MOLINE, Ill. – Missouri State women’s basketball (20-10) secured its sixth consecutive 20-win season with a 71-53 victory over Bradley (4-28) to open the Missouri Valley Conference Tournament here Thursday afternoon.
The Lady Bears got off to a hot start to begin the MVC Tournament, jumping out to a 10-2 lead against Bradley courtesy of six points from Indya Green and four from Kennedy Taylor. A short time later, Isabelle Delarue connected on her first of three three-pointers on the day to put MSU in front by 11 points. From there, freshman Jade Masogayo connected on the final two baskets of the first quarter to lead 22-11 after one in Moline.
Bradley answered at the start of the second quarter with a 5-1 spurt to cut the MSU lead back to seven points. However, Missouri State didn’t let the Braves’ momentum last as the Lady Bears immediately went on a 13-2 run over a five-minute span. The surge started with a 6-0 run via a Delarue and two Masogayo layups, and then after a single Bradley basket, Delarue’s second triple lit another spark. Taylor and Green followed up the three with consecutive buckets to give MSU an 18-point lead. Two Bradley free throws with 0:05 left made it a 36-20 ballgame in favor of the Lady Bears at the half.
Coming out of the break, both teams swapped baskets before MSU turned up the heat and went on a crucial 12-0 third quarter run to extend its lead to 25 points. Green and Masogayo kickstarted the surge before Paige Rocca nailed a triple to force a Bradley timeout. Out of the timeout, Masogayo connected on back-to-back layups before Jaiden Bryant capped the run at the free throw line.
Following two Bradley makes at the line, the post players continued to dominate as Taylor and Masogayo worked the paint for two layups to give the Lady Bears their largest lead of the day at 27 points with 1:32 remaining in the third. Bradley’s Caroline Waite (17 points) hit a three to end the quarter with MSU carrying a 56-32 lead into the final 10 minutes.
Bradley had its best quarter of the night in the fourth, outscoring MSU 21-15. Delarue and Bryant each connected on threes in the final quarter, while six different Lady Bears put up points in the final 10 minutes. Bryant’s three with 0:40 left on the clock pushed the lead back to 20 points, as Bradley scored the final two points of the game. Missouri State was able to dribble it out and secure the 71-53 victory over the Braves to advance to the quarterfinals of the MVC Tournament against No. 4 Drake.
Masogayo paced the Bears with 19 points, tying her career high, on 9-of-13 shooting from the field while collecting a game-high four steals. Taylor posted 16 points and grabbed nine rebounds, followed by Green who logged a 12-point, 10-rebound double-double against the Braves. Delarue was the final Lady Bear in double figures with 11 points behind a 3-for-6 outing from the behind the arc.
The Lady Bears are back in action tomorrow (March 10) to take on No. 4 Drake in the MVC Tournament quarterfinals at 2:30 p.m. CT. The game will stream on ESPN+.
