Missouri State women’s basketball is amidst its best season under third-year coach Beth Cunningham and is entering a monster two-game stretch at Great Southern Bank Arena that could put the Lady Bears in the driver’s seat for the Missouri Valley Conference title.
Missouri State (13-4, 5-1 MVC) is on a five-game winning streak and has only lost one game since November. Through 17 games, the Lady Bears matched their record in 2021-22, the program’s final season under Amaka Agugua-Hamilton, and its most recent NCAA Tournament appearance.
An NCAA Tournament berth is realistic for the Lady Bears, playing their final season in the MVC before joining Conference USA next year. They’re also capable of a Valley regular season championship. They’re currently a half-game behind Belmont and Murray State for the league lead when they’ve played one less game. The Lady Bears handed the Racers and Bruins their only losses of league play.
Drake (11-7, 5-2 MVC) will visit Springfield on Friday at 6:30 p.m., and Northern Iowa (9-9, 4-3 MVC) will visit on Sunday at 2 p.m.
Here’s what you need to know:
Lacy Stokes continues to lead the way for Missouri State women’s basketball
Stokes isn’t blowing anyone in the MVC away in statistical categories, but she leads the league in winning percentage for a team’s starting point guard. She’s a winner, and she continues to be the heart of the program. That’s all she needs to be.
Stokes does whatever is needed for the Lady Bears, whether that’s being the team’s leading scorer on most nights or distributing to others. She brings defensive intensity to every game. Since league play began, she has yet to turn the ball over more than twice in a single game.
During the Lady Bears’ five-game winning streak, she’s averaged 15.2 points, 3.8 rebounds, three assists, and less than one turnover per game. She’s playing some of the best ball of her career right now.
Sarah Linthacum’s breakout season has been critical
The biggest question heading into the season was how the Lady Bears’ frontcourt would perform after standouts at the position transferred out. The Lady Bears put those questions to rest with efficient play from a Mizzou transfer, who is making the most of her time in Springfield.
Sarah Linthacum is among the top newcomers in the Valley this season. She leads the league in field goal percentage, making 55.8% of her shots. The 6-foot-3 post is among the most efficient shooters in college basketball, ranking 33rd in field goal percentage. She averages 11.2 points and 5.2 rebounds per game.
This comes after Linthacum spent her first three years up north, during which time she never averaged more than 10 minutes per game. Across 68 appearances and six starts with the Tigers, she scored 73 total points, compared to the 76 she’s scored for the Lady Bears since conference play began.
Kaemyn Bekemeier has been a spark off the bench
The growth of former Republic star Kaemyn Bekemeier has been crucial to the Lady Bears’ success this season. She’s gone from an athletic defensive contributor off the bench to averaging double digits and nearly 23 minutes per game.
Bekemeier is averaging 10.4 points and 5.5 rebounds per outing. She’s a 43.2% shooter from deep and 51.7% from the floor. She’s also constantly responsible for guarding the more athletic players on the defensive end. Twice this season, she’s finished with a double-double.
Bekemeier’s success isn’t a surprise to those who have followed her since she was one of the better recruits who came out of the area over the last decade. Her next step is limiting her turnovers when she tends to get a little loose with the ball. She should continue to get better, which should make her one of the team’s leaders when it moves to Conference USA next season.
This is Missouri State women’s basketball’s biggest stretch until late February
These two games appear to be the team’s biggest home games for the rest of the season. The next big stretch will begin on Feb. 20, when they play four consecutive road games at the homes of the top teams in the league.
The first big stretch comes on Feb. 20 and 22 when the Lady Bears play their return games at Northern Iowa and Drake. They stay on the road to go to Murray State on Feb. 27 and Belmont on March 1. Those four games could be season-defining and decide who wins the league’s regular season championship.
Don’t count out Illinois State, either. The Redbirds are 5-2 during the regular season, tied with Drake and a half-game behind the Lady Bears. Illinois State hosts the Lady Bears on Feb. 2, after the Lady Bears go to Bradley on Jan. 31 to follow this current two-game homestand. The Redbirds come to Springfield on March 6, the first game following the four-game road trip to the league’s best.
This article originally appeared on Springfield News-Leader: Missouri State women’s basketball has NCAA Tournament hopes
