Missouri Valley Conference Basketball News

Missouri State Bears vs Indiana State Sycamores Basketball Recap

Missouri State 73, Indiana State 66

Missouri State, looking to rebound after two straight losses, did exactly that by exacting revenge on Indiana State in a 73-66 win at JQH Arena in Springfield, Missouri. The Sycamores (12-12, 7-6) won the previous meeting on a last second tip-in and free throw, but were unable to stick around at the end this time. With the game going back and forth throughout, the Bears (18-6, 10-3) finished the game on a 12-5 run to end up victorious.

Adam Leonard hit two free throws and then drained a three-pointer to snap a tie and give the Bears a 66-61 lead with 1:20 left, sealing the game. Led by Leonard, all five Bears starters scored in double digits. Will Creekmore had 16, Kyle Weems had 11, Nafis Ricks had 11 and Jermaine Mallett had 10, leading the Bears to the win despite only getting 4 points off of the bench.

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Losers of five straight, ISU is looking for answers. Coach Greg Lansing is going to need to find some way to rejuvenate the Sycamores. Since a 7-1 start to conference play that found the Sycamores near the top of many conference defensive categories, they have struggled to keep up the intensity. The Bears continued to deepen ISU's woes, as they went 10-of-20 from three-point range.

The Bears also snapped a two game losing streak and giving them hope of a rebound in the coming weeks. After starting their MVC schedule on an 8-1 tear, the team has struggled on the rematches against conference foes. They took this game based on their advantage at the free throw line, where they took 17 more free throws. In need of a win to bring back some momentum, Bears head coach Cuonzo Martin rode his starters for the majority of the game, and they came through in a big way.

Jake Odum had 18 points for the Sycamores, and Aaron Carter dropped in 15 in the losing effort. The Sycamores were up 36-31 at the time, but were unable to keep the lead in the second half. The game featured ten lead changes and nineties, and neither team had a firm grasp on the game until the waning seconds.

The Bears now sit at second in the MVC, a game behind Wichita State at the moment. They'll look to pick up some momentum with their next three games being against the three teams at the bottom of the MVC standings, and four of their remaining six games being against the four teams at the bottom of the MVC.

Likewise, the Sycamores have four games left against three of the teams at the bottom of the MVC standings and will look to end their regular season schedule on a high note in hopes of getting out of a cluster of teams currently tied for fourth in the conference.

By: Sujal Shah
DFN Sports Staff Writer