Final Stats

SPRINGFIELD -- Missouri State overcame a slow start Tuesday evening for an 88-61 win over visiting MidAmerica Nazarene at JQH Arena, improving to 1-1 on the season and earning Kellie Harper her 200th career victory as a head coach.

MSU seniors Kenzie Williams (14), Tyonna Snow (14) and Hillary Chvatal (12) led the way offensively, as Williams buried four 3-pointers and Chvatal added two more. Snow grabbed seven rebounds and six steals, surpassing 250 for her career, while sharing the team assist lead with Williams and Danielle Gitzen at four apiece. All 13 Lady Bears scored and grabbed a rebound in the contest.

The Pioneers got off to a fast start offensively, making four of their first five shots for a 10-7 lead 3:35 into the game, and turning steals into layups on consecutive possessions for an 18-9 advantage with 1:11 left in the first quarter.

Chvatal hit 3-pointers on either side of the quarter break to pull MSU within 18-15 with 9:51 left before half, and the Lady Bears went on to shoot 12-for-18 in the second quarter while pouring in 32 points for a 44-32 halftime lead.

Williams knocked down the first of three second-quarter 3-pointers to give MSU the lead for good, and Chvatal followed with a transition layup off Snow's steal to cap a 13-0 run at 22-18 with 7:21 on the clock. Liza Fruendt scored buckets 26 seconds apart for a double-digit lead at 38-28, and Riley Rose finished off the half with a steal and layup.

Missouri State twice led by 13 points early in the third quarter before MNU cut the advantage to single digits at 47-39. Grace Vander Weide and Lexi Hughes drained 3-pointers for a 53-39 advantage with 3:58 to go, and MSU's lead twice grew to 16 points before ending the quarter at 59-45.

MNU stayed within striking distance early in the final period until Snow scored four times during a 13-0 run that took just 2:33 of game time and put the Lady Bears ahead 77-51 with 4:53 to play. MSU led by at least 21 points for the remainder of the game.

The Lady Bears scored 26 points off turnovers and owned a 28-10 margin, leading to 21 more field goal attempts than the Pioneers. MSU shot .442 (34-77) overall compared to .411 (23-56) for the visitors, and knocked down 11 of 29 tries from beyond the arc. Missouri State finished with 20 assists and 15 steals.

Missouri State visits Ole Miss (1-1) Thursday for a 6 p.m. tip in Oxford.