The Missouri State Lady Bears will open NCAA Women’s Tournament play tonight with a game against the Stephen F. Austin Ladyjacks.
Game time is 8 p.m. in Austin, Texas (ESPN2).
Missouri State (22-12) and Stephen F. Austin (25-9) are both No. 16 seeds bidding to advance to take on top-seeded Texas in the second round of the tournament at 3 p.m. Thursday.
Missouri State advanced by winning the Conference USA Tournament title with a 43-38 victory last Saturday against top-seeded Louisiana Tech.
Kaemyn Bekemeier, a graduate of Republic High School, leads Missouri State with 17.4 points and 8.2 rebounds per game. She was the Conference USA Tournament MVP, averaging 17.7 points, 9.3 rebounds and 2.7 assists in the event.
Lanie Douglas totals 13.7 points and 6.1 rebounds for the Lady Bears, who have won seven of their past eight games.
The Lady Bears average 65.7 points per game, while allowing 61 to their opponents.
Stephen F. Austin advanced by winning the Southland Conference Tournament title with a 71-59 win against top-seeded McNeese State in Lake Charles, La. It was the 10th win in the past 11 games for the Ladyjacks.
Stephen F. Austin has five players averaging in double figures, led by 13.2 points per game from Key Roseby. She also tops the team with 6.7 rebounds per contest. As a team, Stephen F. Austin averages 75.3 points per game, while allowing 66.4.
Today marks Missouri State’s first NCAA Tournament appearance since 2022, which ended in a first-round loss.
The Lady Bears made the Sweet 16 in two of the previous three seasons prior to the first-round loss.
Missouri State has now made March Madness 18 times in program history and has advanced to two Final Fours (1992 and 2001).
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