Missouri State Bears
Missouri Valley (22-8, 14-4)
Coach Nyla Milleson has done a fine job during her five seasons leading Missouri State. This year the Bears navigated through a tough non-conference schedule and managed to do very well in the Missouri Valley Conference after a very slow start. The Bears are playing good basketball at the right time and that is all that matters in March.
Big Wins: 11/26 at Oral Roberts (85-79), 2/4 at Creighton (63-55), 2/26 at Illinois State (80-76)
Bad Losses: 12/31 at Northern Iowa (54-62), 1/19 at Southern Illinois (72-78), 3/03 Bradley (69-86)
Coach: Nyla Milleson (5 seasons at Missouri State)
Why They Can Surprise:
The Bears have two of the best players in the MVC. Guard Casey Garrison is an all-everything caliber player who has a ton of experience and will do a lot of everything for this team. She leads Missouri State in scoring, assists and blocks, but also helps out on the glass and defensively. Garrison, a 6-0 senior, is a very consistent outside shooter, but she does not take that many three-pointers. Instead, she will use her speed and dribbling ability to attack the basket and finish around the basket. But you can be sure that if she has an open look from outside, she will most likely make it. Garrison is the heart and soul of this team, but forward Christiana Shorter opens up the offense with her interior scoring. Shorter, a 6-1 junior, has emerged as a fine interior scorer. She is also a great rebounder and between Shorter and Garrison, Missouri State is very strong on the glass.
Why They Can Disappoint:
Beyond Garrison and Shorter, Coach Milleson has had to switch things around quite a bit. This is a team that can go 11 or 12 deep at times. That is a good thing, but it has also created some instability. Missouri State can find the right players for the situation, but sometimes nobody is the right player. There have been a lot of players who have had the opportunity to grab a starting job and keep it, but it has not happened. Jaleshia Roberson may be the most important player on the team. She is the most prolific outside shooter and the Bears will need her shots to fall if they hope to pull off an upset or two in March. Karly Buer is a young point guard who can help keep Garrison off of the ball where she can score more often. Jasmine Malone, Whitney Edie and Hannah Wilkerson are more perimeter players who may see significant playing time. The frontcourt has just as many options to help out Shorter in the paint. Lacey Boshe has been the most consistent scorer in the paint, but Bry Snow, Desiree Phillips, Aly Stock and Regan Soldner are also options.
Probable Starters:
Karly Buer, Sophomore, Guard, 8.6 ppg, 2.3 apg
Jaleshia Roberson, Senior, Guard, 10.5 ppg, 2.3 apg
Casey Garrison, Senior, Guard, 16.3 ppg, 4.4 apg, 5.3 rpg
Christiana Shorter, Junior, Forward, 12.0 ppg, 6.9 rpg, 2.4 spg
Bry Snow, Sophomore, Forward, 2.5 ppg, 2.2 rpg
Key Roleplayers:
Lacey Boshe, Senir, Forward, 5.0 ppg
Whitney Edie, Junior, Guard, 5.0 ppg, 4.0 rpg
Jasmine Malone, Senior, Guard, 7.2 ppg, 5.4 rpg
Desiree Phillips, Sophomore, Forward, 1.6 ppg
Regan Soldner, Senior, Forward, 1.6 ppg
Aly Stock, Junior, Center, 1.5 ppg
By the Numbers:
Scoring Offense: 74.3 (18th in nation, 1st in conference)
Scoring Defense: 65.2 (239, 8)
Field-Goal Percentage: 42.9 (30, 2)
Field-Goal Defense: 38.9 (184, 1)
Three-Point Field Goals Per Game: 5.4 (109, 6)
Three-Point Field-Goal Percentage: 32.4 (77, 6)
Free-Throw Percentage: 70.3 (121, 6)
Rebound Margin: 4.7 (50, 2)
Assists Per Game: 16.1 (20, 1)
Turnovers Per Game: 16.9 (145, 5)
Recent Postseason Appearances:
Missouri State 2011 NIT Round of 64 win over Rice
Missouri State 2011 NIT Round of 32 loss to Arkansas
Missouri State 2010 NIT Round of 64 win over Oral Roberts
Missouri State 2010 NIT Round of 32 win over Samford
Missouri State 2010 NIT Regional Semifinal loss to Illinois
Missouri State 2006 NCAA Round of 64 loss to Purdue
Missouri State 2005 NIT First Round win over Southern Methodist
Missouri State 2005 NIT Second Round win over Gonzaga
Missouri State 2005 NIT Third Round win over Texas A&M
Missouri State 2005 NIT Semifinal win over Iowa
Missouri State 2005 NIT Final win over West Virginia
Missouri State 2004 NCAA Round of 64 loss to Notre Dame
*all team stats through 3/1
