SPRINGFIELD, Mo. (Interstat) — A pivotal Conference USA women’s basketball rematch awaits Tuesday night when the Sam Houston Bearkats visit the Missouri State Lady Bears at JQH Arena. The Bearkats (16-9) will look to complete a regular-season sweep after defeating the Lady Bears (16-11) 74-67 in Huntsville, Texas, on Feb. 12. That result is part of a recent surge for Sam Houston, which has won five of its last seven games despite a narrow 69-68 loss at Jacksonville State last Saturday. Missouri State is looking to build momentum from an 83-57 rout of Delaware that same day, which snapped a two-game skid. Sam Houston’s offense runs through guard Fanta Kone, who torched Missouri State for 19 points and eight assists in the first meeting. She is averaging 17.0 points over her last three games, including a 20-point, seven-rebound effort in the loss to Jacksonville State. Her playmaking will be central to the Bearkats’ attack. Missouri State counters with forward Lainie Douglas, who is coming off a dominant 28-point, 12-rebound double-double against Delaware. Her performance was a stark contrast to her outing in the first matchup with Sam Houston, where she was limited to 14 points in 24 minutes. Containing Douglas inside will be a primary focus for the Bearkats’ defense. The game features two teams jockeying for conference tournament positioning with nearly identical overall records. Missouri State holds a 7-5 home record, while Sam Houston is 6-5 on the road. The Lady Bears will aim to leverage their home court to avenge the earlier defeat and even the season series. Tipoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. Central on Tuesday, Feb. 24. Missouri State remains at home to host Florida International on Thursday, while Sam Houston returns home to face Louisiana Tech on Saturday.