Starting Five - Storylines for the NCAA Second Round
1) Missouri State (24-9, 16-2 MVC) won the MVC Tournament championship and finished second in the regular season standings. The Lady Bears are 23-2 since a Dec. 16 loss to Gonzaga, and are making their 15th NCAA Tournament appearance. MSU is coming off three consecutive games scoring at least 89 points for the first time in school history, and has defeated AP Top 25 opponents in consecutive games for the first time since beating No. 11 Rutgers and fifth-ranked Duke on March 19 and 24, 2001.
2) The Lady Bears went 16-2 in MVC play for the sixth time in school history, and are 31-5 in league play the last two seasons. In Valley games this season, MSU led the league in scoring defense (58.4), rebound margin (+10.9), offensive rebounds (14.6) and turnover margin (+4.67).
3) Missouri State went 9-0 in MVC road games for the first time ever this season. The current overall nine-game road win streak ties a school record set by the 1992 Final Four team. Including a pair of neutral site contests in Kansas City before Christmas, the MVC Tournament and Saturday's NCAA win, the Lady Bears have won 15 straight games away from Springfield, last losing Dec. 9 at Indiana.
4) The Lady Bears have won the rebounding battle 29 times in 33 games this year, and rank in the top 25 nationally in rebound margin (+9.0) and both offensive (.380) and defensive (.749) rebound percentage. MSU's rebound margin is the second-best in school history, behind only the 1975 club at plus-9.9.
5) Missouri State has made more free throws than the opposition in 22 of the last 24 games, connecting on 340 foul shots during that span compared to 278 total attempts for opponents. The Lady Bears rank in the top 21 nationally in both free throw makes and attempts.
NCAA Tournament History
Missouri State boasts a rich NCAA Tournament history with 15 total appearances, Final Four trips in 1992 and 2001, and a Sweet Sixteen in 1993. The Lady Bears last are 15-14 all-time in NCAA play, and are playing in the second round for the first time since 2001.
Against the Field
Missouri State has played nine games against seven teams in the NCAA field this season, going 4-5 with two wins against Drake and one each versus Little Rock and DePaul. The Lady Bears also played Indiana, South Dakota, Missouri and Gonzaga.
Series History
Missouri State is 2-8 all-time against the Cyclones, ISU won the first eight meetings from 1975-85, and MSU earned wins in 1990 and 1991.
Scouting Iowa State
Iowa State is 26-8 overall and finished second in the Big 12 at 13-5. The Cyclones are 17-2 at home, where attendance averages nearly 10,000 fans per game, and feature Big 12 Player of the Year Bridget Carlson, who averages 21.4 points, 8.6 rebounds and 4.1 assists per game. Four ISU players score in double figures for a potent offense that averages 79.4 points on 44.7 percent shooting overall, 33.6 percent from long range and 79.1 percent at the foul line. The Cyclones allow 63.9 points on 37.3 percent shooting with a plus-4.4 rebound margin.
First Round Recap
The Lady Bears captured their first NCAA Tournament victory since 2001 with an 89-78 win against DePaul, shooting 53% and burying 11 3-pointers.
Junior
Alexa Willard and senior
Danielle Gitzen scored 20 points apiece, becoming the 27th and 28th players in school history with 1,000 career points within 52 seconds of each other in the third quarter, while Iowa native
Elle Ruffridge poured in a career-high 15 points.
Gitzen added eight rebounds and six assists without a turnover against the pressing Blue Demons, and Missouri State owned a 42-31 lead on the glass on the way to its 23rd win in the last 25 games and 15th in a row away from Springfield.
A fast-paced game from the jump, the first quarter included six ties and six lead changes to a 23-23 score after 10 minutes. The Lady Bears opened the second period on a 5-0 run and never trailed again.
MSU led 42-33 at half after holding DePaul, the nation's leader in 3-pointers, to 0-for-9 from beyond the arc, and led 55-40 on a Gitzen trey with 6:05 on the clock.
The Blue Demons closed to 62-55 before Ruffridge countered with a personal 5-0 run to get the lead to 69-56 late in third period, and the Lady Bears started the fourth period on an 11-2 run to grow the lead to 80-59 after a Ruffridge layup with 5:41 to go.
DePaul got no closer than 11 points after that, as MSU held the Blue Demons to 10-for-35 from 3-point range and dished out 18 assists.
