Starting Five - Storylines for the Missouri Game
1) Missouri State renews its in-state rivalry with Missouri for a ninth consecutive season Monday evening in Columbia for a 7 p.m. tip. The 21st-ranked Lady Bears are 3-1 on the season and already own a victory against No. 12 Maryland, and are 53-8 overall since Dec. 20, 2018, ranking fifth nationally in total wins since that date behind Baylor, Oregon, UConn and Louisville.
2) The Lady Bears are 22-4 in their last 26 true road games and 29-6 in the last 35 games away from home. Missouri State's 11 true road victories last season ranked fifth nationally.
3) MSU returns four starters and 10 players from last season, with 75% of scoring, 87% of rebounds, 89% of assists, 83% of blocked shots, 86% of steals and 81% of minutes played returning to the roster. MSU has nine players on its roster who have played in a Sweet 16 game, two more than any other team in the country.
4) Missouri State has won the rebounding battle all four games this year and 30 of the last 34, with a plus-17.0 margin this season ahead of the school-record pace (+9.9) and the .805 defensive rebounding percentage better than last season's NCAA-leading .773 mark.
5) The Lady Bears entered the season ranked in the top 25 for the first time since 2000, marking the fourth time in school history that MSU earned a preseason ranking by the Associated Press and the Coaches Poll. Missouri State has been ranked in 20 consecutive editions of the USA Today Coaches Poll, dating to Nov. 18, 2019, the longest streak in school history. The 2000-01 Final Four team appeared in 19 straight polls.
The Opponent
Missouri is 1-0 on the year with a 96-78 home win over North Alabama on Nov. 27 before having its next four games canceled. The Tigers are picked to finish 10th in the Southeastern Conference after a 9-22 season a year ago, with sophomore Aijha Blackwell featured as a second-team preseason all-SEC choice.
Series History
Missouri owns a 21-11 lead in the series after the Lady Bears won last season's meeting in Springfield. Missouri State is 4-12 in Columbia, losing its last three visits since a 79-70 victory on Dec. 10, 2003.
Last Game
Missouri State raced out to a 24-0 lead midway through the first quarter Monday and never looked back in a 100-38 victory against Lincoln in the Dec. 7 home opener at JQH Arena.
   The 21st-ranked Lady Bears extended their home winning streak to 16 consecutive games, the longest at The Q and sixth-longest in school history, one of several superlatives on the night.
   Junior
Sydney Wilson scored a career-high 21 points on 8-of-10 shooting,
Sydney Manning threatened a triple-double with 12 points, seven rebounds and a career-high eight assists, while
Elle Ruffridge (13) and
Abi Jackson (12) joined them in double figures and eight players tallied at least eight points.
   Missouri State had 31 assists on 40 made baskets and reached 100 points for the 19th time in school history, leading 57-12 at halftime and by as many as 68 points in the final minutes.
   The Lady Bears shot 49.4 percent overall, knocked down 12 3-pointers, and won 58-37 on the glass. Lincoln shot 17.5 percent in the game, and Missouri State swiped 13 steals off 22 miscues by the Blue Tigers.
