Missouri State closes out the non-conference schedule with a pair of home games at JQH Arena, taking on Southern at 2 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 18, and Toledo at 11 a.m. Tuesday, Dec. 21. The Lady Bears then take a break until the Missouri Valley Conference opener on New Year's Eve against Loyola at JQH Arena.
Starting Five - Storylines for the Week
1) Missouri State has continued its tradition of strong defensive play. The Lady Bears currently own the eighth-best three-point defense in the nation with a .208 percentage, while also ranking in the top 30 in scoring defense (14th - 51.1), blocks/game (15th - 5.9) and steals/game (28th - 11.4). MSU's defensive average is on pace to rank second in school history.
2) According to HerHoopStats.com, senior
Jasmine Franklin is currently the only player in NCAA Division I averaging over 15 points, 12 rebounds, 2 steals and 2 blocks per game in 2021-22. Franklin has recorded a double-double in seven of nine games this season, which ranks second in the nation. She currently ranks second in the nation with 13.1 rebounds per game and ranks in top 25 in four other categories (blocks, blocks/game, defensive rebounds/game and total rebounds).
3) Missouri State is 26-1 at home under Coach Mox. Since the start of the 2019-20 season, MSU's 26-1 home record has come by an average score of 76.3-56.7 with a plus-11.7 rebound margin. The Lady Bears are 51-7 in their last 58 home games, beginning Feb. 10, 2017. Since then, MSU has averaged 74.7 points with a plus-17.3 scoring margin and plus-9.6 rebounding margin.
4) Sydney Wilson has continued to build on the success of her breakout performances in the San Juan Shootout, as she is now the second-leading scorer for the Lady Bears with 11.3 ppg. Over the last five games, Wilson leads MSU with 16.2 points per game and 12 total steals. In the five-game stretch, Wilson is 14-for-15 from the free throw line and is shooting 50 percent from the field.
5) Missouri State is 80-12 overall since Dec. 20, 2018, ranking seventh nationally in total wins since that date and fifth in win percentage (.870), trailing only Baylor, UConn, FGCU and South Carolina. Five teams ahead of the Lady Bears on the wins list have been ranked No. 1 in the AP Poll over that span.
The Opponents
Southern is 2-7 overall with seven games on the road, including four at Power Five opponents. The Lady Jags are picked to finish third in the SWAC and received a first-place vote in the preseason poll. Genovea Johnson is Southern's leading scorer with a 9.4 average as a preseason second-team all-SWAC pick. As a team, Southern averages 52.3 points and allows 70.4, shooting .328 overall, .209 from 3-point land and .673 at the foul line.
   Toledo is 5-2 entering a Dec. 19 game at SIUE. The Rockets lead the Mid-American Conference in scoring defense at 58.4 points per game and are led by preseason all-conference selection Quinesha Lockett, who averages 21.7 points per game. As a team, UT scores 74.3 points per contest and shoots .454 overall, .351 from the 3-point arc and .683 at the foul line with a plus-2.3 rebound margin.
Series Histories
Missouri State and Southern have never met in women's basketball, though a scheduled game in January 1983 resulted in a forfeit victory for the Lady Bears. MSU is 7-0 all-time against current SWAC membership.
   The Lady Bears are 2-0 against Toledo, winning 73-69 on the road on Nov. 20, 2010, and beating the Rockets 89-71 in the first round of the 2001 NCAA Tournament in Piscataway, N.J.
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