Anderson wins in return to Columbia
COLUMBIA — It wasn't a dream homecoming for Yvonne Anderson.
But, after trailing by as many as 10 points in the first half, Anderson and the No. 16 Longhorns found a way to end their two-game losing streak and beat Missouri 66-56.
“I mean I was excited," said Anderson about her feelings entering the game. "I’m familiar with the court. I’ve been here lots of time. I got to see my family, my friends, some more of my family actually came in, so I was really excited.”
The daughter of Missouri men's basketball head coach Mike Anderson and Hickman graduate scored three points on 1-of-2 shooting and had three rebounds and an assist in 16 minutes for Texas on Tuesday night at Mizzou Arena.
Broad smiles spread across the face of her teammates as she talked about getting to spend some with her family Monday night.
"We all, as a team, went over to my house and kind of hung out a little bit, ate some. It was good to see everyone," Anderson said.
Shortly after Anderson entered the game Tuesday night, an important piece of Missouri's plan was already sitting on the bench. Jessra Johnson was called for her second foul with 14:27 left in the first half and did not play the rest of the half.
“When Johnson went out, that really helped us because she’s a good 3-point shooter as well," said Texas coach Gail Goestenkors. "When she got in foul trouble then when felt like we really only had to focus on one 3-point shooter — Hollins — so it made it a little easier on us."
The Tigers continued to lead for much of the first half with Johnson on the bench, but a jumper by Texas's Ashley Lindsey with 3:30 in the first half gave the Longhorns a lead they would not give up.
Hollins, who finished with a team-high 18 points, did her part to keep Missouri close in the second half, but, despite pulling within seven points twice, could never really put themselves in a position to win.
“We’re still having problems turning the corner at the end, getting baskets at crucial moments so…," said Hollins, letting her voice trail off in disappointment.
“Unfortunately that’s kind of been the story all season. We’re right there, we’re right there. It’s, what, the end of February, we’ve got to start making plays."
Missouri coach Cindy Stein said she thought the game came down to some bad offensive possessions by her team, but she was hesitant to dissect her team's mental state in the moments that decide a game.
"We're trying to figure out how to learn to win," she said. "When we talk about phyche, that's kind of one of those terms that you want to stay away from (as) a coach because we've got to play confident. We're Big 12 athletes."