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SPRINGFIELD – Missouri State women’s basketball (7-2) capitalized on dominant second and third quarter play to secure a 79-51 victory against in-state rival Missouri (8-2) here on Friday night at JQH Arena.
Tonight’s victory marked the 104th career victory for sixth-year senior Brice Calip, tying her for the most wins in program history.
In front of 5,288 fans, which is the fourth-highest attendance at JQH Arena for the Lady Bears, Missouri State put together an impressive showing on both ends of the court.
The first quarter saw a close game between the Lady Bears and the Tigers, with both teams sinking seven shots from the field. Calip saw success early against Missouri, scoring six points in the first period. Missouri State held on to a one-point lead after the first 10 minutes in Springfield.
The second quarter was the beginning of a dominant Lady Bear performance, as MSU outscored Missouri 24-9 in the period.
After three Tiger points to open the second quarter, senior Sydney Wilson scored five-straight points to give the lead back to the Lady Bears. However, Missouri would tie the game two more times in a minute and half span before Missouri State took over.
Beginning with a Mariah White jumper, MSU went on a 16-0 run that saw five different Lady Bear scorers. Following the two baskets by White to begin the run, Wilson hit from long range before Abi Jackson and Mya Bhinhar continued to add to the MSU lead. With just one second remaining in the opening half, Calip was fouled while shooting a long three-pointer, which she turned into three points at the free throw line right before the break.
Missouri State held the Tigers scoreless for the final 6:20 of the first half to take a 16-point lead into the locker room in front of an energetic crowd at JQH Arena.
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The third quarter saw much of the same for the Lady Bears, as they had runs of six, eight and five points to extend their lead to a game-high 31 points by the end of the period.
Six different Lady Bears scored in the third quarter, as senior Jasmine Franklin led the way with 8 of her 13 total points coming in the third period on 100 percent shooting from the field. MSU held the Tigers to game-lows in both points scored (8) and field goal percentage (.222) in the third quarter, continuing to show off the Lady Bears’ incredible defensive efforts.
Missouri found some offensive success in the final quarter, shooting 40 percent from the field and scoring a game-high 18 points in the fourth period. However, the Tigers were never able to get the lead to below 22 points in the closing minutes. Freshman Isabelle Delarue was the bright spot of the fourth quarter as she sank back-to-back three-pointers in the final 1:40 of the game, which marked the first points of her Lady Bear career.
The Tigers came into the night averaging 76.8 points per game and the Lady Bears were able to hold them to just 51 points on 35 percent shooting for the game. MSU outrebounded Missouri 37-26 and the Lady Bears had a field goal percentage of .509 on the evening, tying their season-high. Missouri State had 34 points in the paint to Missouri’s 16, while also scoring 20 points off of Tiger turnovers.
Missouri State had five Lady Bears turn in double-digit scoring performances, with Wilson leading the way with 17 points. Calip had 14 points, four rebounds and four assists, while Franklin recorded her seventh double-double of the season with a 13-point, 15-rebound showing. Bhinhar was aggressive on both sides of the ball, dropping 10 points while grabbing seven rebounds to pair with five assists and three steals.
The Lady Bears will welcome Southern University to JQH Arena on Saturday, December 18. First tip is set for 2 p.m.
Tickets for all home games are available at MissouriStateBears.com or through the Old Missouri Bank box office at JQH Arena, (417) 836-7678, during regular office hours.
