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The Lady Bear Necessities
· Missouri State women's basketball (8-3, 2-0) closes its six-game home stand with a Saturday afternoon (1 p.m.) matchup against UIC (8-5, 1-1) at Great Southern Bank Arena. The all-time series between the Lady Bears and Flames is tied 2-2, with MSU winning the two most recent contests, including last season's game in Springfield (68-57).
· MSU is currently riding a
nine-game home win streak dating back to last season with the Lady Bears' last home loss coming on Feb. 19, 2023 against Belmont. The Lady Bears are
18-4 at home in the
Beth Cunningham era and have won 15 of their last 16 games at Great Southern Bank Arena.
· In their last outing, Missouri State defeated Valparaiso 67-47 for its largest margin of victory this season. MSU used a dominant first-half performance in which they allowed just 14 points to the Beacons, the fewest points allowed in a half this season by the Lady Bears, to ultimately secure a 20-point victory and remain undefeated in MVC action (2-0). Four Lady Bears were in double figures on the night, led by
Indya Green (Jr., Springfield, Mo.) with 12 points.
· In the
Beth Cunningham era, the Lady Bears are
17-1 when scoring 70+ points. Under Cunningham, Missouri State is
21-0 when allowing 65 points or less and
27-3 when holding opponents to 70 points or less.
· Missouri State ranks inside the Top 100 nationally in free throw attempts per game (49th – 20.4), rebound margin (71
st - +5.7), free throws made per game (99
th – 13.0) and winning percentage (78th - .727).
· The Lady Bears were picked 5th in this year's MVC Preseason Poll. MSU has won 12 or more MVC games in eight consecutive years and has posted 22 top-three finishes in 31 league seasons. Missouri State is 395-163 all-time in MVC play.
· MSU has won the rebounding battle 136 times in the last 167 contests, going 116-20 when winning on the glass. Missouri State is
7-0 this season when winning the battle on the boards. The Lady Bears have also out-rebounded 84 of their last 99 MVC opponents.
· Missouri State's junior class (Green, Scott, Stokes, Taylor) is accounting for
60% of the Lady Bears' scoring this season. The combination of two returners and two transfers has scored 419 of MSU's 695 points on the year.
· The Lady Bears have come up clutch in close games this season - owning a
4-0 record in games decided by five points or less.
The Series
The all-time series between Missouri State and UIC is tied, 2-2, which includes a 1-0 record at home for the Lady Bears. After losing the first two matchups in the series in 1983 and 1984 on the road, MSU has won the two most recent contests. The first was a neutral site victory for the Lady Bears in 2005 at the Fun in the Sun Shootout in Playa del Carmen, Mexico as they defeated the Flames, 64-60.
Last season, MSU and UIC met for the first time in 17 years as the squads faced off for the first time in Springfield and for the first time as conference opponents.
Kennedy Taylor led the way for the Lady Bears with a career day as MSU came from behind in the second half. Taylor posted a career high in points (25) and assists (6), while tying her career mark in rebounds (15).
Paige Rocca and
Jade Masogayo also contributed 12 points each, while Masogayo added nine boards and four assists in the 68-57 victory.
A Lady Bear Win Would...
· Extend MSU's current win streak to six games.
· Mark Missouri State's 10
th consecutive win at home – the Lady Bears haven't lost at Great Southern Bank Arena since Feb. 19, 2023 against Belmont.
· Mark MSU's best start in conference play since the 2020-21 season.
