TOLEDO, Ohio – Missouri State women’s basketball felt to 2-4 on the season following a 91-63 loss at Toledo here Sunday afternoon.
The loss marks the first time since the 2018-19 season that MSU has dropped consecutive games in a season.
Missouri State struggled to score consistently to begin this one against the Rockets. Toledo used a 6-0 run just a couple of minutes into the game to take the first extended lead of the game with a seven-point advantage. MSU was able to answer to keep the game within a seven-to nine-point margin before UT shut the Lady Bears out for nearly three minutes at the end of the first period to take a 26-12 lead after 10 minutes.
Toledo continued to find the basket, making three consecutive layups to open the second quarter before Paige Rocca knocked down MSU’s first basket of the period.
As was the theme of the first half, every time MSU would gain momentum, the Rockets would steal it right back. Missouri State reeled of a 7-0 run that was bookended by a Jade Masogayo jumper and Isabelle Delarue three-pointer, but Toledo answered immediately with seven points of their own to hold MSU at bay and take a 44-25 lead into the break.
The Lady Bears came out in the second half and found their way to the free throw line as Kennedy Taylor and Aniya Thomas accounted for four points from the charity stripe to begin the third period and cut the deficit to 15 points. Taylor scored four of MSU’s first six points in the quarter after also connecting on a layup early in the period.
After Toledo used a surge to go up by 25 points, MSU responded with a six-point run that included a Rocca trey and a Thomas steal and score. The remainder of the third saw both teams swap baskets as the Lady Bears trailed 70-47 heading to the final 10 minutes.
Toledo took its largest lead of the afternoon at 31 points early in the final period. MSU continued to fight but could never get themselves back within striking distance as they dropped their first road contest of the season, 91-63. Rocca and Indya Green led the Lady Bears in scoring in the fourth quarter with five points each, followed by Thomas with four points.
Rocca was MSU’s leading scorer for the game with 11 points while also collecting four assists. Taylor and Thomas joined Rocca in double figures with 10 points, while Taylor grabbed five rebounds and Thomas dished out a team-high five assists. Wilson paced the Lady Bears with a season-high nine rebounds and tied her season high mark with nine points, coming up just short of a double-double.
Missouri State shot 34 percent from the field compared to Toledo’s 62 percent. MSU won the rebounding battle, 39-32, and held a major advantage on the offensive glass, 18-2. The biggest difference-maker in the game occurred in the paint with UT outscoring MSU 42-26 down low.
Missouri State will continue on the road next week as it travels to TCU on Friday, December 9. First tip is set for 6 p.m.
