SPRINGFIELD – Missouri State opened the fourth quarter on an 11-0 run to break open a defensive battle with Loyola Sunday evening on the way to a 59-45 Senior Day victory at JQH Arena.
The 19th-ranked Lady Bears (18-2, 14-0 Missouri Valley Conference) extended their overall win streak to 14 games, tying for the fifth-best in school history and longest since the 2003-04 team won 18 in a row, and won their 17th consecutive MVC contest dating to last season, good for second-best in school history equaling a stretch from 2018-19 that included many of the same players in this season’s roster.
Missouri State started five seniors – Brice Calip, Bri Ellis, Emily Gartner, Abby Hipp and Elle Ruffridge – for the final home game of the season but fell behind 7-0 before out-scoring Loyola 24-12 over the final 17 minutes of the first half thanks in part to a late 9-0 run.
The lead remained at one or two possessions for the duration of the third period, ending at 34-33, and the Lady Bears put their feet on the gas to start the fourth, with Mya Bhinhar, Ruffridge and Jasmine Franklin combining for an 11-0 run for a 45-33 lead at the 7:18 mark.
Loyola (10-10, 8-8) never got closer than 45-37 after that, and the lead grew to 17 when Ellis scored with 40 seconds left to the elation of MSU players, staff and fans.
Franklin hauled in a career-high 17 rebounds, the most since Casey Garrison in 2009 and tying for the seventh-best single total in school history, adding 12 points for her eighth double-double of the season, all in MVC play.
Franklin was the only one of MSU’s 10 scorers to reach double figures, while Calip had six assists without a turnover and four steals.
The Lady Bears owned a 38-28 rebounding edge, holding the Ramblers to three offensive boards. MSU had a season-low six turnovers and scored 22 points off 18 Loyola miscues.
Missouri State closes out the regular season with March 5 and 6 games at Evansville.
