Tigers return to Mizzou Arena for two-game homestand

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

Starting on Thursday against Texas A&M, Mizzou Women's Basketball is back at home for two consecutive games. After these next two matchups, Robin Pingeton's crew will have officially reached the halfway point of its SEC season, setting up an important week for Mizzou.

"There's definitely some opportunities. I think taking care of your home court is really important in this league," Robin Pingeton said at Wednesday's press conference. "It doesn't get any easier. Every night out it's a dogfight, but there's a lot of games left to be played, and so, I think in January, things can kind of get heavy a little bit. It's important that we keep proper perspective."

You can watch the full press conference with Mizzou basketball coach Robin Pingeton in the video player below.

The Tigers are coming off their fourth SEC loss of the season after falling to Kentucky in a close battle last Sunday. Reflecting on that game, Pingeton said she wished the team would have stayed in their zone defense more, especially in the fourth quarter, and also emphasized that the Tigers need to take better care of the basketball. Mizzou committed 16 turnovers against Kentucky, and the Wildcats turned those takeaways into 16 points.

"They just add up in these games," Pingeton said. "These girls work way too hard outside of what's required to have things like that come back and kind of haunt us."

However, the intensity of SEC play is relatively unfamiliar for some of Mizzou's starting five. Pingeton's five starters make up the youngest starting lineup in the conference based on academic year, but the Tigers are building confidence and learning lessons as they adjust to SEC play.

"There's no replacement for the physicality of the league and just to actually experience that is really important. Our upperclassmen have been there done that, but it is a new physicality and just the pace that the game is played at," Pingeton said. "We've got a group of girls that just want it so bad, and so, they're hungry and they haven't wavered and they continue to do it again and again, and there's no doubt in my mind with the youth that we have on this team, it's going to pay big dividends as they continue to grow and we move forward."

Texas A&M enters Thursday's game with a 14-4 record but has only won two of its five SEC contests. The Aggies are led by the trio of Endyia Rogers, Aicha Coulibaly and Janiah Barker, who are all averaging about 12 points per game. Texas A&M is also led by second-year head coach Joni Taylor, a former SEC Coach of the Year. Because of Texas A&M's talent and leadership, Pingeton is expecting another close battle on Thursday.

"Texas A&M is really good. Joni has done a great job. They've got a lot of athleticism," Pingeton said. "They rebound really well, and for as good of a transition team we thought Kentucky was, A&M is even better so going to face that same kind of presence on the defensive end but also their ability to get out and go."

Tipoff between the Tigers and Aggies is scheduled for Thursday, Jan. 25 at 8 p.m.