by MSU Athletics Communications
SPRINGFIELD – Missouri State’s JQH Arena-record 16-game home winning streak came to an end Saturday afternoon as South Dakota State, which earned its third top-25 win of the season and is receiving votes in both major polls, scored a 60-52 upset victory in the No. 20 Lady Bears’ non-conference finale.
Offense was at a premium for both sides, with each team shooting 21 percent from beyond the arc and Missouri State (4-2) sitting at 32 percent overall with 19 more attempts than SDSU. The Jackrabbits (5-2) shot 41 percent overall and attempted 17 more free throws than MSU in handing the Lady Bears their first home loss since March 3, 2019.
Missouri State jumped ahead 7-2 early, but that lead was quickly erased by a 14-2 South Dakota State run, and the Lady Bears never regained the advantage. The deficit grew to 31-20 late in the second quarter before Emily Gartner scored just before the break to make it a single-digit game, and SDSU extended the margin to 40-27 with 5:34 left in the third quarter.
Senior Brice Calip (Mvskoke Creek) had five points, a steal and an assist in a 7-2 run to pull MSU to 42-34, and it was 46-42 after Jasmine Franklin scored to begin the fourth period.
The Jackrabbits countered with a 9-0 run over the next three minutes to match their largest lead at 55-42 with 6:29 remaining, and Calip added five more points in a 7-0 run for a 55-49 score with 3:27 on the clock.
Missouri State didn’t score again until an Elle Ruffridge 3-pointer with 25 seconds remaining, and by then the Jackrabbits were trying to seal it at the foul line, going 6-for-10 in the final 66 seconds and 17-for-25 in the game as the Lady Bears got no closer than six points down the home stretch.
Calip scored 13 points as the only Lady Bear in double figures, though four other players had at least eight. Franklin grabbed nine rebounds to help MSU win on the boards for the sixth straight game, 41-37. Mya Bhinhar handed out a team-high three assists and Calip grabbed three steals.
