COLUMBIA, Mo. – Mizzou Women's Basketball freshmen Aijha Blackwell (Berkeley, Mo.) and Hayley Frank (Strafford, Mo.) were named to the All-SEC Freshman Team, announced by the league office on Tuesday. Blackwell and Frank are looking to become the eighth and ninth freshmen in program history to average double figures, and the first pair to do so in the same season.
The duo are the fifth and sixth Tigers to be named to the league’s All-Freshman Team, with all six honors coming since 2016. Blackwell and Frank join Sophie Cunningham (2016, Cierra Porter (2016, Amber Smith (2017) and Akira Levy (2019) as Mizzou freshmen to be named to the All-SEC Freshman Team after impressive debut campaigns.
The duo led Mizzou to victory over Vanderbilt (Feb. 20, as they combined for 42 points (Frank 24, Blackwell 18, the most by a Mizzou freshmen duo since Sophie Cunningham (42) and Cierra Porter (14) combined for 56 points against Wake Forest on Nov. 22, 2015. They once again combined for 42 points (Frank 22, Blackwell 20) in Mizzou’s win over Ole Miss (Feb. 23, becoming the first Mizzou freshmen duo to score 20+ points in the same game since Jan. 31, 1996 when Julie Helm and Kesha Bonds did so.
Blackwell leads Mizzou in many statistical categories this season, including points (437, points per game (15.1, rebounds (210, rebounds per game (7.2, assists (77) and free throws made (210). Blackwell is one of three SEC players to be ranked in the top-10 in both scoring (15.1) and rebounding (7.2). She has played her best basketball during league play, as the Tiger freshman ranks fourth in scoring (17.9) and fifth in rebounding (8.8) during SEC play.
The Berkeley, Mo., has established herself as a go-to option in her first season in the Black & Gold, as she has produced eight 20-point games and seven double-doubles. Blackwell is one of three Mizzou freshmen to record eight or more 20-point games (Julie Helm – 12, 1995-96; Sophie Cunningham – 10, 2015-16). Her seven double-doubles are the most by a Mizzou freshman since at least 2002-03.
Blackwell has put together one of the most prolific freshman seasons in program history. Among freshmen program records, she currently ranks second in free throws made (113, second in rebounding average (7.2, third in scoring (447, third in field goals made (146, fourth in scoring average (15.1, fourth in rebounds (210, fifth in three-pointers (32) and fifth in assists (77).
Frank has been impressive as well in her first season at Mizzou, as she is averaging 12.2 points and 4.0 rebounds per game while posting impressive shooting marks of 43.9 percent from the field, 36.9 percent from three and 87.6 percent from the free throw line. Frank’s mark from the charity stripe leads the SEC and ranks 17th nationally.
The Strafford, Mo., native has scored in double figures in 20 games this season, including three 20-point games and a stretch of eight consecutive games with 10+ points from Nov. 13 to Dec. 8, 2019. Frank set a Mizzou freshman program record by making at least one three-pointer in each of her first 12 collegiate games. She surpassed Kassie Drew, who made 1+ three in her first nine games in 2004-05.
Against New Mexico (Nov. 28) at the Cancun Challenge, Frank scored 29 points and grabbed six rebounds while shooting 9-of-14 from the field, 4-of-5 from three and 7-of-7 from the free throw line. Her 29 points was a new career-high, the most by a Tiger this season and the most by a Mizzou freshman since Sophie Cunningham scored 29 points against Kentucky on Feb. 25, 2016.
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