COLUMBIA, Mo. — Taylasia Cooper was instrumental in leading the No. 18 Tennessee Lady Volunteers to a hard-fought 76-71 win over Missouri, snapping their three-game losing skid on Sunday. Cooper showcased her shooting prowess by nailing five three-pointers and finishing the game with 27 points before fouling out with just over two minutes to go, with Tennessee ahead by six points.

Cooper’s departure came at a critical moment in the game when she committed her fifth foul at the 2:18 mark, leading to a technical foul on her teammate, Zee Spearman, who reacted by slamming the ball on the court. Missouri’s Angelique Ngalakulondi then had a chance to capitalize at the free-throw line but missed both attempts. Grace Slaughter managed to hit one out of two free throws for the technical foul and later scored off an inbound play to narrow the gap to 74-71 with 56 seconds left on the clock.

Missouri had a golden opportunity to push for the equalizer but Ngalakulondi missed a layup following a Tennessee turnover. Jewel Spear then stepped up and secured the victory for the Lady Volunteers by making two crucial free throws with 16 seconds remaining.

Cooper not only led in scoring but also contributed significantly in other areas, racking up seven rebounds, six steals, four assists, and two blocks while shooting 10 of 23 from the field. Spearman added to the totals with 13 points. For the Tigers, De’Myla Brown came off the bench to lead her team with 17 points, while Slaughter contributed 16 points. Ashton Judd scored 13 points and grabbed six rebounds, and Laniah Randle recorded a double-double with 11 points and 11 rebounds.

Missouri started the game strong, scoring the initial seven points and shooting 58% from the field in the first quarter, allowing them to create a 12-point lead initially. However, Tennessee managed to claw back, ending the first quarter down just 22-20. Despite a tough shooting day where they hit only 4 of 18 shots in the second quarter, Tennessee still managed to outscore Missouri by two, leading to a tie score of 33 at halftime.

Cooper was pivotal again in the third quarter, contributing five points during a 9-2 run that propelled the Lady Vols to a 59-52 lead going into the final quarter.

Next, Tennessee is scheduled to host the highly ranked No. 6 Connecticut on Thursday, while Missouri will welcome No. 7 LSU on the same day.