SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – Behind a balanced scoring attack and a 42-14 scoring run, the Missouri State Lady Bears took a 45-21 lead over visiting Southern Illinois into intermission Friday afternoon at JQH Arena. MSU held SIU to just 8-of-29 (.276) shooting, while nine Lady Bears broke into the scoring column.

Missouri State jumped on top right off the bat by reeling off seven unanswered points following a three-pointer by SIU’s Teri Oliver that knotted the score at 3-3. Jaleshia Roberson’s first of three treys with 17:42 to play started the run, and after another SIU triple cut the margin down to four points, the Lady Bears answered with a 20-4 spurt to push their lead to 30-10 with nine and-a-half minutes left on the first-half clock.

Roberson would connect from long range two more times before the end of the period, handing MSU a 37-15 lead with 5:54 to play, then pushing the Lady Bear lead to 28 at the 3:48 mark with her third triple of the half that followed a Karly Buer three just 20 seconds earlier.

Roberson’s nine points paced MSU’s attack, while Oliver tallied 10 points for SIU to lead all scorers. Tia Mays added eight points, five rebounds and a pair of blocks, and Malone and Casey Garrison contributed six points apiece for MSU.