Mizzou makes first-round exit in SEC Tournament, closes chapter on Pingeton era

GREENVILLE, S.C. (KMIZ)

It is the end of an era for Mizzou Women's Basketball.

The No. 15-seeded Tigers suffered their fifth straight loss in the first round of the SEC Tournament 75-55 to No. 10-seeded Mississippi State, marking head coach Robin Pingeton's final game as the leader of the program.

Coach Pingeton announced last week that she was stepping down from her position at the end of the 2024-25 season, following discussions with MU Athletics Director Laird Veatch.

MU carried a seven-point lead into halftime, guided by a standout first half from Ashton Judd. The West Plains native led the team in shooting and rebounds in the first 20 minutes, posting 15 points and six rebounds during that stretch.

Collectively, Mizzou shot 44.8% from the field and 41.7% from beyond the arc in the first half while only allowing seven turnovers.

The Tigers were also aggressive to start the second half, recording seven straight points to extend their advantage to 46-32 at the 8:28-mark of the third quarter. MU's 14-point lead was its largest of the game.

However, Mizzou quickly started spiraling out of control. Mississippi State erased its 14-point deficit and turned it into a 20-point lead in the fourth quarter, using a 35-1 scoring run that lasted more than 13 minutes. MU went 13:49 without a field goal during Mississippi State's game-defining rally.

As a team, the Tigers were just 6-for-31 from field goal range and 1-for-11 on three-point attempts in the second half. Coach Pingeton's group also committed 13 takeaways in the final 20 minutes, leading to 14 points for the Bulldogs.

Despite not scoring in the second half, Judd still finished as Mizzou's leading scorer with 15 points. Nyah Wilson was Judd's only teammate that reached double figures, ending with 11 points.

Mizzou ends the 2024-25 campaign with a 14-18 overall record, as it begins searching for its next head coach.