South Orange, NJ—The Missouri Tigers women’s basketball opened postseason play with a strong showing, defeating the Seton Hall Pirates women’s basketball 67-57 in the first round of the Women’s Basketball Invitation Tournament on Thursday night at Walsh Gymnasium.
Grace Slaughter led the way with a dominant double-double, finishing with 22 points and 10 rebounds—her eighth of the season. The performance also pushed her further into the program’s record books, moving her into 12th place on Missouri’s all-time scoring list and placing her among the top single-season scorers in school history.
Jordana Reisma provided a strong supporting effort with 17 points and four rebounds, while Shannon Dowell contributed across the board with nine points, eight rebounds, and five assists.
Missouri got off to a quick start when Chloe Sotell knocked down a corner three-pointer on the team’s opening possession. Slaughter followed with a three of her own as the Tigers kept pace early, though Seton Hall held a slim 17-14 lead after the first quarter.
The second quarter remained tight, with Missouri attacking the paint and getting key baskets from Slaughter and Abbey Schrecke. Despite their efforts, the Pirates carried a narrow 29-27 advantage into halftime.
The game stayed close through the third quarter, highlighted by Reisma’s clutch three-pointer that tied the score at 42-42. The teams traded momentum down the stretch, and a late push from Missouri—including a buzzer-beating transition finish from Dowell—sent the game into the final quarter tied at 52.
Missouri took control in the fourth. Behind Slaughter and Reisma, the Tigers opened the period on an 11-2 run, creating separation that Seton Hall couldn’t overcome. The defense sealed the win, holding the Pirates to just five points in the quarter.
Overall, Missouri shot an efficient 48 percent from the field while limiting Seton Hall to just 28 percent shooting.
The victory marks the Tigers’ first postseason win since 2023 and sends them into the next round of the WBIT, where they will face the winner of BYU and Alabama A&M.
