SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – Missouri S&T's women's basketball team put together a solid defensive effort Wednesday night in its exhibition opener, but struggled to find a consistent scoring touch for much of the evening as Missouri State defeated the Miners 58-44 at Great Southern Bank Arena.
The Miners held the Lady Bears – who reached the second round of the NCAA Tournament last season – to 39.1 percent shooting from the floor in the contest and were in front for much of the first quarter of the game. S&T scored the first four points of the game on a pair of baskets by
Alex Kerr (St. Louis, MO/St. Joseph's Academy) and held the Lady Bears off the scoreboard until the 6:36 mark of the period when Isabelle Delarue got Missouri State on the board.
The Miners scored the final four points of the opening quarter on baskets by
Michaela Davis (Keokuk, Iowa/Keokuk) and Kerr to take a 12-10 lead into the second period, but the Lady Bears turned the tables on S&T at the start of the second period by keeping the Miners scoreless until the 6:36 mark and scored the first eight points to take the lead for good.
Missouri State led 29-20 at the half following a put-back by Delarue before the first half buzzer, then extended its lead to 12 early in the second half. S&T climbed back into the game and after a stretch where it held the Lady Bears scoreless for over four minutes, drew to within five on a lay-in by
Laura Rodriguez (Gran Canaria, Spain/Baloncesto Torrelodones) at the 1:40 mark.
However, Missouri State closed the period with an 11-point advantage after Paige Rocca hit a three-pointer at the buzzer, then shot 50 percent from the field in the fourth quarter to keep S&T at bay.
Kerr led the Miners with 15 points and Rodriguez joined her in double figures with 14. S&T had only five players score in the game – Davis had seven points,
Kristen Keys (St. Louis, MO/Westminster Christian Academy) had five and Chorus Davis scored three on a three-point basket in the first half – as it finished the night with a 30.6 percent shooting mark.
The Miners were also outrebounded 50-34 in the game, but had just 12 turnovers to 15 for Missouri State.
Missouri S&T will play a second exhibition game on Sunday as it takes on Southern Illinois Edwardsville at 1 p.m. in Edwardsville, Ill.
