Missouri State shot better than 62 percent over the final 32 minutes Thursday evening to earn a resounding 97-51 victory against Evansville at JQH Arena in a game filled with superlatives.
The Lady Bears (18-10, 14-3 Missouri Valley Conference) picked up their sixth consecutive victory overall and seventh in a row at home, shooting 39-for-73 overall and 36-for-58 after trailing 8-7 midway through the first quarter.
Freshmen scored 13 of MSU’s 18 first-quarter points, with Elle Ruffridge scoring the last five of a 7-0 run that gave the Lady Bears the lead for good and ended with her 3-pointer at the 1:41 mark for a 14-8 advantage.
Liza Fruendt poured in 21 points in the second quarter and 28 in the game on 12-of-15 shooting, and MSU led 49-35 at halftime before holding the Purple Aces (3-25, 0-17) to 16 second-half points.
Aubrey Buckley, Alexa Willard and Brice Calip all scored 11 points, while all 12 Lady Bears in uniform appeared in the scoring column. Buckley and Calip grabbed seven rebounds each, and MSU led 55-20 in that category. Fruendt dished out a season-high five assists, and the Lady Bears had 22 helpers in the game against three turnovers.
MSU hosts Indiana State (11-17, 9-8) at 2 p.m. Saturday to close the regular season. Lady Bear seniors Buckley, Fruendt, Audrey Holt and Lee Ann Polowy will be honored prior to the game.
