Preview: Missouri State Lady Bears at Sam Houston Bearkats HUNTSVILLE, Texas (Interstat) — A pivotal Conference USA women’s basketball clash featuring two of the league’s hottest teams is set for Thursday night when the Missouri State Lady Bears visit the Sam Houston Bearkats at Johnson Coliseum. Both teams enter with momentum, having won five of their last seven games. Missouri State (15-8 overall) is coming off a dominant 75-52 home victory over Western Kentucky last Saturday. Sam Houston (14-7) earned a key road win the same day, defeating UTEP 70-58. The matchup hinges on a showdown between two of the conference’s premier scorers. Missouri State is led by guard Kaemyn Bekemeier, who has been on a remarkable offensive tear. Over her last four games, she is averaging 21.5 points, including a 25-point performance in a win over Middle Tennessee and a 21-point, 7-rebound effort against Western Kentucky. Sam Houston counters with its own standout in guard Deborah Ogayemi. She has scored 19 points in each of her last two outings and posted an 18-point, 9-rebound stat line in a win over Kennesaw State on Jan. 31. Her consistency has been a cornerstone for the Bearkats’ success. The Lady Bears’ recent surge has been bolstered by balanced contributions. In the win over Western Kentucky, Kendal Brueggen added 16 points and Lainie Douglas chipped in 10 points and eight rebounds alongside Bekemeier’s 21. For Sam Houston, support for Ogayemi has come from Nyla Inmon and Annika Corcoran, who combined for 26 points in the UTEP victory. Defense will be a key factor. Sam Houston has held opponents under 60 points in three of its last five wins, while Missouri State has limited foes to an average of 55.5 points during its current two-game win streak. This contest is the first of a regular-season home-and-home series between the teams. They are scheduled to meet again in Springfield, Missouri, on Tuesday, Feb. 24. Thursday’s winner will gain crucial positioning in the Conference USA standings as the regular season enters its final month. Tipoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. CST.