COLUMBIA, Mo. (Interstat) — Tanyuel Welch had 18 points, 12 rebounds and six assists, and Missouri defeated Tennessee Tech 106-59 on Monday in a women’s NCAA Division I game at Mizzou Arena. Grace Slaughter added 25 points and six rebounds for Missouri, which improved to 3-0. Tennessee Tech fell to 1-2. A crowd of 5,194 attended. Welch, a 5-foot-10 guard from Anderson, Ind., who previously attended North Central High School, played 26 minutes and helped Missouri control the paint and the glass. The Tigers finished with 10 blocks and 14 offensive rebounds while shooting 44 of 78 from the floor.

Tennessee Tech stayed close early. Morgan Sieper’s 3-pointer tied the score at 5, and LaReesha Cawthorn’s layup made it 7-7. Evelyn Freeman’s layup gave the Golden Eagles a 9-7 edge, but Nevaeh Caffey answered with a jump shot, and Welch’s layup put Missouri ahead 11-9. The teams traded baskets from there. Amaya Redd made consecutive layups late in the first quarter, and Savannah Davis hit a jump shot as Tennessee Tech remained within striking distance. Missouri led 22-19 after the first quarter, then began to separate in the second.

Missouri created distance in the second quarter. Khloe Ford opened the period with a layup, and Slaughter made free throws as the Tigers pushed their lead. McKenzie Mathurin added a tip-in, Welch made a jump shot, and Slaughter converted a layup to make it 32-21. Tennessee Tech’s Davis hit a 3-pointer, but Missouri responded with Welch’s layup and Mathurin’s 3-point jump shot. Karson Martin made a 3 for the Golden Eagles, yet Slaughter connected on a hook shot and a 3-pointer before Caffey made two free throws. Missouri led 46-31 at halftime. Slaughter had a strong first half, and Welch’s all-around play helped Missouri pull away.

The third quarter was decisive. After Amelia Pfeiffer made a layup for Tennessee Tech, Missouri put together a run that turned the game into a rout. Ford made a tip-in, Slaughter made a layup, and Caffey made a 3-pointer. Then Abbey Schreacke hit three consecutive 3-pointers, Mathurin added another 3, and Natalya Hodge made a 3-pointer. Missouri closed the third quarter on a 15-1 burst and built a commanding lead entering the fourth. The stretch included Missouri’s outside shooting and its defensive pressure, as the Tigers made the Golden Eagles pay for turnovers and contested shots. Tennessee Tech never recovered.

Welch finished with 18 points, 12 rebounds and six assists in 26 minutes. She had 14 points and five rebounds in Missouri’s earlier win over Howard and six points at Arkansas-Little Rock. Slaughter scored 25 points and grabbed six rebounds in 24 minutes. Mathurin added 14 points, six rebounds, four assists and two blocks. Caffey had 13 points, three rebounds and three assists, while Hodge scored 13 points and dished out three assists. Ford contributed 10 points, five rebounds and two blocks, and Ellie Muller had two points, 11 rebounds and five blocks. Missouri shot 10 of 24 from 3-point range and 8 of 10 from the free-throw line. The Tigers had 10 assists and eight turnovers while scoring 106 points from 77 possessions for an offensive rating of 138.1.

Tennessee Tech was led by Amaya Redd, who had 13 points and seven rebounds in 23 minutes. Cawthorn added 12 points, six rebounds, two assists and one block. Pfeiffer had two points, five rebounds, four assists and one block. The Golden Eagles shot 26 of 70 from the floor, 5 of 22 from 3-point range and 2 of 4 from the free-throw line. They scored 59 points from 76 possessions for an offensive rating of 77.7. Tennessee Tech had seven offensive rebounds, six assists, two blocks and 11 turnovers. Missouri’s defense made life difficult, especially around the rim, where the Tigers blocked 10 shots.

Missouri’s win followed earlier victories over Howard and Arkansas-Little Rock, while Tennessee Tech had beaten Emory & Henry before falling at Butler. The Golden Eagles also got scoring support from Freeman, Martin and Davis, but they could not keep pace after halftime. Missouri’s size and depth wore down Tennessee Tech as the game progressed. The Tigers next host Tennessee-Martin, and Tennessee Tech next visits Middle Tennessee.

Interstat’s game simulator had projected a final score of Missouri 69, Tennessee Tech 64. Interstat’s ELO system had projected Missouri with a 94.4 percent probability to win.