WICHITA, Kan. - The Wichita State Shockers held Missouri State without a point for the final 4:22 of their women's basketball game against Missouri State Thursday, sealing a 69-52 Missouri Valley Conference win at Charles Koch Arena.

Sophomore forward Michelle Price posted a career-high 16 points and a career-high 12 rebounds in the win. Junior guard Haleigh Lankster led the Shockers with 18 points and sophomore guard Jessica Diamond finished with 12 points.

The Shockers (12-13, 6-8) closed out the conference win on a 13-0 run that included a three-pointer from Lankster and a three-point play from Jazimen Gordon to regain a double-digit Shocker lead down the stretch.

Casey Garrison led Missouri State (17-9, 8-6) with 18 points and Christiana Shorter posted 15 points and 11 rebounds. The Lady Bears lost for the fourth time in the last five games, shooting 28.1 percent overall.

Price scored Wichita State's first six points as the Shockers built a 6-4 lead in the first three minutes.

Missouri State answered with a 7-0 run to grab an 11-6 lead, but the Shockers used a 7-0 run of their own to take the lead back, 13-11, midway through the first half.

Lankster's steal and layup with about five minutes remaining in the first half pushed the Shockers to a 21-19 edge. The two free throws from Diamond and a jumper from Alicia Sanchez that followed gave Wichita State a six-point lead.

The Shockers led 32-24 at halftime, paced by Price's 10 points and Diamond's nine points. Garrison led Missouri State with eight points. Price also added eight rebounds in the first half.

The Lady Bears opened the second half on an 8-2 run to cut the Shockers' lead to two points.

A three-point play from Chynna Turner with 12:15 to go in the second half gave the Shockers a 46-40 lead. A Gordon jumper, followed by a fast-break layup from Lankster, put Wichita State ahead 50-40 midway through the half.

The Lady Bears closed to within four points with two free throws from Jasmine Malone, 56-52.

A three-pointer from Lankster, followed up with a three-point play from Gordon extended the Shockers back to a 10-point lead in the closing minutes as the Shockers ended a two-game losing streak.

Thursday's win evened the season series between the two teams. Missouri State won the first meeting between the teams, 71-41, in January at Springfield, Mo.

The Shockers kicked off a three-game homestand Thursday. Wichita State next hosts Creighton at 7:05 p. m. Feb. 25 and Drake at 2:05 p.m. Feb. 27.

 

 - Wichita State -