Like most Division I coaches in the transfer portal era, Beth Cunningham had the chore of mixing new and old ingredients in the pursuit of a winning flavor.
Teams don’t marinate like they use to, but Missouri State’s third-year coach appears to have assembled a cohesive, defensive-minded group that’s, yet again, among the best in the Missouri Valley Conference.
The Lady Bears (11-4, 3-1 MVC), winners of three straight after Sunday’s 75-37 demolition of Southern Illinois at Great Southern Bank Arena, are playing with the sort of fluidity you’d see in a team that wasn’t widely assembled in the span of a few months.
Missouri State welcomed eight players this past offseason to mesh with six returners who came a bucket-at-the-buzzer short of an NCAA Tournament berth last March.
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From transfers who felt slighted or under-utilized at previous programs to proven returners soured by last season’s finish, Cunningham has been able to employ the chips on their respective shoulders.
“It feels like they’re playing for something every night and had a (bad) taste in their mouth with something to prove, too,” Cunningham said after Sunday’s rout of the Salukis, Missouri State’s seventh win in eight games.
While returners like Lacy Stokes (13.1 points per game, 60 assists), Kyrah Daniels (11.3 ppg, 5.5 rebounds a game), Kaemyn Bekemeier (10.3 ppg) and Paige Rocca (8.1 ppg) picked up where they left off from the 23-win campaign, veteran newcomers like Mizzou transfer Sarah Linthacum (10.9 ppg, 5.4 rpg) and Kiley Bess (5.5 ppg) from Indiana State are getting the most of their final year of eligibility. Cady Pauley (5.1 ppg), a transfer from Virginia, is coming off the bench.
“We’ve been really locked in. We’re reading each other well right now, but it’s all flowing from practice,” said Bekemeier, the former Republic guard who had 12 points and 13 rebounds on Sunday. “You can see it in practice when we’re all getting after it.”
Since going 1-2 in an early-season tournament in the Virgin Islands against the likes of national brands Gonzaga, Florida State and Texas Tech at the end of November, the Lady Bears have been flummoxing teams defensively.
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Missouri State has held six of its last eight opponents to 55 or fewer points and forced an average of 18 turnovers during that stretch, its last three games in MVC best conveying the offensively diverse and defensively hard-nosed effort.
Against Belmont (9-7, 4-1 MVC), the Bears were able shorten the court in a 57-55 win over the Bruins. Two days later, the Lady Bears proceeded to run the floor with one of the nation’s highest-scoring teams in Murray Sate (10-4, 4-1), holding the Racers 17 points below their average in a 85-78 win.
On Sunday, Missouri State proceeded to clamp down on one of the worst teams in the Valley and continue its annual dominance against the Salukis, yielding 17 points in the first half.
Linthacum, who was a perfect 7-for-7 from the field on Sunday and filled a major interior void for MSU this season, embraces a defensive identity.
“Our defense has to fuel our wins. We’ve gotten these past few wins because of our defense,” Linthacum said. “We shifted out mindset to focus on our defense no matter what the ball is looking like on the other end. That needs to carry over for this next stretch.”
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Similar effort on the glass helps. The Lady Bears have outrebounded all but one opponent this season and rank 35th in Division I in rebounding margin (7.7).
Currently at the top of a parity-riddled MVC is defending champion Drake (11-4, 5-0), who the Lady Bears entertain on Jan. 24.
Through 15 games, Cunningham, who is 30-0 all-time when she holds teams to fewer than 60 points, likes her team’s resolve since suffering a 69-62 upset at UIC to start the new year.
“Collectively, a really great group. They’ve always been exremely hard-working,” she said. “They want to be coached, they want to get better. I don’t have to motivate them to work every day. It’s enjoyable to coach a team like that. I think we have a group of kids that are hungry.”
Missouri State travels to Evansville (4-11, 0-4 MVC) on Friday
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Ryan Collingwood
Sports Reporter
Ryan Collingwood covers college and high school sports in the Springfield metropolitan area for the Daily Citizen. Have a story idea or gripe? Send an email to rcollingwood@sgfcitizen.org, call or 417-837-3660, or follow Ryan on social media at X.com/rwcollingwood. More by Ryan Collingwood
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (KCTV) – The Missouri State Highway Patrol arrested a 29-year-old woman after seizing over 200 pounds of marijuana in a traffic stop.
