The Missouri State Lady Bears begin a stretch of seven consecutive games in Missouri on Sunday afternoon when 21st-ranked Gonzaga comes to JQH Arena for a 2 p.m. tip.
The Bulldogs are the third straight and fourth overall MSU opponent this season receiving votes in the two major top 25 polls at game time, and mark the end of a three-game stretch for the Lady Bears against teams with a combined 27-2 record.
Missouri State has 19 wins over top-25 opponents in its history, including a 9-14 record at home. The Lady Bears are also 17-3 in their last 20 games at JQH Arena, averaging 74.3 points with a plus-16.1 scoring margin and plus-8.1 rebounding margin over that span.
Following Sunday's contest, Missouri State heads to Kansas City for neutral site games with Louisiana Tech and SIU Edwardsville, then opens a four-game home stand with Little Rock on Dec. 30. MSU does not leave the Show-Me State again until Jan. 18.
Series History
Missouri State is 1-1 all-time against Gonzaga, defeating the Bulldogs 85-66 in the second round of the 2005 WNIT in Springfield, and losing 80-66 in a November 2012 game in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. MSU is 5-3 against current West Coast Conference membership.
The Lady Bears also have a tie to Gonzaga's home of Spokane, Wash., where they defeated Duke and Washington to win the NCAA West Regional and earn a spot in the 2001 Final Four.
Scouting Gonzaga
Gonzaga is 9-1 on the season with its only loss coming at the hands of then-No. 1 Notre Dame. The Bulldogs boast a balanced offense with five players scoring at least 8.2 points per game, and Lauren Stockton - the daughter of NBA Hall of Famer all-time assist leader John Stockton - has a team-high 39 assists. As a team, Gonzaga scores 68.2 points and allows 55.4, shooting 41.9 percent overall, 34.3 percent on 3-pointers and 77 percent at the foul line with a plus-5.0 rebounding margin.
