TULSA, Okla. – Missouri State women's basketball (5-1) suffered its first loss of the season on Saturday afternoon, falling 73-57 on the road to an undefeated Tulsa squad (5-0) at the Donald W. Reynolds Center.

After a competitive opening quarter that featured 11 lead changes and saw the Lady Bears dominate the offensive glass, the game's turning point came in the second period as Tulsa used a decisive run to create separation that Missouri State couldn't recover from.

Missouri State opened the game with energy, winning the tip and striking first as Lainie Douglas grabbed an offensive rebound and scored inside. The Lady Bears controlled tempo early, stringing together stops and racking up five offensive boards in the first 10 minutes. Kaemyn Bekemeier knocked down a late three to give Missouri State an 18–17 lead after one.

The second quarter became the turning point, as momentum started to shift in Tulsa's favor. Early foul trouble sent Douglas to the bench, and Tulsa capitalized by speeding up the game and forcing turnovers. The Lady Bears struggled to find clean looks against an aggressive Golden Hurricane defense that denied touches inside and ran in transition off every mistake.

Tulsa controlled the quarter on both ends, snagging six offensive boards and converting Missouri State's first-half turnovers into 13 points. The Golden Hurricane capitalized with a string of transition finishes and well-timed perimeter shots, building a 43–29 halftime lead behind a 26–11 scoring margin in the period.

The Lady Bears started the third quarter with a Lee jumper and a Bekemeier three to pull back within striking distance. However, both teams settled into a defensive battle the rest of the way, with MSU shooting 5-for-16 and Tulsa 4-for-10, as the deficit held at 12 entering the fourth.

Tulsa never allowed a run in the final quarter, rotating defensively as a unit and consistently cutting off driving lanes. The Golden Hurricane controlled the glass in the period and continued to score in transition, keeping the Lady Bears from mounting a comeback attempt as MSU dropped its first contest of the year.

Bekemeier led Missouri State with 19 points and seven rebounds, knocking down three triples. Cady Pauley added 11 points, including a perfect 6-for-6 mark at the free throw line, while Douglas contributed eight points and three boards.

The Lady Bears finished with 12 points off turnovers and 12 second-chance points but were out-rebounded 45–31 and held to 30 percent shooting from the field.

Missouri State returns to action on Nov. 28 at 3 p.m. against Florida State on FloHoops as the Lady Bears open play at the Coconut Hoops Tournament in Fort Myers, Fla.