KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The University of Missouri and Kansas State University women’s basketball teams will meet again, but this time in a location away from Columbia and Manhattan.
Civic Arena in St. Joseph will host the 84th meeting between the programs and the first since 2017 on Dec. 9 as a part of the inaugural Bill Snyder Basketball Classic.
Snyder was a native of St. Joseph and lived there through his graduation from Lafayette High School.
He was an inaugural member of the St. Joseph Area Sports Hall of Fame in 2021 and has remained involved with future enshrinement ceremonies as he presents the Snyder Women of Impact Award every year.
The longtime head football coach for the Wildcats, he served two different stints with them from 1989 to 2005 and again from 2009 to 2018, and brought the program from relative obscurity that had a total record of 299–510 in 93 years of play prior to his arrival.
The Wildcats lead the all-time series 45-38, but the Tigers have won the last three matchups.
Kansas State finished last season with a 19-17 overall record and a 5-13 mark against Big 12 teams.
The Wildcats, in its 10th season coached by head coach Jeff Mittle, earned a bid to the 2023 WNIT and reached the Super 16, but lost to Washington.
2022 consensus All-American and three-time All-Big 12 First Team selection Ayoka Lee will return for the Wildcats as well as last season’s leading scorer and All-Big 12 First Team selection Gabby Gregory, 2022-23 All-Big 12 Honorable Mention recipient Serena Sundell and the Glenn sisters, Brylee and Jaelyn.
Missouri completed the 2022-23 season with an 18-14 overall mark and a 6-10 SEC record under the guidance of head coach Robin Pingeton, who is entering her 14th season with the program.
The Tigers reached the second round of the 2023 WNIT, losing to Kansas in the first Border Showdown since 2012.
On Tuesday, Missouri got the commitment of 6-foot-2-inch graduate forward Angelique Ngalakulondi, who transferred from UMass.
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