STILLWATER, Okla. – Missouri State women’s basketball (2-1) suffered its first loss of the season, 44-40, to Oklahoma State in Stillwater on Wednesday night.
Oklahoma State (2-1) scored three of the first four baskets of the night to take an early lead on Missouri State. Then, Owasso, Okla., native Mya Bhinhar got the Lady Bears rolling with two early baskets from behind the arc, accounting for six of the Lady Bears’ first eight points.
With the shots falling, MSU locked it down on the defensive end, holding the Cowgirls scoreless for a 6:20 span to close out the first quarter to hold a seven-point lead after 10 minutes.
Both teams swapped baskets to begin the second quarter, before Missouri State was sparked by a foul on sixth-year senior Brice Calip who immediately knocked down two free throws. Calip’s shots from the charity stripe sparked an 8-0 Lady Bear run to extend the lead to 17.
Oklahoma State scored the final three baskets of the half to cut the lead to 27-15 at the break.
Bhinhar and Abi Jackson led the way for the Cowgirls in the first half with six points each. Bhinhar added three rebounds and two assists, while Jackson grabbed four rebounds and was 2-for-2 from the free throw line.
Coming out of the half, the Lady Bears were held to just one field goal in the third quarter. Oklahoma State took advantage of the scoring drought and was able to cut the lead to two points as the teams headed to the final quarter in Stillwater.
In the final 10 minutes, Oklahoma State tied the game with 7:26 on the clock, which marked the beginning of a 9-0 Cowgirl run to give the home team a seven-point lead. A Sydney Wilson three-pointer and five points from Jasmine Franklin brought the Lady Bears back within three with under a minute left, but the comeback effort fell short.
Jasmine Franklin grabbed a career-high 19 rebounds, which is also the fourth-most rebounds in a single game. Jackson also set a career-high in rebounds with nine on the night. Franklin and Jackson were the top scorers for MSU with eight points each.
The Lady Bears will be back in action on Saturday, Nov. 20 with a trip to USC to face the Trojans. First tip is scheduled for 4 p.m. CT.
