SPRINGFIELD, Mo. (Interstat) — The Arkansas women’s basketball team constructed a dominant early lead and weathered a late Missouri State rally to secure a 73-58 victory on Saturday at JQH Arena, overcoming significant pregame odds in the process.

Despite being projected by Interstat’s ELO system with just a 19.3% chance to win, the Razorbacks improved to 9-3 on the season. The Lady Bears fell to 7-4.

The most important part of the game was Arkansas’s suffocating first-half defense, which built an insurmountable advantage. The Razorbacks held Missouri State to a mere six points in the first quarter and 17 for the entire first half, taking a 29-17 lead into the break. The Lady Bears struggled profoundly against Arkansas’s pressure, shooting just 17 of 58 from the floor for the game and committing 18 turnovers.

Jenna Lawrence led Arkansas with 17 points and eight rebounds. Bonnie Deas added 12 points and eight rebounds, while Emily Robinson and Ashlynn Chlarson each contributed 10 points. Robinson played the entire 40 minutes.

Missouri State was paced by Kaemyn Bekemeier’s game-high 18 points. Kendal Brueggen added eight points, seven rebounds and two assists.

The Razorbacks controlled the interior, outscoring Missouri State 36-16 in the paint and holding a commanding 15-5 advantage in offensive rebounds. Arkansas shot 40.8% from the field but connected on only 3 of 22 attempts from three-point range. Missouri State was not much better from deep, making 6 of 19.

After establishing their large halftime lead, the Razorbacks extended it to 50-32 by the end of the third quarter. Missouri State mounted a spirited comeback attempt in the final period, outscoring Arkansas 26-23 behind 11 points from Bekemeier, but the deficit was too large to overcome. The Lady Bears never got closer than 15 points in the quarter’s final five minutes.

Arkansas’s efficiency metrics underscored their control. The Razorbacks scored 73 points on 81 possessions for an offensive rating of 90.0, while Missouri State managed only 58 points on 83 possessions, an offensive rating of 69.6.

The attendance was 2,862.

Arkansas next hosts Missouri-Kansas City on Wednesday. Missouri State will welcome Gonzaga on Friday.