Missouri

'Locked in': Surging Missouri State women take pride in their defensive approach – Springfield Daily Citizen

Published

12 months ago

January 13, 2025

'Locked in': Surging Missouri State women take pride in their defensive approach – Springfield Daily Citizen

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.

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.

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.”

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

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

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Missouri

Missouri Lottery Powerball, Pick 3 winning numbers for Jan. 5, 2026

Published

12 hours ago

January 6, 2026

Press Room

The Missouri Lottery offers several draw games for those aiming to win big. Here’s a look at Jan. 5, 2026, results for each game:

Winning Powerball numbers from Jan. 5 drawing

04-18-24-51-56, Powerball: 14, Power Play: 2

Check Powerball payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Pick 3 numbers from Jan. 5 drawing

Midday: 2-4-6

Midday Wild: 4

Evening: 2-4-5

Evening Wild: 1

Check Pick 3 payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Pick 4 numbers from Jan. 5 drawing

Midday: 6-0-7-3

Midday Wild: 1

Evening: 8-9-9-5

Evening Wild: 4

Check Pick 4 payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Cash4Life numbers from Jan. 5 drawing

01-15-50-55-57, Cash Ball: 02

Check Cash4Life payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Cash Pop numbers from Jan. 5 drawing

Early Bird: 06

Morning: 02

Matinee: 11

Prime Time: 15

Night Owl: 03

Check Cash Pop payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Show Me Cash numbers from Jan. 5 drawing

01-02-22-27-33

Check Show Me Cash payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Powerball Double Play numbers from Jan. 5 drawing

15-22-39-41-62, Powerball: 09

Check Powerball Double Play payouts and previous drawings here.

Feeling lucky? Explore the latest lottery news & results

Are you a winner? Here’s how to claim your lottery prize

All Missouri Lottery retailers can redeem prizes up to $600. For prizes over $600, winners have the option to submit their claim by mail or in person at one of Missouri Lottery’s regional offices, by appointment only.

To claim by mail, complete a Missouri Lottery winner claim form, sign your winning ticket, and include a copy of your government-issued photo ID along with a completed IRS Form W-9. Ensure your name, address, telephone number and signature are on the back of your ticket. Claims should be mailed to:

Ticket Redemption

Missouri Lottery

P.O. Box 7777

Jefferson City, MO 65102-7777

For in-person claims, visit the Missouri Lottery Headquarters in Jefferson City or one of the regional offices in Kansas City, Springfield or St. Louis. Be sure to call ahead to verify hours and check if an appointment is required.

For additional instructions or to download the claim form, visit the Missouri Lottery prize claim page.

When are the Missouri Lottery drawings held?

Powerball: 9:59 p.m. Monday, Wednesday and Saturday.
Mega Millions: 10 p.m. Tuesday and Friday.
Pick 3: 12:45 p.m. (Midday) and 8:59 p.m. (Evening) daily.
Pick 4: 12:45 p.m. (Midday) and 8:59 p.m. (Evening) daily.
Cash4Life: 8 p.m. daily.
Cash Pop: 8 a.m. (Early Bird), 11 a.m. (Late Morning), 3 p.m. (Matinee), 7 p.m. (Prime Time) and 11 p.m. (Night Owl) daily.
Show Me Cash: 8:59 p.m. daily.
Lotto: 8:59 p.m. Wednesday and Saturday.
Powerball Double Play: 9:59 p.m. Monday, Wednesday and Saturday.

This results page was generated automatically using information from TinBu and a template written and reviewed by a Missouri editor. You can send feedback using this form.

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Missouri

Missouri man’s alleged cryptocurrency scheme may have Ankeny victims

Published

24 hours ago

January 5, 2026

Press Room

Missouri man’s alleged cryptocurrency scheme may have Ankeny victims

The Ankeny Police Department is asking anyone from Ankeny and across the Des Moines metro to come forward if they think they may be a victim of a Missouri man who is accused of running a cryptocurrency investment scam.

Charles Spencer Burri of Columbia, Missouri, was arrested and charged with financial exploitation of an elder and stealing $750 or more. The Columbia Police Department alleged Burri — owner and operator of Burri Asset Management LLC — has solicited thousands of dollars for cryptocurrency investments but stopped responding to victims after he received their money.

Columbia police reported to Ankeny they had uncovered evidence Burri possibly met with people in Ankeny and the Des Moines metro in July 2025, according to a news release Friday, Jan. 2.

Ankeny police believe there may be additional victims in the area who have not been identified, according to the release. Sgt. Trevor McGraw in Ankeny said Monday that no victims had come forward over the weekend.

Anyone who Burri or Burri Asset Management LLC may have contacted, or who has experienced financial loss through a cryptocurrency investment fraud scheme, is encouraged to contact the Ankeny Police Department through its non-emergency line at 515-286-3333, extension 5, and file a report.

Phillip Sitter covers the suburbs for the Des Moines Register. Phillip can be reached via email at PSitter@usatodayco.com. Find out more about him online in the Register’s staff directory.

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Missouri

Missouri Lottery Pick 3, Pick 4 winning numbers for Jan. 4, 2026

Published

1 day ago

January 5, 2026

Press Room

The Missouri Lottery offers several draw games for those aiming to win big. Here’s a look at Jan. 4, 2026, results for each game:

Winning Pick 3 numbers from Jan. 4 drawing

Midday: 3-8-4

Midday Wild: 4

Evening: 9-3-4

Evening Wild: 3

Check Pick 3 payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Pick 4 numbers from Jan. 4 drawing

Midday: 4-0-8-5

Midday Wild: 7

Evening: 7-2-6-4

Evening Wild: 7

Check Pick 4 payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Cash4Life numbers from Jan. 4 drawing

03-34-45-51-60, Cash Ball: 01

Check Cash4Life payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Cash Pop numbers from Jan. 4 drawing

Early Bird: 08

Morning: 12

Matinee: 05

Prime Time: 12

Night Owl: 13

Check Cash Pop payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Show Me Cash numbers from Jan. 4 drawing

08-19-26-33-35

Check Show Me Cash payouts and previous drawings here.

Feeling lucky? Explore the latest lottery news & results

Are you a winner? Here’s how to claim your lottery prize

Ticket Redemption

Missouri Lottery

P.O. Box 7777

Jefferson City, MO 65102-7777

For additional instructions or to download the claim form, visit the Missouri Lottery prize claim page.

When are the Missouri Lottery drawings held?

Powerball: 9:59 p.m. Monday, Wednesday and Saturday.
Mega Millions: 10 p.m. Tuesday and Friday.
Pick 3: 12:45 p.m. (Midday) and 8:59 p.m. (Evening) daily.
Pick 4: 12:45 p.m. (Midday) and 8:59 p.m. (Evening) daily.
Cash4Life: 8 p.m. daily.
Cash Pop: 8 a.m. (Early Bird), 11 a.m. (Late Morning), 3 p.m. (Matinee), 7 p.m. (Prime Time) and 11 p.m. (Night Owl) daily.
Show Me Cash: 8:59 p.m. daily.
Lotto: 8:59 p.m. Wednesday and Saturday.
Powerball Double Play: 9:59 p.m. Monday, Wednesday and Saturday.

This results page was generated automatically using information from TinBu and a template written and reviewed by a Missouri editor. You can send feedback using this form.

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