SPRINGFIELD – Missouri State raced out to a 24-0 lead midway through the first quarter Monday and never looked back in a 100-38 victory against Lincoln in the home opener at JQH Arena.
The 21st-ranked Lady Bears (3-1) extended their home winning streak to 16 consecutive games, the longest at The Q and sixth-longest in school history, one of several superlatives on the night.
Junior Sydney Wilson scored a career-high 21 points on 8-of-10 shooting, Sydney Manning threatened a triple-double with 12 points, seven rebounds and a career-high eight assists, while Elle Ruffridge (13) and Abi Jackson (12) joined them in double figures and eight players tallied at least eight points.
Missouri State had 31 assists on 40 made baskets and reached 100 points for the 19th time in school history, leading 57-12 at halftime and by as many as 68 points in the final minutes.
The Lady Bears shot 49.4 percent overall, knocked down 12 3-pointers, and won 58-37 on the glass. Lincoln shot 17.5 percent in the game, and Missouri State swiped 13 steals off 22 miscues by the Blue Tigers.
Game superlatives:
• MSU allowed 12 points, three field goals and 3-for-31 (.097) shooting to Lincoln in the first half, all record low defensive totals for a half at JQH Arena. Lincoln’s .175 shooting percentage in the game was also an arena record.
• Missouri State blocked 13 shots, the second-most in a single game in school history. Abi Jackson had a career-high four stuffs, while Jasmine Franklin and Emily Gartner had three apiece to move up to fifth and ninth, respectively, on MSU’s career list.
• Freshmen Dani Winslow and Paige Rocca scored their first career points in the contest. Winslow finish with six points and a game-high 10 rebounds, while Rocca buried a 3-pointer with 1:54 left in the game.
• MSU’s 31 assists are the most for the Lady Bears since December 1993, and the seventh-most in a game in school history.
• Missouri State grabbed 58 rebounds to tie for the ninth-best single-game total at MSU. The Lady Bears also had 58 boards in the season opener at Florida Gulf Coast.
• The Lady Bears had top-10 all-time games in terms of field goal makes (40 – 9th) and attempts (81 – 5th).
• The 62-point margin of victory is the fifth largest in Lady Bear history.
Up next on Missouri State’s schedule is a Dec. 13 visit to Missouri (1-0) for a 2 p.m. tip inside Mizzou Arena.
