Missouri State women’s basketball has shown through nine games that it has a lot of potential as it prepares itself for its final season of Missouri Valley Conference play.
The Lady Bears, in their third season under Beth Cunningham, improved to 6-3 with their 67-45 win over Little Rock on Saturday afternoon at Great Southern Bank Arena. They’ve shown steady improvement throughout the year while gearing up for what appears to be an improved MVC.
This season, Cunningham has the Lady Bears playing differently. They have a more four-guard offense rather than three main post players, with one playing out of position. They got tripped up early in a loss at UT Martin and have had to squeak out wins against teams like Tulsa and Wichita State, but they’ve taken steps in recent wins over Wyoming and Little Rock.
Through nine games, Missouri State has a balanced offensive attack and a deeper bench with more firepower. If the Lady Bears can reduce turnovers, they could be a challenger in the Valley before departing for Conference USA next year.
“I think our development has been really good,” Cunningham said. “We’re far away from where we’re going to be at the end of the year. That’s always been a major focus for us. We’re going to continue to get better as we go, but I think our kids are hungry. I’m a big believer that if you do things the right way, good things have a tendency to happen.”
Missouri State will travel to Southeast Missouri State on Monday before wrapping non-conference play against Southern Mississippi on Friday in Springfield. Valley play begins on Dec. 29 at Illinois Chicago.
Missouri State women’s basketball doesn’t have to be the Lacy Stokes show every game
Former Mount Vernon star Lacy Stokes showed she could be a Division I star throughout her first season with the Lady Bears a year ago. On many occasions, she’d put a superhero cape on and help carry the Lady Bears to thrilling victories. She was the heart of the team.
Nine games into this season, Stokes is still the heart of the team. She is the energetic point guard who directs the offense each time she goes down the court. This year, however, she hasn’t had to take over too often, and that’s not a bad thing.
“We have a lot of different people who can contribute in a lot of different ways,” Cunningham said. “Anybody we put on the floor can score. It really comes down to matchups and then how people decide to guard us. We’ve played really unselfish basketball.”
Stokes’ numbers are similar to what they were a year ago. She scored 10 points against Little Rock and is averaging 12.1, a little less than she did last season. There’s been no step back to her game and no one doubts whether she can take over when needed.
This year’s team is balanced. Five players average 9.7 points or more, with Stokes leading the team. The program hasn’t had that much scoring balance since, at least, before Amaka Agugua-Hamilton led the program.
“They’re willing to make the right play,” Cunningham said. “Lacy has been rock solid for us all the way through. She’s making things happen.”
Sarah Linthacum stands out among newcomers
Sarah Linthacum, a transfer from Mizzou, has fit in nicely. After spending her first four years in Columbia, she’s carved out a standout role for the Lady Bears.
The 6-foot-3 post appeared in 68 games at Missouri, making six starts. She averaged 6.8 minutes, 1.1 points and 1.5 rebounds per appearance.
In maroon, Lintachum has started every game, averaging 24.7 minutes and 11.2 points. She’s proven to be extremely efficient, shooting 51.1% from the field.
In some ways, she’s been more efficient than the Lady Bears’ previous frontcourt, featuring three starters who entered the transfer portal after last season.
“She does everything we ask her to do,” Cunningham said. “It’s so rewarding to see her do that and commit to that and then see the end result. It’s been great and certainly needed. We lost a lot inside, but when you look at the efficiency and production, we haven’t missed a beat in a lot of ways. We’ve been a lot more efficient, to be honest.”
Kyrah Daniels, Paige Rocca lead guard depth
Kyrah Daniels showed as a freshman that she was capable of being the team’s best player in future years. She continued to take steps early in her second season.
Daniels scored 14 points against the Trojans and broke the game open with a trio of 3’s in the second quarter. Her numbers have taken a jump this year, averaging 11.8 points, shooting 37.2% from the field and 43.9% from deep.
“She’s really starting to come to her own just from a confidence standpoint,” Cunningham said. “She’s just so reliable and is a great teammate.”
Others have started to show more comfort and are playing their best ball. Paige Rocca, who has been in a Lady Bears uniform for seemingly forever, is playing the best basketball of her career, according to her coach. Kaemyn Bekemeier continues to carve out a role and has taken steps offensively, more than doubling her scoring output per night.
Lainie Douglas, a true freshman from Blue Valley Northwest (Kansas) High, has also established herself as a reliable player in the post when Linthacum needs a breather.
How does Missouri State women’s basketball’s résumé stack up with those in the MVC?
Missouri State entered Saturday afternoon ranked 143rd in the NET rankings, sixth among Missouri Valley Conference teams. Murray State, Belmont and Northern Iowa all cracked the top 65, with Drake at 109 and Illinois State at 138.
Murray State, the top team in the league, continues to put up monster offensive numbers, as it did a year ago. The Racers and Lady Bears have common opponents, with Murray State beating Saint Louis 91-66 and Little Rock 105-57. The Racers notably have a win over Memphis.
None of the teams ahead of Missouri State have too much of a difference in record. Belmont, for example, is 5-4 but has better, closer losses to No. 8 Ohio State and RV Michigan than MSU has against RV Florida State (97-69) and Texas Tech (72-69). The Lady Bears’ 74-66 loss at UT Martin on Nov. 19 is bad, with it being the Skyhawks’ lone win.
This article originally appeared on Springfield News-Leader: Missouri State women’s basketball has potential heading into MVC play
