SPRINGFIELD, Mo. (Interstat) — The Missouri State Lady Bears used a dominant second and third quarter to overcome a slow start and remain undefeated, defeating the Georgia Southern Eagles 69-58 in a non-conference women’s basketball game Tuesday night at JQH Arena.

A crowd of 2,080 watched the Lady Bears improve to 5-0, while the Eagles fell to 1-3.

Georgia Southern controlled the opening period, racing out to a 17-9 lead behind an aggressive defense that forced eight Missouri State turnovers. The Eagles’ Shanti Simmons was active early, contributing to an initial surge that put the visiting team in command.

The game turned decisively in the second quarter. Missouri State outscored Georgia Southern 21-12, erasing the early deficit and taking a 30-29 lead into halftime. The Lady Bears’ offense found its rhythm, while their defense began to stifle the Eagles’ attack. The momentum shift continued after the break, with Missouri State extending its lead by outscoring Georgia Southern 22-13 in the third quarter, building a 52-42 advantage heading into the final period.

Lainie Douglas, a 6-foot-3 sophomore from Overland Park, Kansas, led all scorers with 21 points for Missouri State. She was a force in the paint, adding two blocks in 27 minutes of action. She was complemented by Kaemyn Bekemeier, a 5-9 guard from Republic, Missouri, who scored 14 points and grabbed several key rebounds.

For Georgia Southern, McKenna Eddings, a 6-foot guard from Williamsburg, Virginia, delivered a strong all-around performance with 15 points, four assists and two blocks in a game-high 38 minutes. Shanti Simmons, a 5-9 guard from Eatonton, Georgia, added nine points.

The Eagles struggled mightily with their shooting throughout the contest. They shot just 22 for 71 from the floor, a frigid 31 percent. Their performance from beyond the arc was particularly damaging, connecting on only 3 of 32 attempts from three-point range. Free throws also proved problematic, as Georgia Southern made just 11 of 21 from the line.

Missouri State was more efficient from the field, also making 22 field goals but on 11 fewer attempts, finishing at 36.7 percent. The Lady Bears were more effective from deep, hitting 4 of 10 three-pointers, and capitalized at the free-throw line, making 21 of 35 attempts. Missouri State also dominated the glass, hauling in 22 offensive rebounds compared to Georgia Southern’s 14.

Despite committing 23 turnovers, the Lady Bears’ defense and rebounding prowess proved to be the difference. Georgia Southern turned the ball over 15 times but could not overcome its shooting woes, scoring only 20 points off Missouri State’s mistakes while the Lady Bears managed just nine points off Eagles turnovers.

Missouri State’s Maycee James, a 5-7 guard from Goddard, Kansas, facilitated the offense with four assists, while Cady Pauley, a 5-11 guard from Milan, Missouri, chipped in nine points.

Georgia Southern’s next game is at home against Mercer on Saturday. Missouri State looks to continue its unbeaten streak on the road at Tulsa, also on Saturday.