Starting Five - Storylines for the Missouri Game
1) Welcome to the Cunningham Era - Missouri State enters its first season with
Beth Cunningham at the helm of the Lady Bears program. This season will mark Cunningham's 10th season as a head coach after she spent nine seasons leading VCU from 2003-2012. Since then, Cunningham served as associate head coach under Hall of Famer Muffet McGraw at her alma mater, Notre Dame. She then went on to Duke, where she was as an assistant coach under Kara Lawson for two seasons before coming to Springfield.
2) In the last five seasons, MSU has compiled a 57-8 record inside Great Southern Bank Arena, while boasting a 36-2 record in its last three seasons in front of the home crowd. The Lady Bears are 61-8 in their last 69 home games, beginning Feb. 10, 2017. Since then, MSU has averaged 73.4 points with a plus-16.8 scoring margin and plus-9.8 rebounding margin.
3) MSU returns one starter from last season in fifth-year senior
Sydney Wilson. The next win Wilson plays in will mark her 100th career victory as a Lady Bear. Wilson currently ranks in the top 25 in career free throw percentage, career three-pointers and career games played while also ranking inside the top 30 in steals and top 40 in scoring and free throws made in program history. Last season, Wilson averaged 10.5 points and 5.8 rebounds per game.
4) Kansas transfer
Aniya Thomas is just 21 points away from 1,000 points for her career. Thomas averaged 8.5 points and 2.5 rebounds per game last season at KU with 16 starts.
5) Missouri State is 98-18 overall since Dec. 20, 2018, which is eighth nationally in total wins since that date and eighth in win percentage (.845). Five teams ahead of the Lady Bears on the wins list have been ranked No. 1 in the AP Poll over that span.
Series History
Missouri State and Missouri have met 34 times in the programs' histories. Missouri leads the all-time series 21-13, but the Lady Bears have won the last three matchups. In last season's contest in Springfield, MSU defeated Mizzou 79-51 in front of the fourth-largest crowd in Great Southern Bank Arena history (5,288).
The Opponent
Missouri returns nine players from last season, led by Hayley Frank who averaged 15.1 points and 5.1 rebounds per game last season. Frank garnered preseason All-SEC Second Team honors. Mizzou also returns Lauren Hansen, who averaged 10.9 ppg, 2.5 rpg and shot .389 from behind the arc. The Tigers were picked to finish 12th in the Southeastern Conference Preseason Poll, voted on by the league's coaches.
