ST. CHARLES, Mo. -- The Wichita State women's basketball team (13-17) snapped a six-year losing streak in postseason play with a thrilling, come-from-behind 52-51 win over No. 7-seed Missouri State (10-20) in the opening round of the 2009 State Farm MVC Championship inside Family Arena Thursday night.

Daria Frazier led the Shockers with a double-double, 15 points and 11 rebounds as the only WSU player in double figures.

Both teams got off to a sluggish start offensively, as the Shockers missed five of their first seven shots and the Lady Bears failed to connect on four of their first six. MSU took a quick 4-0 lead on back-to-back baskets before the Shockers scored the next five points, capped by a Val Siemens three-pointer with 16:40 left that gave WSU its first lead, 5-4.

The Shockers would hold the lead until a layin by Morgan Harrington tied the game at 12-12, with 11:38 remaining, sparking a Lady Bear run that would give MSU its largest lead of the game to that point after Lacey Boshe connected to extend the Missouri State advantage to 18-14 with just nine minutes remaining in the first.

Marisah Henderson's runner with 8:03 left cut the deficit to two, 18-16, before Jacie Hoyt's layin with 6:27 remaining in the first tied the game for the fourth time. That's when the Shocker offense went cold however, as the Lady Bears used a five-minute scoring drought by WSU and a 5-0 run to build a 23-18 lead following a Casey Garrison basket with 3:37 left in the opening frame.

Haleigh Lankster's floater with 1:17 remaining snapped the Shocker scoring drought and cut the deficit to three, and Daria Frazier helped WSU close the first on a 4-0 run after her layin with :08 seconds left fashioned the score at the break, 23-22.

The Shockers shot just 29-percent in the first half, while Missouri State connected on 32-percent of its chances. The Lady Bears held a 22-20 edge on the boards and scored six points off six Shocker miscues.

The Shocks came out of the gate firing in the second as Frazier's jumper 50 seconds into the half gave WSU a 24-23 lead. Missouri State answered with a basket by Boche before Haleigh Lankster connected on a three-pointer to give the Shockers a 27-25 lead with 18:22 left to play.

Lankster would be injured in the lane a few possessions later and would not return, leaving WSU just eight players on its bench.

The freshman's absence was felt immediately as the Lady Bears went on a 5-0 run, grabbing a 30-27 lead after 1-of-2 at the free-throw line by Jacque Griggs. Marcy Sudbeck answered with a pair of free throws to bring the Shockers within one, 30-29, but a Melissa Busby three gave the Lady Bears a 35-31 lead with 13:34 left to play.

The Shockers used a 6-0 run capped by a Frazier jumper with 11:44 left to take a 37-35 lead, but MSU's Jasmine Malone tied the game a minute later on a layin that evened the score at 37-37 with 10:51 to play.

A Shantel Pointer three gave the Shocks a 40-37 advantage before a 16-footer from Boshe cut the WSU lead to one, 40-39. Boshe's basket with 8:55 left gave MSU a 41-40 edge, but Sudbeck answered on the other end to regain the lead 42-41 with 8:34 left.

That's when Garrison, the MVC Freshman of the Year, took over scoring Missouri State's next eight points to help the Lady Bears push out to a 51-46 lead with less than four minutes left.

As has been over the past few games, the Shockers refused to give up easily, as WSU chipped away at the deficit until a three by Val Siemens tied the game at 51-51 with less than two minutes remaining.

Garrison's runner with :35 seconds left fell short, giving WSU the ball, and Daria Frazier was fouled on an attempt with :06.6 on the clock, giving the senior a chance to put the Shockers up. Frazier did just that, giving WSU a 52-51 lead after the first free throw, but the second glanced off the rim.

Sudbeck came down with the ball but had it stripped with :03.7 left to play, giving MSU the chance for the win but Garrison's 28-footer at the buzzer was off, giving the Shocks the win.

WSU will take on No. 2-seed Creighton at 6:05 p.m., Friday inside Family Arena.

--Wichita State--