Slaughter named the SEC Scholar Athlete of the Year

Missouri sophomore Grace Slaughter is mobbed by her teammates after hitting a buzzer-beating, game-winning shot when the Tigers beat Mississippi State 78-77 Jan. 27. She finished that game with a career-high 31 points. This week Slaughter was named the SEC Scholar Athlete of the Year. Photo credit: Missouri Tigers basketball program

by Bill Althaus, Grain Valley News

COLUMBIA, Mo. - Former Grain Valley High School perennial all-state basketball player Grace Slaughter, who was the Missouri Gatorade Player of the Year following her graduation two years ago, is taking her game to a new level this season - both on and off the court.

Slaughter, who leads the University of Missouri women's basketball program with a 15.2 points-per-game overall average - she is averaging 16.2 points in SEC action - was named the SEC Scholar Athlete of the Year Tuesday.

Slaughter is with her teammates in Greenville, N.C., where they will meet Mississippi State at 5 p.m. Tuesday. The game will be broadcast on the SEC Network.

The Tigers will play Mississippi State, a team that will always have a bond with Slaughter as her last-second buzzer beater led the Tigers to a 78-77 SEC victory Jan. 27.

Slaughter scored a career-high 31 points in the victory.

The Tigers are the No. 15 seed in the tournament, while Mississippi State is No. 10. Missouri finished SEC play with a 3-13 record while the Tigers were 13-17 overall.

While Slaughter and her teammates are focused on their SEC tournament opening game, she took time out her busy schedule to talk about her academic accolade in phone call from Greenville.

"I was actually on an elevator at the hotel we're staying in down here and heard some reporters talk about it," said Slaughter, who has a 4.0 GPA while taking biology and chemistry classes, along with their respective labs, this semester.

"This has been one of my most challenging academic. My poor dad, I call him three or four times a week for help and he's always there for me. He and my mom, and my sister Olivia (a senior at Grain Valley High School) are my biggest fans. 

"There's nothing any member of my family wouldn't do for me."

While her father Bryan, a chemist, is the science guy, her mother Becky has been side by side with Grace at thousands of practices that date back to Grace's middle school days.

"And Olivia is so smart," big sister added. "She's like my dad, she can read something once, and that's all she needs. I read something 10 times, and I still have to go back and read it again.

"That's one reason why this honor is so special to me. I work hard at basketball and academics, and it's nice to be recognized for my hard work in the classroom."

Slaughter is re-writing the Tigers' record book as she ranks fifth in the country in 3-point percentage (46.6% percent) among athletes who average 1.5+ makes per game. Slaughter also ranks ninth in the SEC in field goal percentage (49.1 percent).
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Slaughter, who has always taken great pride in her success at the free-throw line, ranks fourth in the conference in free-throw percentage at 86.5 percent.

"It would be so special to get some wins in the tournament," Slaughter said. "It's been an emotional week (as coach Robin Pingeton announced her retirement following a 15-year career with the Tigers).

"We want to finish strong and make a deep run for Coach."