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SPRINGFIELD, Mo.  --  Wichita State (7-20, 4-12) dropped a 74-45 decision to second-place Missouri State (19-9, 12-4) in front of 3,539 JQH Arena fans Saturday afternoon.
 
The Shockers were led in scoring by Rangie Bessard's 14 points. TaQuandra Mike backed her with nine and Sabrina Lozada-Cabbage had eight.
 
MSU was led in scoring by Kenzie Williams' 18 points, while Tyonna Snow had 16 points for the Bears.
 
MSU out-shot the Shockers, 57.8 percent (11-21) to 34 percent (17-50), for the game and forced 20 Shocker turnovers.
 
WSU held the Bears to four free throws over the first 3:14 of the third quarter as the Shockers' Lozada-Cabbage went to work scoring six of the Shockers' eight points. MSU had one other basket by Fruendt to give the Bears a 34-25 lead at 6:26.  
 
The Bears then out-scored WSU 16-1 over the final 3:34 of the quarter to take a 50-28 lead after throwing a half-court trap on the Shockers.
 
In the fourth, WSU had its best offensive quarter with 17 points, but gave up 24 to the Bears to fashion the final score.
 
WSU opened the game on a 6-0 run, and still held the lead at the 5:50 mark with a Mike bucket, but MSU took the lead at the 2:27 mark after back-to-back Snow baskets, 9-8.  A Hughes three-pointer put the Bears up, 14-10, at the 1:02 mark that held at the first break.
 
Bessard opened second-quarter scoring with a trey at 8:21, but the Bears kept the score out of reach with a 9-3 run through the first 4:37 of the frame for a 23-13 lead. 
 
MSU maintained the lead trough the final 5:13, out-scoring WSU, 5-4, for a 28-17 halftime lead.
 
In the first half, WSU was led in scoring by Bessard's six points while Snow led the Bears with nine points. MSU out-shot the Shockers, 52.4 percent (11-21) to 29.2 percent (7-24) through the first two quarters.
 
Wichita State is next in action March 3 against Illinois State, and March 5 against Indiana State, in Wichita to wrap up the regular-season.