The 20th-ranked Missouri State Lady Bears never trailed and led for more than 39 minutes Monday evening on the way to taking down in-state rival Missouri for the second straight season, 72-58 at Mizzou Arena. Senior Elle Ruffridge scored a season-high 19 points and Brice Calip added 17, as Missouri State (4-1) opened up an 18-point first half lead on the way to its fifth Power 5 victory in the past two seasons and first road win at MU (1-1) since 2003.
The Tigers outscored the Lady Bears by eight, closing out the third quarter on a 12-2 run to cut the lead to just five points. However, Missouri State outscored Mizzou by nine in the final quarter of action
The Lady Bears host South Dakota State (3-2) at 1 p.m. Saturday to close the non-conference slate. The Jackrabbits own a pair of top-25 wins this season and were ranked in both polls last week before suffering a pair of losses. Mizzou remains home for its next contest, as the Tigers host New Orleans on Wednesday, Dec. 16. The game is set to tip at 7:00 p.m. CT and will be broadcast on SEC Network +.