Junior guard Shannon Dowell sank a layup in the final seconds to lift Mizzou women’s basketball to a 68-67 victory over Cal on Thursday night at Mizzou Arena in the ACC/SEC Challenge.
The final basket capped off a 23-point effort for Dowell who also added seven rebounds.
Junior guard Grace Slaughter tallied a double-double with 21 points and 10 boards in the contest.
Dowell and Slaughter are the first Mizzou duo to score in double figures in the first 10 games of a season in program history.
The teams exchanged baskets early in the contest, until back-to-back paint finishes from senior forward Jordana Reisma gave the Tigers a seven-point lead with just over three minutes remaining in the frame.
Cal battled back and cut the lead to 14-12 with a layup in the final seconds of the period.
The Tigers took control early in the second with a quick 3-pointer from Slaughter and a coast-to-coast steal by junior guard Jayla Smith. Mizzou had extended its lead to 19-12 as the quarter hit its stride.
With the Golden Bears leading by one, Chloe Sotell buried a triple that sparked an 8-2 run that gave Mizzou a five-point cushion.
Cal closed the gap late, but Mizzou held a 33-31 lead at the half.
Dowell scored the first five points of the third for Missouri, before Sotell cashed in from beyond the arc. Despite Slaughter adding seven points in the final three minutes of the period, Cal took a five-point advantage entering the final quarter.
Dowell attacked the rim to open the fourth and finished a three-point play. The score was knotted on four occasions in the final period as both teams looked to seize control.
With under a minute to play, Mizzou trailed by two. Dowell fed Slaughter in the corner, and after a quick pump fake, she side-stepped her defender and buried a clutch 3-pointer to give the Tigers the late one-point lead.
Mizzou trailed by one moments later, before Smith came up with her fourth steal of the night to set the stage for a game-winning opportunity. On the next possession, Dowell received a screen at the top of the key from Slaughter, drove to the right side of the basket and scored to seal the win.
UP NEXT
Mizzou will stay home to face SIUE at 2 p.m. on Sunday at Mizzou Arena. The contest will be broadcast on SEC Network+.
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