Lady Bears Fall in Regular Season Finale at MTSU

Missouri State women's basketball team drops close game to Middle Tennessee

Published on Mar. 8, 2026

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The Missouri State Lady Bears women's basketball team fell 86-75 on the road to Middle Tennessee in their regular season finale. After trailing by as many as 18 points in the third quarter, the Lady Bears made a strong comeback effort in the second half but ultimately came up short against the Blue Raiders.

Why it matters

This loss drops the Lady Bears' regular season record to 19-12 overall and 11-7 in Conference USA play. They will now head to the Conference USA tournament next week as they look to make a postseason run.

The details

The Lady Bears struggled to contain Middle Tennessee in the first half, falling behind by 16 points at halftime. However, they fought back in the second half, cutting the deficit to as little as 5 points late in the fourth quarter before a late 3-pointer by Middle Tennessee sealed the win for the Blue Raiders. Kendal Brueggen led the Lady Bears with a career-high 18 points.

  • The game took place on Saturday, March 7, 2026.
  • The Lady Bears will head to the Conference USA tournament next week, March 10-14, 2026.

The players

Kendal Brueggen

A player for the Missouri State Lady Bears who scored a career-high 18 points in the game.

Middle Tennessee

The opposing team, Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders, who defeated the Lady Bears 86-75.

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What’s next

The final seeding and bracket for the Conference USA tournament will be announced later.

The takeaway

Despite the loss, the Lady Bears showed resilience in their comeback effort, demonstrating their potential heading into the conference tournament. This game highlights the competitive nature of Conference USA play and the challenges the Lady Bears will face as they look to make a postseason run.