Missouri State's Kaemyn Bekemeier shines, Lady Bears advance in March Madness
First Four or First Round, it’s all the same to Missouri State. The Bears now take on Texas at 3 p. m.
Friday.
AUSTIN, TX – First Four or First Round, it’s all the same to Missouri State’s Kaemyn Bekemeier. She’ll get to experience both after scoring 23 points and grabbing 13 rebounds to lead the Lady Bears to an 85-75 win over Stephen F. Austin, moving her team from the First Four to the First Round.
“We were all excited to put our name plate on [the large bracket board] and officially be in the bracket and not to be playing in a play-in game, but like a real game,” she said, before quickly qualifying that statement. “Not that this wasn’t a real game. ” Bekemeier’s night paced a balanced effort that included five players in double figures, a 50-30 rebound advantage, and a second-half defensive performance that limited SFA to 0-for-16 shooting from 3-point range.
“I thought defensively we did a much better job in the second half,” Missouri State coach Beth Cunningham said. “They shoot the 3 really, really well. I wish we wouldn’t have given up so many points, but we knew we had to get stops in the second half.