SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – The last time the Oregon Ducks visited the Hammons Student Center, they were sent home courtesy of 40 points from Jackie Stiles. That may have been all the way back in 1999, but the influence of the NCAA’s all-time scoring leader was still evident Saturday as Missouri State snapped UO’s five-game winning streak, 71-56.

Stiles, who surprised her younger sister – freshman guard Roxanne – with a visit before tipoff, clearly charged up the injury-riddled Lady Bears (3-5) with her presence. And thanks to her legacy, a large spirited crowd of 5,311 was on hand to add unwavering support.

The younger Stiles finished with just four points, but junior guard Tahnee Balerio did her best Jackie impression, scoring a game-high 39 points to lead an MSU squad missing three starters due to injury.

“That was quite a performance and you have to tip your hat,” said Oregon head coach Bev Smith of Balerio’s exploits. “We knew this was going to be a hostile environment to play in, and while we didn’t come out on top, our effort was there until the end.”

The Ducks (7-2), who ended their final non-conference road trip with a split, following Thursday’s 66-63 win at Drake, received 19 points from senior Eleanor Haring. Sophomore guard Tamika Nurse added nine points, and senior center Jessie Shetters grabbed 11 rebounds.

Fatigue resulting from Thursday's close call against Drake may have caught up to the team in the second half, evidenced by Oregon's 8-of-38 (21 percent) shooting performance, including 1-of-17 from three-point range, during the final period.

The Ducks shot 32 percent for the game compared to 45 percent for MSU, but the game was ultimately decided at the foul line. The Lady Bears went to the line 38 times, hitting 27, while UO managed just three makes in nine attempts. Balerio alone was 14-of-20 from the charity stripe.

Balerio’s gliding jumper just inside the three-point line put the Lady Bears ahead 42-38, forcing a UO timeout at 15:33. The Ducks drew up a play for Shetters, but the 6-6 post had the ball swatted from behind by 6-3 sophomore Breton Wyett.

Haring willed the Ducks back with a pair of effort jump shots to tie the game 42-42 with 13:12 to play before an 11-2 run by MSU gave the home team its largest lead to that point at 53-44.

MSU increased the lead to 58-46 with 6:23 remaining. A block by Haring and three-pointer from senior Cicely Oaks cut the Bears lead to nine points with 5:43 to play, resulting in a quick timeout call from MSU head coach Katie Arahamson-Henderson.

That didn’t cool off Haring, who netted the game’s next field goal and drew a fifth personal foul on Wyett with more than four and one-half minutes remaining.

Unfortunately for UO, she could not carry the Ducks alone as the Lady Bears refused to let Oregon carve deep enough into their lead the rest of the way.

The inspired Lady Bears clawed out a 37-36 halftime lead behind 17 points from Balerio. Oregon held a 22-10 edge on the boards, but committed 13 turnovers to MSU’s six in the first half.

After neither team could buy a bucket in the game’s opening minutes, Oregon went outside for three-pointers by Tamika Nurse and Ciceley Oaks as part of an 8-1 run.

But like Drake on Thursday, this Missouri Valley Conference school fought back, turning a 12-3 deficit into a 13-13 tie on a three-ball from Balerio at the 12:13 mark. The flashy guard had eight of MSU’s 10 points during the run and dished out a no-look assist on the other field goal.

The Ducks reclaimed momentum and pushed their lead to as many as nine, but MSU stormed back to tie the game at 25-all on two free throws from Wyett.

Two more free throws by Balerio at 3:12 gave the Lady Bears a brief 29-27 edge before senior post Jamie Hawkins responded on Oregon’s next possession with an inside basket.

The Ducks made the most of an air ball by Oaks as junior wing Kaela Chapdelaine fielded the errant shot underneath the basket and beat the shot clock for a 36-35 lead with less than 30 seconds to play. MSU took its single-digit lead into the break thanks to a pair of Wyett free throws in the waning seconds.

QUACK TRACKS: Chapdelaine's nine rebounds shattered her previous career-high of nine ... Hawkins, who was not with the team for Thursday’s game at Drake, met up with the squad on Friday in Springfield ... The two teams had just 19 players in uniform combined ... Haring fouled out for the third time this season ... Jackie Stiles recently returned to professional basketball and plays for the Canberra Capitals of Australia’s WNBL. Canberra is the hometown of UO assistant Phil Brown.