Highlights:
Postgame:
SPRINGFIELD – Missouri State women’s basketball improved to 19-7 (13-4 MVC) on the season with a 70-44 victory over Bradley (6-22, 2-15 MVC) here Thursday night at Great Southern Bank Arena.
It was all Lady Bears from the jump in this one as Missouri State outscored Bradley 25-5 in the first quarter, limiting the Braves to just 2-for-11 (.182) from the field. After a Bradley layup to tie the game at 2-2 early on, the Lady Bears then went on a huge 20-0 run that spanned more than six minutes. Then, the two squads traded three-point baskets to give MSU a 20-point advantage after one in Springfield.
The Braves found a little more offensive success in the middle quarters, but the Lady Bears were able to keep the game well in-check. After back-to-back buckets by Bradley cut the MSU lead to 18 points, the Lady Bears responded promptly with an eight-point surge to make it 44-18 at the half.
Lacy Stokes owned a game-high 10 first-half points, eight of those coming at the free throw line. Paige Rocca was 2-for-2 from the field, dished out four assists and collected two steals in the first half, while Jade Masogayo had a game-high five first-half rebounds.
Coming out of the intermission, Bradley put together its best quarter of the night, knocking down seven field goals and owning a slight advantage in points off turnovers and points in the paint. However, the Lady Bears also came out firing out of halftime, shooting .571 (8-14) from the field and .600 (3-5) from three. Every time the Braves hit a shot, the Lady Bears answered right back and eventually ended the quarter with back-to-back treys from Jaiden Bryant and Indya Green to push the lead to 28 points with one quarter remaining.
The final quarter saw both teams connect on just three field goals, but with the game firmly in hand, the Lady Bears were able to empty their bench and take their largest lead of the night at 29 points with 9:46 left in the game.
Stokes and Bekemeier led the way for Missouri State on the night with 12 and 11 points, respectively. Indya Green followed closely behind with nine points and a team-high seven rebounds. Ten different Lady Bears recorded points on the night and 11 different players pulled down a rebound.
The Lady Bears forced 19 Bradley turnovers, scoring 23 points off those mishaps. MSU once again dominated the rebounding battle, 41-28, and took advantage of its second-chance opportunities, outscoring the Braves 16-2 in the category. For the game, MSU shot .415 from the field, .294 from three and .786 from the line.
Missouri State closes out its home slate on Saturday (March 2) with a matchup against Illinois State. Tipoff against the Redbirds is set for 2:00 p.m. at Great Southern Bank Arena in Springfield. The game will air on MVC TV Network.
