Bench key part of Tigers’ new plan

The Missouri women’s basketball team got its first taste of a challenge this season in its season opener Sunday at Southern Illinois.

The Tigers beat SIU for the fourth straight year, 71-60, with senior Tiffany Brooks leading with 19 points in 39 minutes of playing time. Alyssa Hollins and Blair Hardiek came off the bench and combined to score 20.

“Anybody on our bench could come off and hold the momentum we have or even add to it,” Brooks said. “This game really was a matter of matchup, putting those people in the game where we can have an advantage.”

This season, the Tigers will try to find the right set of players for each team it faces. Coach Cindy Stein says she is determining her starters based around the core group of seniors Carylnn Savant, EeTisha Riddle and Tiffany Brooks.

“Carlynn plays well with almost everybody,” Stein said. “Carlynn and Tish and Tiffany play extremely well together. It’s just figuring out who the other two will be.”

In an exhibition game Nov. 4 against Truman State University, all the Tigers played. Sunday, only nine of the 15 played. The Salukis took an early lead, but the Tigers were up, 33-24, at the half.

The Salukis took the lead with a 12-point run in the last quarter of the game, but the Tigers tied and passed SIU for the final time with two free throws by Savant. Missouri made 26 of 30 free throws.

Brooks has the potential to lead the team after taking a backseat last year to then-senior standouts LaToya Bond and Christelle N’Garsanet.

“I just think she’s so competitive,” Stein said in late October. “Tiffany has a huge spirit in her, and she’s just extremely competitive, on fire. If she goes down, she’s not going to go down easily. That’s kind of her attitude, which has been great for us. It helps her in her game and keeps her very involved. She doesn’t care what the score is, she is going to keep attacking, and that’s the kind of mentality we want. That’s why she’s such a good leader.”

Stein said that last year, Brooks learned from the Tigers’ team leaders and made her own game based on her relationship to Bond and N’Garsanet.

“She’s a little under the radar right now, but that’s OK,” Stein said. “Tiffany’s not into all that glamour and exposure, but I think she deserves it absolutely.”

Riddle says she knows that Stein has pegged her as a key to the team’s success, but that is a responsibility she is ready for. She says she is trying to shrug off the pressure and is going to focus on being a more vocal leader not only in games, but in practice as well.

“The best thing, I just got to push myself harder than I have before,” Riddle said. “I just like to play hard, that’s all. It’s not all on our shoulders. We got so many new people this year. You just got to bring them along and got to try to catch them up because we got that spot to be filled.”

Missouri will play Texas A&M Corpus Christi at the home opener Tuesday, and the players are using the first few games to find chemistry and help the younger players feel comfortable on the court. Brooks said the crowd of 3,367 at SIU Arena, a record for a women’s basketball game there, would be more like the crowds against Big 12 Conference opponents later in the season.

“I think it was really good experience for the underclassmen,” she said. “And I think for the returners, it’s something we’re used to, but at the same time, we still had to communicate with the crowd getting loud.”

As all the players are working to make the season successful, Stein said Brooks is working hard to push the team back into the national rankings after a disappointing loss in the first round of the women’s NCAA tournament last season.

“I think (Tiffany) plays smarter on defense this year,” Stein said, “because she knows we’re going to need her. I think the best thing that motivates Tiffany is the will to win.”