The public address announcement that Santa Claus was roaming the concourse led Lady Bears’ fans at JQH Arena on Sunday afternoon to believe something sweet would finally arrive.
That belief only grew as Brice Calip willed Missouri State to a furious fourth-quarter rally and when she scored a bucket plus a free throw to trim visiting Gonzaga’s lead to 61-60 with 4:17 remaining in the game, the crowd at the Q was rocking.
But the No. 21-ranked Bulldogs survived the late push and escaped with a 70-67 win. Calip scored 12 points in the second half and led all scorers with 20 points.