What happens over the next three months will determine if Missouri State has a good basketball team or a great one, but as the calendar prepares to turn to December, early results are trending upward for the Bears.
During their 90-78 victory over previously undefeated Evansville on Nov. 29, the Bears demonstrated a key trait of teams that forge legacies.
Missing three of its best players, including a pair of starting guards, Missouri State rolled with a six-man rotation and rocked Evansville in the Missouri Valley Conference opener. The Bears led by 24 in the second half before tiring a bit as Evansville scrambled late in the game.
What a performance it was for a Bears’ team that has won six in a row since a season-opening defeat. There is plenty to like about this team, with resiliency near the top.
“When somebody goes down, Coach always says somebody has to step up … and that’s what they did,” Missouri State forward Donovan Clay said, mentioning big nights by several teammates.
“We just want to win. We know what we’ve got this year,” Clay added.
‘Good teams can do that’
Coach Dana Ford simplified it, with words that not only ring with confidence but truth.
“We have a good team. Good teams can do that,” Ford said of rising to the occasion.
Even if some big pieces of the talent pool were in street clothes. Starting guards Alston Mason (ankle) and Damien Mayo Jr. (foot) were unable to go. They joined promising freshman Tyler Bey (knee) in a spectator’s role. It didn’t matter.
Chance Moore poured in a career-high 28 points to go with eight rebounds and three blocked shots in 39 minutes. Matthew Lee added 20 points and eight assists in 40 minutes with Clay adding 19 points in 37 minutes.
Meanwhile, N.J. Benson continues to improve by leaps and bounds, getting 16 points and 13 rebounds in 30 minutes.
“Evansville came here 6-0. A good team,” Clay said. “We knew we had to step up and that’s what we did.”
Bears kept the Aces at arms’ length
Ford said his team executed the game plan, while maybe not to perfection, close enough. The starters were prepared to play extended minutes and embraced the challenge.
“We’ve practiced the last couple of days short-handed, so we anticipated not having those guys available,” Ford said. “Ideally, we want to be deeper than six, but when you’re at home sometimes you can get away with things like that.
“I was proud, especially in the first half. They scored on their first five possessions, but after that we did a pretty good job.”
The game had a blistering pace early with the Bears leading 19-12 at the first time out, which didn’t occur until nearly six minutes into the action. Lee had a pair of 3-pointers and Benson already had six rebounds by that point.
Offense slowed over the next eight minutes with the Bears scoring only eight points, but maintaining a 27-24 lead. They used a 7-2 run, sparked by Moore’s 3-pointer, to extend the margin to eight. Out of a timeout, Moore swished another 3-pointer for a double-digit command.
A couple of minutes later, Lee’s steal led to a fast-break layup that Moore turned into a three-point play the old-fashioned way and it was 42-28. The run continued with one more basket from Moore to complete a 17-0 run for a 44-28 lead.
Shorthanded, but solid on defense
The Bears’ defense was active in the half, forcing 10 Evansville turnovers that led to a 14-2 advantage in points after turnovers.
“That was really big. We haven’t really turned people over this year, but turning them over 13 times is probably a season high for them,” Ford said. “We were pretty active defensively and some of our lineups tonight were big and long. I was proud of the activity.”
Moore scored five in a row and Lee converted on a drive as the Bears put it away over the first eight minutes of the second half, building a 60-38 lead.
The chances for Chance Moore
Ford was impressed by Moore’s line, with the eight rebounds, two assists and three blocks to go along with a spirited defensive performance. Overall, the Bears held Evansville to 38-percent field-goal shooting.
“He was ready to play,” Ford said of Moore. “He did not play well the last game and it took Chance a little bit. He was out a week with his ankle sprain. He was solid down in the Virgin Islands, but he’s finally grooved himself back.
“Chance is a 20-point-a-game type of guy and he almost had 30 tonight and he made it look easy. I didn’t even know he had 28. Having Matt out there helps a guy like Chance. A lot of times Matt is the one delivering the ball. Then when he plays with Matt, Alston and Donny, he’s just getting wide-open looks.
“What I’ve really been impressed with is Chance’s defense. He’s trying to get in a stance and guard. He’s really taken a step.”
Moore said he’s been eager to be more than just a scorer, especially with the team short-handed.
“One of my goals this year was to crash the boards and get more rebounds,” Moore said. “In this conference, rebounding really helps win games.”
Missouri Valley road is made for marathons
Lee wound up getting half his points from the free throw line, going 10-for-14 from there. He hit the floor hard several times in the second half, once coming up holding his wrist. Bears fans held their collective breath a couple of times and there was some chippiness between the teams when Lee hit the hardwood.
“I wish he’d stay on his feet,” Ford said of Lee. “He’s a tough guy. We need to get him to stay on his feet a lot more.”
Next up for the Bears is a trip to preseason Valley favorite Drake at 3 p.m. Saturday. Missouri State swept the Bulldogs in two regular-season games last season, but Drake walked away with the MVC Tournament title.
Regardless of the outcome, Ford likes where his team is headed in the marathon ahead. He’s hopeful that among Mason, Mayo and Bey one will be able to play on Saturday.
“I think our guys are looking forward to it. I know I’m looking forward to it,” Ford said of facing Drake. “They’re kind of the top dog. We’ll get a pretty good Valley measuring stick on Saturday of where we are.
“It’s good to win tonight because if you want to be in the hunt, you can’t lose at home. An early season conference game, where we were a double-digit favorite, you need to win that game and we did a good job with that tonight.”
Missouri State stars
Following Bears’ home games, Lyndal Scranton will recognize the top three stars of the game. For the 90-78 victory over Evansville:
*** N.J. Benson set the tone early with his energy and dominance near the basket. Benson finished with 16 points and 13 rebounds while throwing down four dunks.
** Chance Moore scored a career-high 28 points and did it efficiently with 8-for-14 shooting (5 of 8 3-pointers) and 7-for-7 free-throw shooting. He also had eight rebounds and three blocked shots.
* Matthew Lee didn’t have a backup at point guard, so he played all 40 minutes — a year after major knee surgery. Lee had 20 points and eight assists in the latest of a string of strong performances.
