SPRINGFIELD, Mo. (Interstat) — Kaemyn Bekemeier scored 26 points and Lainie Douglas added 21 as Missouri State held off Kennesaw State 67-61 in a women’s basketball game Thursday night at JQH Arena. The Lady Bears used a decisive 23-point third quarter to erase a 33-27 halftime deficit. The Owls, led by 12 points each from Kaelyn Flowers, Kailyn Fields and Trynce Taylor, closed within two points late but could not complete the comeback. Missouri State secured the win at the free-throw line, making 26 of 32 attempts, while Kennesaw State committed 29 turnovers. Attendance was 1,863. Missouri State improved to 10-5 overall. Kennesaw State fell to 7-6.

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. (Interstat) — In a game defined by relentless defensive pressure and squandered opportunities, the Missouri State Lady Bears overcame a sloppy offensive performance and a halftime deficit to edge the Kennesaw State Owls 67-61 in a nonconference women’s basketball game Thursday night at JQH Arena. A crowd of 1,863 watched as Missouri State (10-5) leaned heavily on the scoring of Kaemyn Bekemeier and Lainie Douglas and a decisive advantage at the free-throw line to secure the victory. Kennesaw State fell to 7-6 with the loss, undone by a staggering 29 turnovers that the Lady Bears converted into 29 points. The game’s pivotal shift came in the third quarter. Kennesaw State, which led 33-27 at halftime after holding Missouri State to just eight second-quarter points, saw its control evaporate under a wave of Lady Bears defensive intensity. Missouri State opened the second half on a 14-4 run, seizing a lead it would not relinquish. The Lady Bears outscored the Owls 23-17 in the period, capitalizing on a series of Kennesaw State miscues to fuel their transition game and establish a 50-44 advantage heading into the final quarter. Bekemeier, a 5-foot-9 guard from Republic, Missouri, was the engine for Missouri State, playing 36 minutes and scoring a game-high 26 points. She attacked the rim consistently, drawing fouls and converting 10 of 12 attempts from the free-throw line. Douglas, a 6-3 forward from Overland Park, Kansas, provided a crucial interior presence, adding 21 points, three assists and a block in 34 minutes. The Owls, despite shooting a superior 48.1% from the field (26 of 54) compared to Missouri State’s 34.5% (20 of 58), could not overcome their self-inflicted wounds. Their 29 turnovers negated efficient scoring from a balanced attack. Kaelyn Flowers, Kailyn Fields and Trynce Taylor each scored 12 points for Kennesaw State, while Keyarah Berry added 10. Missouri State’s path to victory was carved almost exclusively inside the arc and at the charity stripe. The Lady Bears made just one of 14 attempts from three-point range but dominated the free-throw battle, making 26 of 32 attempts. Kennesaw State, by contrast, attempted only four free throws, making all four. The Owls also won the rebounding battle 38-31 and outscored Missouri State 32-34 in the paint, but the Lady Bears’ 12 offensive rebounds and 16 steals created the extra possessions needed to offset their poor shooting. Missouri State committed 22 turnovers of its own, but Kennesaw State managed only 13 points off those takeaways. Defensively, both teams were active, each recording 12 steals and three blocks. The difference was Missouri State’s ability to turn those defensive plays into immediate offense, particularly during the game-changing third-quarter surge. Kennesaw State started strong, leading 16-19 after a back-and-forth first quarter and extending that lead to six by halftime. The Owls’ defense stifled Missouri State in the second quarter, but their own offensive flow never recovered from the Lady Bears’ adjustment after the break. With the win, Missouri State improved to 10-5 on the season and will host Jacksonville State on Saturday. Kennesaw State, now 7-6, continues its road trip at Florida International on Saturday.

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. (Interstat) — A surging Missouri State squad looks to continue its momentum when it hosts a Kennesaw State team coming off its best win of the season in a nonconference women’s basketball matchup Thursday night. The Lady Bears (9-5) have won three of their last four, including an 80-69 road victory at Florida International on Sunday. They are 5-2 at home this season in JQH Arena. Missouri State is led by forward Maiesha Washington, who is coming off a dominant double-double performance with 19 points and 11 rebounds against FIU. Over her last four games, Washington is averaging 11.3 points and 7.5 rebounds. They will face a Kennesaw State Owls (7-5) team that is riding high after a 78-64 win over Western Kentucky on Sunday, which snapped a two-game skid. The Owls are 2-4 in road games. Guard Kailyn Fields powers the Kennesaw State attack. She scored 22 points and dished six assists in the win over Western Kentucky, showcasing the scoring punch she provides. In her last three outings, Fields has averaged 12.7 points and 5.0 assists. The Owls’ victory over WKU was a balanced effort, with Latazia Williamson adding a double-double of 10 points and 11 rebounds and Keyarah Berry contributing 11 points and five rebounds. Missouri State’s recent success has been built on a tough nonconference slate that included games against Arkansas, Gonzaga and Kansas. The Lady Bears’ defense will be tested by Fields and a Kennesaw State offense that put up 86 points in a late December rout of Life University. This contest is the first of a two-game road swing for Kennesaw State, which visits Florida International on Saturday. Missouri State remains home to face Jacksonville State on Saturday. Tipoff is set for Thursday afternoon at JQH Arena.