Mizzou women's basketball's season ends with first-round loss to Florida in SEC Tournament

The Tigers’ season is done.

No. 14-seeded Mizzou women’s basketball lost in the first round of the SEC Tournament on Wednesday afternoon in Greenville, South Carolina, falling to No. 11-seeded Florida, 66-60.

Missouri (11-19) got off to a fast start, but Florida (15-14) stormed in front in the second quarter and weathered a second-half comeback attempt from the Tigers to set up a second-round game against Vanderbilt for the Gators.

Here are three takeaways as the 2023-24 campaign ended for MU.

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Second-quarter nightmare dooms Mizzou

Missouri held a first-quarter lead despite a 1-of-8 shooting run from the field to end the quarter.

Over the same time period, Florida went on a 1-of-10 streak from the field as MU took a three-point lead into the second quarter.

One of those dry spells ended, and it was not Missouri’s.

It took the TIgers five minutes, 15 seconds to score in the second period, allowing Florida to open the period on a 16-0 run.

By the time the game hit the half and Florida held a 42-26 advantage, Missouri was shooting 34.5% from the field across the half.

The Gators were 13-of-19 (68.4%) from the field in the second quarter as they build a lead a spirited Missouri comeback attempt couldn't quite catch.

In the second period alone, Mizzou turned the ball over six times, made just three shots from the field and burned three of its four timeouts in the space of seven minutes.

What does the future look like for MU?

In the game’s opening minutes, Ashton Judd and Grace Slaughter had connected on 3s.

When the game looked out of sight, Missouri mounted a 15-2, third-quarter run to cut a once-20-point deficit to seven. Judd and Slaughter combined for nine of those points to keep the Tigers competitive.

When Florida restored a 12-point lead in the fourth, Judd scored seven quick points to make it a five-point game with five minutes to play.

Judd, who led all scorers with 17, is a sophomore; Slaughter, who added 14, is a freshman.

When Wednesday's contest was at its bleakest, it was the underclassmen who stepped up. Freshman Hannah Linthacum was useful when the Tigers could find her in the post, and rookie Abbey Schreacke made a pair of 3s at important times.

That group is likely to make up the core of MU’s roster next season, although they'll need some help.

The Tigers will need to make some additions when the transfer portal opens, with a true big top of the list of needs. Missouri did not have an offensive rebound against UF until late in the third quarter.

Missouri has secured commitments from point guard Londyn Oliphant and guard Ma’Riya Vincent, both Texas products, to its Class of 2024, and has at least five open scholarship positions available for the 2024-25 campaign.

What’s next for Pingeton?

Mama Dembele, Hayley Frank, Micah Linthacum and Abby Feit have played the final games of their respective careers.

Has Pingeton coached her last game for Missouri?

That’s for Missouri athletics to decide. A decision to move on from the MU coach for the past 14 years would cost the university $233,333 as of April 1. Pingeton has one year remaining on her contract, which is due to end on April 30, 2025.

The previous administration set defined expectations for Pingeton to return to the NCAA Tournament, but then-athletic director Desireé Reed-Francois has since left for the AD job at Arizona, complicating the situation.

This article originally appeared on Columbia Daily Tribune: Mizzou women's season ends with loss to Florida in SEC Tournament