Missouri State begins Missouri Valley Conference play with a pair of home games at JQH Arena, taking on Loyola at 2 p.m. on Friday, Dec. 31, and Valparaiso at 1 p.m. on Sunday, Jan. 2.
Starting FiveÂ
1) Missouri State has continued its tradition of strong defensive play. The Lady Bears currently own the second-best 3-point defense in the nation with a .196 percentage, while also ranking in the top 20 in scoring defense (9th - 49.9), blocks/game (18th - 5.6) and field goal defense (15th - .334). MSU's defensive average is on pace to rank second in school history.
2) Missouri State enters 2021-22 on a 19-game win streak in the Missouri Valley Conference, which is the second-longest conference win streak in program history. The program record is 24 consecutive conference victories, which was set from Jan. 9, 1999 to Feb. 3, 2000.
3) Missouri State is 28-1 at home under Coach Mox. Since the start of the 2019-20 season, MSU's 28-1 home record has come by an average score of 75.6-54.0 with a plus-11.7 rebound margin. The Lady Bears are 53-7 in their last 60 home games, beginning Feb. 10, 2017. Since then, MSU has averaged 74.5 points with a plus-17.5 scoring margin and plus-9.7 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 11.5 ppg. Over the last seven games, Wilson leads MSU with 15.1 points per game and 15 total steals. In the seven-game stretch, Wilson is 20-for-21 from the free throw line and is shooting 49.4 percent from the field. Wilson also tied her career high with a season-high 10 rebounds against Toledo in the Lady Bears' non-conference finale.
5) Missouri State is 82-12 overall since Dec. 20, 2018, ranking seventh nationally in total wins since that date and fifth in win percentage (.872), 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
Loyola sits at 8-3 after defeating Cleveland State on the road last week to close out their non-conference slate. The Ramblers currently sit at third in the Missouri Valley Conference with their 8-3 record and are led by Allison Day, who is averaging 10.7 ppg and 5.6 rpg. As a team, Loyola is averaging 66.1 ppg and 39.6 rpg. The Ramblers are shooting .433 from the field and .310 from behind the arc, while also dishing out 14.9 assists per game.
    Valparaiso is currently 2-9 on the season, but the Beacons closed out their non-conference schedule with back-to-back victories against Morehead State and Detroit Mercy. The Beacons are led by Carie Weinman who averages 11.7 ppg, while shooting 46 percent from the field. Valparaiso is averaging 56.7 ppg and 24.9 rpg as a team, while shooting .418 from the field and .296 from long range.
Series Histories
The Lady Bears are 16-3 against Loyola Chicago all time, with Missouri State holding a 9-0 series advantage in Springfield. Missouri State has won the last 16 contests against the Ramblers, with the Lady Bears' last loss coming to Loyola on Jan. 12, 2014. MSU swept the two-game series against Loyola last season at JQH Arena by scores of 64-50 and 59-45.
    Missouri State is undefeated against Valparaiso, as the Lady Bears hold an 8-0 all-time series advantage. Last season, the Lady Bears swept the two-game road series at Valparaiso by scores of 61-51 and 74-73.
