Missouri State Bears go dancing back to NCAA tourney’s Sweet 16 with win at Iowa State

In a season of possibility that just keeps on going, Missouri State’s women’s basketball team is on to the Sweet 16.

The 11th-seeded Bears are still dancing thanks to a 69-60 win over No. 3 seed Iowa State in an NCAA Tournament Chicago Regional game on Monday night at the Cyclones’ raucous Hilton Coliseum in Ames, Iowa.

Missouri State (25-9) advances to the Sweet 16 and a Saturday game in Chicago against No. 2 seed Stanford (30-4), a 72-63 winner over BYU later on Monday in Palo Alto, Calif.

Missouri State’s last deep run in the NCAA Tournament came in 2001, with Claflin, Kan., native Jackie Stiles running the offense. Stiles is still on board, now as a cancer-surviving assistant coach with the Bears.

Stiles’ Bears made it to the Final Four that season, one of two times Missouri State has played its way into the Elight Eight or beyond.

But these Bears aren’t done just yet, either.

Missouri State, the No. 11 seed in the region, got it done Monday with even scoring across the roster. Junior guard Alexa Willard of Lebanon, Mo., led the way with 17 points, followed by Kansas City (St. Pius X) product Abby Hipp with 11 and Danielle Gitzen with 10.

Iowa State’s Bridget Carleton, the Big 12’s player of the year and ISU’s single-season scoring leader, poured in 31, but the Cyclones saw their season end at 26-8 on their home court.

Missouri State seemed to take control after halftime, building its lead to to as large as 11 points before the Cyclones slowly closed it down in the third period.

Iowa State pulled within one midway through the final quarter and briefly went ahead; the Cyclones’ last lead to that point had been 17-16 early in the game. But they would get no closer.

The Bears regained the lead and never trailed again.

Iowa State had averaged nine made three-pointers per game entering Monday’s game and finished with just two. Credit Missouri State’s defense, which had a hand in the face of the Cyclones’ shooters all night.

Missouri State advanced to Monday’s second-round game by beating No. 6 seed DePaul 89-78 in the first round. Iowa State moved into Monday’s showdown with a 97-61 win over No. 14 seed New Mexico State.

As for Stiles, Missouri State coach Kellie Harper told the Associated Press recently that she appreciates the value of having the school’s greatest and most famous player at her side.

“We have a lot of fun with it, counting Jackie Stiles banners and statues and billboards and murals, anything Jackie Stiles,” Harper said. “But I do think our players have tremendous respect for what she did and I think they’re very proud to be associated with Jackie Stiles and this program.”

Perhaps they’ll be making new banners in Springfield soon enough.

This story was originally published March 25, 2019 at 10:16 PM.