SPRINGFIELD – Missouri State women’s basketball improved to 19-8 (14-4 MVC) on the season with a victory over Indiana State 10-17 (5-13 MVC) here Saturday afternoon.
The Lady Bears jumped out to an early lead and used a big first half to set the tone for Senior Day at Great Southern Bank Arena, as fifth-year seniors Aniya Thomas and Sydney Wilson were honored in a pregame ceremony.
Thomas kicked off the scoring for the Lady Bears right out of the gate, as MSU put together an 8-2 run over the first two and a half minutes of the game to force an early Indiana State timeout. The Lady Bears didn’t let up as Thomas scored five consecutive points as Kennedy Taylor scored on a layup to cap a 7-0 MSU surge to put the home team up by 11 at the 5:40 mark.
Indiana State battle back, knocking down a couple of threes to bookend an eight-point scoring span to cut MSU’s lead to three points. From there, the teams traded points back-and-forth with Missouri State owning a 23-18 lead after a quarter.
The second quarter proved to be a difference-maker for the Lady Bears, as they outscored ISU by 13 points in the period. Paige Rocca hit her stride in the second, scoring the first seven points of the quarter for MSU, which included a triple to put the Lady Bears in front by double digits. Following a Sycamore three, MSU went on a 14-3 scoring spree over the final 6:29 of the first half, highlighted by back-to-back treys courtesy of Taylor Woodhouse and Thomas, to give the Lady Bears a 44-26 lead at the half.
MSU was able to maintain a comfortable lead in the third quarter, extending its lead to as many as 23 points out of the break. After a seven-point ISU run to make it a 16-point game, the Lady Bears continued to answer as Isabelle Delarue knocked down a huge three a couple of minutes later, her first bucket since returning from injury, to stretch MSU’s advantage back to 20 points. An Indya Green jumper with 0:02 left on the clock, gave MSU a 69-47 lead with one quarter to play.
The fourth quarter looked vastly differently from the rest of the game, with Indiana State outscoring MSU 19-8 in the final 10 minutes. The Sycamores started the final period nine-straight points to pull within 13 with 6:23 remaining. Wilson put a stop to the run by converting an and-1 opportunity. ISU immediately reeled off six more points to cut the MSU lead to just 10 points, before the seniors connected on consecutive baskets, including a Wilson three-pointer, to put MSU back in front by 15 points and ultimately help secure the 77-66 victory in their final home game.
Taylor led the way with a 23-point, 11-rebound double-double, marking her 10th of the season, as she went 9-for-11 from the field. Thomas followed with her sixth 20-point outing on the year, posting 20 points, four assists and three steals. Wilson joined in double figures with 11 points on 4-for-7 shooting as she collected her 118th career victory as a Lady Bear in her final game at Great Southern Bank Arena.
Collectively, the Lady Bears shot 46 percent from the field and 72 percent from the free throw line, while knocking down six threes in the game. They collected 15 assists, forced 16 Indiana State turnovers, won the battle in the paint (34-26) and on the boards (37-35). MSU moves to 13-0 on the season when scoring 70 or more points.
Missouri State will hit the road for the final weekend of the regular season, beginning with a trip to Drake on Thursday, March 2. Tipoff against the Bulldogs is set for 6 p.m. CT.
