

Missouri’s offense was fueled by a spectacular performance from Shannon Dowell. The sophomore guard from O’Fallon, Illinois, poured in a game-high 30 points in just 22 minutes of action. Dowell was efficient from all over the floor, connecting on multiple 3-pointers and consistently drawing fouls, converting her opportunities at the free-throw line.

She was not alone in her efforts. Jordana Reisma, a 6-foot-3 forward from Brown Deer, Wisconsin, provided a strong interior presence, scoring 12 points and anchoring the defense. Jayla Smith added 11 points, and Grain Valley, Missouri, native Grace Slaughter chipped in 10 points and dished out three assists, facilitating the Tigers’ ball movement.

The Salukis struggled to find consistent offense against Missouri’s defensive pressure. Southern Illinois shot 50 percent from the floor but managed only 26 possessions in the game, resulting in an offensive rating of 104.2. They were hampered by 8 turnovers and managed just 2 assists as a team, indicating a difficulty in creating open looks within their offensive sets.

Karris Allen, a guard from Sikeston, Missouri, led Southern Illinois with 10 points. Teammates Kayla Cooper and Indya Green also contributed, with Cooper scoring 10 points and Green adding 7. The Salukis’ offense stalled in the final quarter, managing only three made field goals as Missouri continued to extend its lead.

The Tigers’ depth was on full display, with nine different players scoring. Chloe Sotell came off the bench to score 8 points, while Ma’Riya Vincent contributed 2 points, 3 assists and stout defense.

Missouri controlled the game’s tempo from the opening tip and its defensive intensity never waned, forcing Southern Illinois into difficult shots and live-ball turnovers that often led to transition opportunities. The Salukis managed only two steals for the entire game.

The victory gives Missouri momentum heading into a busy stretch of its schedule. The Tigers will host Troy on Thursday before traveling to Kissimmee, Florida, for a neutral-site game against Washington State on Sunday.

Southern Illinois will look to regroup when it returns home to host Austin Peay on Sunday. The Salukis then embark on a two-game trip to Nashville, Tennessee, facing Winthrop and Arkansas.