CHICAGO -- Facing their only deficit of the game, the Missouri State Lady Bears responded with a closing 18-5 run to grab a 69-58 victory at Loyola Friday inside Gentile Arena.

The Lady Bears (15-10, 11-3 Missouri Valley Conference) trailed for only 27 seconds in the contest, but were on the wrong end of a 53-51 score after Loyola (5-19, 3-10) opened the fourth quarter on a 5-0 run to take its only lead of the game.

Aubrey Buckley hit a pair of free throws with 8:12 left to even the score at 53-all, and hit two more on MSU's next possession to regain the lead for good on the way to finishing with 19 points, eight rebounds and three steals.

After the Ramblers hit a 3-pointer with 6:20 remaining to cut MSU's lead to 57-56, the Lady Bears clamped down on defense, keeping the home team off the board until 23 seconds remained while putting the game away with a 12-0 run.

Loyola came up empty on its first 12 possessions as the Lady Bears built an 8-0 lead, but the Ramblers sliced the margin to one possession on 13 different occasions over the next two-plus quarters, while MSU led by no more than seven points over that span before LUC took its lone lead early in the final quarter. 

Alexa Willard added 19 points on 9-of-13 shooting with a career-high six assists, leading MSU to 14 assists against a season-low five turnovers, just one in the second half.

Danielle Gitzen added 14 points and four steals and Liza Fruendt scored 10, and MSU shot 44.3 percent from the field. The Ramblers shot 48 percent, but attempted 11 fewer field goals thanks to the Lady Bears forcing 21 turnovers and swiping a season-high 13 steals.

The win improved Missouri State to 6-2 in MVC road games this year, the fourth consecutive season that the Lady Bears have captured at least six league contests away from home.

MSU plays its final road game of the regular season on Sunday at 3 p.m. at Valparaiso (11-12, 4-8). The game will air on KOZL in the Springfield area and on MSU TV Network affiliates.