Women's Basketball

Hoops in the Heartland: #2 Missouri State 59, #7 Loyola 50

QUAD CITIES -   In a game of extreme runs, Missouri State's final burst decided things once and for all.
 
The second-seeded Lady Bears reeled off 13 straight points to break the game's final tie and beat seventh-seeded Loyola 59-50 to gain a berth in Saturday's semifinals for the fourth time in the last five years and 21st time overall.

Danielle Gitzen, the team's only senior, scored 18 points to lead the offense and Missouri State turned back the Ramblers with another solid defensive effort. The Lady Bears are now 61-2 under Coach Kellie Harper when holding opponents below 60 points.

Alexa Willard added 12 points for the Lady Bears (21-9), Brice Calip scored 10 and Jasmine Franklin finished with nine points, 12 rebounds and four steals.
 
Missouri State held Loyola to 34 percent shooting, but it still wasn't easy for the Lady Bears, who had defeated by Ramblers by margins of 35 and 27 points during the season.

It looked as though another rout was in the offing when Missouri State jumped to an 8-0 lead and Loyola missed its first eight shots. The Ramblers then gained some traction and fashioned a 13-0 run to go up 13-10.

Trailing 31-27 at halftime, Missouri State started the third quarter with 16 straight points, only to see Loyola answer with a 12-0 run to tie the score at 43 on Abby O'Connor's 3-pointer. But the Lady Bears had one more run in them and it turned the game. They scored the next 13 to open a 56-43 lead and this time, Loyola had no answer.

Maya Dunson led Loyola with 13 points, matching the career high she established in an opening-round victory over Evansville. O'Connor had 12 points and 14 rebounds for her seventh double-double of the season and Ellie Rice scored 10.

Missouri State not only scored the first points of every quarter, the Lady Bears hit buzzer beaters at the end of the first three quarters. Calip sank three free throws after being fouled on a desperation heave from midcourt at the end of the first quarter, Gitzen hit a jumper with 3 seconds left in the second quarter and knocked down a 3-pointer with 2 seconds remaining in the third quarter.