SPRINGFIELD – Missouri State women’s basketball (17-7, 12-3 MVC) defeated Murray State (12-12, 5-10 MVC) in a double overtime thriller here Friday night at Great Southern Bank Arena.
The Lady Bears continuously came up with clutch shots from behind the arc as the game needed two overtime periods to yield a winner.
Paige Rocca knocked down her third three-pointer of the night with 4:11 remaining in regulation to put MSU up four, which proved to be huge as Murray State knocked down a three on the other end on the next possession. Fast forward to the first overtime period and fifth-year senior Aniya Thomas drained her fourth triple of the game to tie the game at 80-80 with 0:18 left on the clock. Then, fifth-year Lady Bear Sydney Wilson had her moment in double overtime, sinking a three to put MSU ahead for good with 1:20 left to play as MSU secured its eighth consecutive victory.
After Murray State tied the game off a free throw with 0:53 remaining in regulation, Kennedy Taylor came up huge on the defensive end, drawing the offensive foul as the Racers had a chance to win it, to eventually send the game into overtime.
In the first overtime, freshman Jade Masogayo scored the first four points for the Lady Bears, giving the home squad a one-point advantage. However, the Racers reeled off a short four-point run to go up by three with 0:34 on the clock. When things started to look bleak, Thomas shot a dagger three to tie the game at 80 points each with 0:18 left in the period. Missouri State locked it down defensively, denying the Racers twice, to once again send the game into extra time.
In double overtime, Murray State knocked down two three-pointers, the second coming with 2:14 on the clock to give the visitor’s a two-point lead. From there, Wilson took the game into her own hands, tying the game at 86-86 with a layup, before knocking down the game-winning three with 1:20 left in the game. She knocked down two more free throws, with Masogayo also adding one at the charity stripe, as Missouri State ended the game on an 8-0 run to notch their eighth win in a row.
Missouri State held the lead for most of the second half, with the Lady Bear lead hovering around four to six points in the third quarter and holding a five-point advantage heading into the final 10 minutes. Following a Racers three to start the fourth to cut the MSU lead to two, the Lady Bears responded with an 8-2 surge, highlighted by back-to-back Thomas threes to push the lead to eight for the home team. Murray State had an answer of their own, reeling off seven points to make it a one-point game with 3:23 left in regulation. Holding a three-point lead, MSU surrendered the final three points of the quarter as Murray State sent the game into bonus time.
The first half saw the teams trade blows back and forth, but the Lady Bears took over in the second quarter, going on a 13-0 run and holding the Racers scoreless for nearly four minutes to lead by nine. MSU held the lead for the remainder of the quarter, but Murray State’s Katelyn Young (34 points, 10 rebounds) hit the final shot of the half to cut MSU’s lead to seven, 39-32, at the break.
Missouri State had five players in double figures, led by Thomas with 23 points, six rebounds and six assists. Masogayo followed with a career-high 19 points and five steals, while tying her career high with 11 boards in the double-double effort. Wilson racked up 16 points and six assists, while surpassing 600 career rebounds with six boards on the night. Rocca also set a career high with 15 points and tied her career mark with three triples against the Racers. Finally, Taylor turned in a 10-point, 11-rebound performance for her eighth double-double of the season.
As a team, MSU grabbed 50 rebounds and outscored Murray State in the paint, 34-28. The Lady Bears collected 23 assists on 33 baskets and forced 19 Racer turnovers, in addition to knocking down their most triples in a game this season with 10.
Missouri State will be back in action on Sunday, Feb. 19 as the Lady Bears welcome Belmont to Great Southern Bank Arena. Tipoff against the Bruins is set for 2 p.m. CT and marks MSU’s annual Play4Kay game.
