Final Stats

MURFREESBORO, Tenn. -- Missouri State took a one-point lead into the fourth quarter Thursday afternoon, but went cold from the floor as Middle Tennessee used a 10-0 run to break the game open for a 70-54 victory.

An Education Day crowd of 11,411 witnessed the contest at the Murphy Center, the third-largest crowd to ever attend a Lady Bear game and most for a non-Final Four game.

After trailing 28-23 at halftime, the Lady Bears (6-5) made their first six shots of the third quarter to cut the lead to 38-36 on a Lexi Hughes 3-pointer, and two Tyonna Snow free throws evened the score at 38-38 with 3:18 to play. Hughes canned another trey for a 10-0 run and Kenzie Williams hit two free throws for a 44-40 advantage before Hillary Chvatal's layup beat the third quarter buzzer for a 46-45 advantage.

The Blue Raiders (5-4) score five points in the first 55 seconds of the fourth to go ahead 50-46, and a Liza Fruendt 3-pointer made it 50-49 with 8:25 to play. Middle Tennessee countered with a 6-0 run to match its largest lead, and Snow's and-one with 4:02 remaining pulled MSU to 56-52, but also proved to be the Lady Bears' last field goal of the game. MT fired off a 10-0 run from there and shot 10-for-16 in the fourth quarter.

The short-handed Lady Bears led by as many as eight points in the first half on a Kenzie Williams 3-pointer for 18-10 with 7:41 left in the second quarter, but the Blue Raiders ripped off a 15-0 run in response to lead 25-18 before Hughes scored MSU's final five points of the period for a 28-23 halftime deficit.

Missouri State shot 17-for-50 in the game compared to 28-for-70 for the Blue Raiders, as the home team forced 19 turnovers and grabbed 20 offensive rebounds. MT held a 46-34 rebounding margin.

Snow paced the Lady Bears with 17 points, seven rebounds and five assists while moving to fourth in MSU and 10th in Missouri Valley Conference history in career free throw attempts. Hughes added 11, while Chvatal had eight points and nine boards.

Middle Tennessee's Brea Edwards score 29 points to lead the Blue Raiders.

MSU closes non-conference play Sunday at 3 p.m. at Little Rock (2-5).