The Lady Bears (5-3) had a double-digit lead just 3:11 into the game, starting 6-for-7 from the field with a pair of 3-pointers from Kenzie Williams and another from Whitney Edie for a 15-5 advantage.
Missouri’s Morgan Eye led the Tigers back with a trio of 3-pointers during a 12-2 MU run for a 17-all tie, and hit another for a 23-23 deadlock at the 11:42 mark after the Lady Bears had built their lead back to 23-18.
The Tigers (7-2) hit another trey 30 seconds later and continued their 3-point barrage for a 32-29 lead at the 6:41 mark to improve to 7-for-8 to that point. Eye’s fifth trey followed by a Sydney Crafton jumper gave MU its largest lead at 41-33 with 3:49 to play in the half, and it was MSU’s turn to answer, this time with a 7-0 run for a 41-40 score and 2:13 left in the period.
The pace turned fast and furious over the final two minutes of the half with eight more baskets being scored before the buzzer for a 51-49 Missouri lead at the break. The Lady Bears were able to withstand 10 Tiger 3-pointers by shooting 58.8 percent in the half.
Missouri State missed its first 10 field goals of the second half in falling behind 56-49 and did not score until Whitney Edie sunk a free throw with 15:16 to play. Edie scored on MSU’s next two possessions to make it 57-54 less than a minute later, but the Tigers stretched their lead to a game-high 11 points with an 8-0 run while MSU went more than three minutes without a point to a 67-56 score with 10:30 to play.
The Lady Bears scored on their next possession to make it 67-58 but would not be within single digits again as the Missouri lead grew to as many as 22 points.
MSU shot 9-for-38 in the second half to fall to 40.3 percent for the game, while the Tigers shot 47-8 percent overall and 11-for-25 from beyond the arc. The teams grabbed 44 rebounds each.
Christiana Shorter led MSU with 12 points while Wilkerson (11), Williams (11), Edie (11) and Mikala McGhee (10) joined her in double figures.
Missouri State returns to action Dec. 15 with a 2:05 p.m. home game against Arkansas State.
E-Mail
Print