ALSO READ: Investigation into Missouri kratom retailers expands, says AG
According to the MSHP, troopers stopped a vehicle for a registration violation and following too closely on EB I-70 in Montgomery County, Mo., on Thursday, December 11. Authorities then searched the vehicle, finding 221 pounds of marijuana.
According to an MSHP report, 29-year-old Briana A. Roberts was taken into custody and held in the Montgomery County Jail for 24 hours. She could be charged with trafficking drugs in the first degree and endangering the welfare of a child in the first degree, according to the report.
Some mid-Missouri stores and restaurants will have adjusted hours on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. KOMU 8 News has compiled a list of what’s open on Christmas in 2025.
If you don’t see your establishment listed, please email news@komu.com with your operating hours.
Stores
Walgreens – East Broadway, Columbia
Christmas Eve: Store open from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m., pharmacy open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Christmas Day: Store open 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., pharmacy closed
Walmart
Christmas Eve: Open 6 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Christmas Day: Closed
Target – Columbia
Target – Jefferson City
Christmas Eve: Open 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Christmas Day: Closed
Aldi
Christmas Eve: Open 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Christmas Day: Closed
Dollar General
Christmas Eve: Open 8 a.m. to 9 p.m.
Christmas Day: Closed
Dollar Tree
Christmas Eve: Open 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Christmas Day: Closed
Gerbes
Christmas Eve: Open 7 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Christmas Day: Closed
Hy-Vee
Christmas Eve: Store open 6 a.m. to 5 p.m., Pharmacy open 8 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Christmas Day: Closed
Moser’s Food
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Error! There was an error processing your request.
Sam’s Club
Christmas Eve: Store and pharmacy open 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Christmas Day: Closed
Schnuck’s
Christmas Eve: Open 6 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Christmas Day: Closed
Restaurants and Coffee Shops
IHOP
Christmas Eve: Open 12 a.m. to 7p.m.
Christmas Day: Closed, opens next day at 5 a.m.
Waffle House
7Brew
Christmas Eve: Open 5:30 a.m. to 12 p.m.
Christmas Day: Closed
Scooter’s
Christmas Eve: Open 6 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Christmas Day: Closed
Starbucks – Broadway & Fairview in Columbia
Christmas Eve: Open 4:30 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Christmas Day: Open 6 a.m. to 12 p.m.
Starbucks – Missouri Boulevard & U.S. 50 in Jefferson City
Christmas Eve: Open 5 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Christmas Day: Open 6 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Starbucks – Nifong & Buttonwood in Columbia
Christmas Eve: Open 4:30 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Christmas Day: Closed
Starbucks – West Truman & Country Club in Jefferson City
You can get in on Missouri sports betting with a BetMGM welcome offer for college basketball on Thursday.
BetMGM Bonus code NYPDM1500gets bettors a 20 percent first deposit match up to $1500 when in Missouri.
Mizzou is a 22.5-point favorite over Alabama State. The Tigers step back onto its home floor looking to reset after road losses to Notre Dame and Kansas. Alabama State has struggled mightily against high-major opponents.
BetMGM Missouri bonus code NYPDM1500
The BetMGM Bonus Code NYPDM1500 can be used for any sport and market offered at BetMGM. That includes Missouri State vs. Arkansas State in the Xbox Bowl.
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BetMGM’s Missouri promo code is considered one of the highest valued promotions in contrast to other Missouri bonus offers.
If bettors wanted to snag the maximum value of the offer, they would have to deposit $7,500. Otherwise, they get 20 percent of whatever they deposit, i.e., deposit $100, get $20.
New users must be physically present in Missouri when signing up at BetMGM to take advantage of this welcome offer.
How to sign up for BetMGM in Missouri
Select your bonus offer.
Choose your state.
Fill out your login details.
Enter the BetMGM bonus code NYPDM1500
Make a deposit.
Bet responsibly.
What our Post expert thinks about Missouri vs. Alabama State
Alabama State has already dropped its two power-conference tests by an average of 32.5 points, and its defensive profile hasn’t suggested much resistance.
The Hornets bring two of the SWAC’s top scorers in Asjon Anderson and Micah Simpson, they are giving up 81.4 points per game and allowing opponents to shoot 45.3 percent from the floor.
Missouri’s rebounding edge should matter — the Tigers pull nearly 40 boards per game while Alabama State is giving up 37.4 a night and just surrendered 18 offensive rebounds to UT Martin.
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Why Trust New York Post Betting
Sean Treppedi handicaps the NFL, NHL, MLB and college football for the New York Post. He primarily focuses on picks that reflect market value while tracking trends to mitigate risk.
