Kayla Thacker scored 11 points for the Norse on Saturday against Missouri State.
Box score
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – Whitney Edie came off the bench to score 22 points and pull down 16 rebounds to lead the Missouri State University women's basketball team to a 70-67 victory over Northern Kentucky University on Saturday afternoon at the JQH Arena.
Missouri State (5-2) led by as many as eight points in the first half, but NKU (1-5) was able to cut the lead to 30-28 at the break.
Tiara Hopper put the Norse on the scoreboard first in the second half and tied the game at 30-all with a pair of free throws. A
Melody Doss jumper in the paint gave NKU its first lead of the game with 17:13 remaining in the second half.
After trading points and leads, momentum began to favor the Norse midway through the second half. NKU stretched its lead to 55-46 on a
Rianna Gayheart 3-point field goal with 7:46 left in the game. Edie responded with a 3-pointer of her own, and she followed that with a jumper to spark a 12-3 run to tie the game for Missouri State at 58-all with 4:33 remaining.
Doss hit a 3-pointer to give NKU a 61-60 advantage less than a minute later. Edie once again tied the game for the Bears with a free throw, and Missouri State built a 70-64 lead over the Norse with just over a minute left in the game. Gayheart hit another 3-pointer with 55.2 seconds remaining, but the Norse were unable to get any closer.
The Bears controlled the rebounding game, finishing with a 68-38 advantage, but the Norse were able to stay in the game by forcing 20 turnovers. Missouri State shot just 21.4 percent from the field in the first half but shot 15-for-34 (44.1 percent) in the second to hold on for the win.
Gayheart scored 11 of her career-high 18 points in the second half to lead the Norse offensively. She collected eight assists, five rebounds and four steals. Gayheart finished 6-for-10 from the floor and was 3-for-5 from behind the arc.
Doss poured in a career-high 14 points while Hopper recorded her first double-double of the season with 13 points and 15 rebounds.
Kayla Thacker added 11 points for NKU.
Kenzie Williams finished with 14 points, six rebounds and four assists for the Bears. The Norse held Christiana Shorter, who enter the contest averaging 18.3 points per game, to eight. Hannah Wilkerson also added eight points for Missouri State.
NKU returns to action Dec. 8 as the Norse travel to Muncie, Ind., to face Ball State. Tipoff is set for 1 p.m.
(Photographs used with permission from Missouri State Sports Information)
