SPRINGFIELD – Missouri State women’s basketball improved to 21-5 (12-3 MVC) on the season, using a 30-point fourth quarter to cruise to a 99-57 victory over Evansville (8-18, 2-13 MVC) here on Thursday night.
The victory marked the 70th win of head coach Amaka Agugua-Hamilton’s career, as the Lady Bears extended their win streak to six games as the regular season enters its final stretch.
In the annual Play4Kay breast cancer awareness game, the Lady Bears jumped out to a fast start against the Purple Aces.
Transfer Jennifer Ezeh got things started for MSU with the first basket of the game. Evansville tied the game early at 2-2, but the Lady Bears would not surrender the lead for the rest of the first half.
Once the Purple Aces tied it up, MSU went on a 7-0 run highlighted by a converted and-1 opportunity by Sydney Wilson, and bookended by Abi Jackson baskets. Evansville would close the gap a bit with a 5-1 run just under the halfway point of the first quarter to cut the Lady Bear lead to three points.
Both times that Evansville got within three points of the Lady Bears, Jackson answered with a bucket to create some breathing room for MSU. Jackson, who had 14 first-quarter points, went on a 4-0 run to end the quarter, as the Lady Bears led 20-14 after the first 10 minutes.
After a back-and-forth start to the second quarter, MSU put the first real distance between itself and the Purple Aces with an 11-0 run beginning at the 5:13 mark. Paige Rocca ignited the run with a jumper, followed by five and four points from Brice Calip and Jackson, respectively.
Following consecutive 4-0 runs, one by each squad, Evansville’s Anna Newman scored the final seven points of the quarter for the Purple Aces, including the final bucket of the period to cut MSU’s lead to 47-34 heading into halftime.
Jackson led the way in the first half with 20 points, becoming the first Lady Bear since Liza Fruendt against Evansville on March 1, 2018 to score 20 or more points in a half. Senior Mya Bhinhar also dished out a game-leading seven first-half assists.
Out of the half, the Lady Bears became even more dominant, outscoring Evansville 52-23 in the second half. MSU started the third quarter on an 8-2 run to push their lead to 19 points.
After a 4-0 run by the Purple Aces to cut the lead back to 15 points, Jackson answered with a layup to surpass her career high of 25 points. Missouri State kept rolling as they then reeled of a 12-2 run over a three and a half minute span for a 25-point advantage over Evansville as the third quarter started to wind down.
Evansville’s Myia Clark knocked down three free throws in the final minute to cut the Lady Bear lead to 69-47 as the game entered the final 10 minutes.
The Purple Aces knocked down a three-pointer immediately out of the quarter break, but the fourth quarter would belong to the Lady Bears. After Jackson and Ezeh answered with back-to-back buckets, the Lady Bear freshman took over and lit a fire under the entire MSU squad.
Isabelle Delarue and Lindsey Byers knocked down four consecutive three-pointers for a 12-0 run that all of a sudden propelled the Lady Bears to a 33-point lead. Following three Purple Aces points, the freshmen were back at it, with both Delaure and Byers each knocking down another three ball and Byers connecting on a jumper to put MSU ahead by 38 points with 3:26 remaining. Byers’ jumper marked the second consecutive game in which she set a career-high in points, this time with 11 on the night.
Ifunanya Nwachukwu and Ezeh closed out the scoring for the Lady Bears, as MSU secured the 99-57 victory.
Jackson paced Missouri State with a career-high 31 points, the most points by a Lady Bear since Liza Fruendt scored 33 points against Valparaiso on January 19, 2018. Jackson also grabbed eight rebounds and blocked three shots.
Bhinhar dished out a career-high 11 assists, the highest assist total for a Lady Bear since Casey Garrison recorded 13 assists against Tulsa on December 8, 2009. Meanwhile, Nwachukwu recorded her second double-double of the season with an 11-point, 13-rebound performance, marking her second consecutive game with 10 or more rebounds. Wilson also turned in a double-digit scoring performance on the night with 10 points to go with seven rebounds and four assists.
The Lady Bears set a season-high with 99 points, recorded their best shooting percentage of the season at 52.1 percent and tied their season high with nine made three-point baskets. MSU also grabbed 50 or more rebounds for the fourth time this season, outrebounding the Purple Aces, 50-31, on the night.
Missouri State will be back in action on Saturday, Feb. 26 for Senior Day at JQH Arena. First tip is set for 2 p.m.
