N.J. Benson and the Bears throw a block party to get back to winning ways

Missouri State hopped back on the winning track Saturday night with an offensive performance that was spotty and at times downright ugly.

The struggles were not surprising as point guard Matthew Lee sat out of the game against Sam Houston with a bone bruise in his right wrist.

“Matthew is our ‘PG’ and one of the hearts of our team,” teammate Damien Mayo Jr. said. “We just had to pick him. He became one of the coaches on the sideline. He was an extension of us on the bench. Other players had to step up.”

N.J. Benson did more than step up, he soared. The sophomore forward tied a Missouri State University record with seven blocked shots and led a block party as the Bears tied a school record with 14 rejections in a 69-60 victory at Great Southern Bank Arena.

Donovan Clay scored 20 and Alston Mason added 18 as Missouri State (7-3) snapped a two-game losing streak with one of its best defensive performances of the season. The Bears held the Bearkats 12 points below their season scoring average and to a woeful 29.8-percent field-goal shooting.

Missouri State coach Dana Ford said Clay and Mayo “took a challenge” by holding Sam Houston’s leading offensive players, Davon Barnes and Lamar Wilkerson, below their season averages. It was a necessary part of the storyline on a night the Bears’ offense was out of kilter.

“The last two games the other teams’ best players have gotten more than their average and so we challenged those two guys,” Ford said. “They forced it into the help, which for the most part was N.J. He has a great knack for that and long arms.

“We had a long, athletic group out there most of the time. A lot of that had to do with the effort of Donny and Mayo forcing those guys into the help, which was a part of our defensive plan because those two guys, Wilkerson and Barnes are really good players.”

Lee's return not likely until new year

Ford said Lee likely will be out until the restart of Missouri Valley Conference play on Jan. 3 against Northern Iowa. Three non-conference games await before that, but Ford said Lee — while he could play through the pain — needs time to heal properly before the Valley grind arrives.

Lee hurt the wrist against Evansville on Nov. 25. The injury helps explains his sub-par play in the ensuing road losses to Drake and Middle Tennessee State.

“I knew we would be better defensively. It’s a little bit like last year’s team, that could really guard, and that’s a little bit of what we did today,” Ford said. “On the other side, we have to try and do it by committee” at point guard.

“When Alston was fresh, he did a really good job, but our offense is not as efficient or crisp because Matt has so many reps. But he’s hurt. He’s tried to play through it and that did not work out so well. We really have to practice and prepare and execute, accordingly, without him until we get him back.”

Bears come out of the den hot

The Bears were crisp offensively at the start of both halves. They opened with the game’s first eight points, with Clay scoring five and Mayo converting a three-point play from an offensive rebound just 2:25 into the action.

Missouri State also scored the first seven of the second half, getting a 3-pointer from Mason, Clay’s fadeaway jumper and Mayo’s fast-break layup that started with N.J. Benson’s blocked shot. That run extended a 31-23 halftime lead to 15.

“We have four-minute wars,” Mayo said. “The first four minutes are crucial in both halves and in the past, we may have struggled at the start of games and this was a big emphasis. We’re trying to grow as a team and that was one big part of it.”

That 15-0 cushion from those two segments proved to be the difference in the game and something that Ford welcomed after the Bears struggled mightily to generate offense at the starts of a pair of road defeats.

“The last game, that is what cost us the game,” Ford said. “We talked to our guys about that the last couple of days. It was good to see our guys bounce back and it started with our defense.”

The Bears cruised to their biggest lead of the game at 47-30 before Sam Houston (5-5) used a quick 8-0 run to draw within single digits. The lead fluctuated between 12 and a half-dozen the rest of the way.

Benson and a share of the block record

Benson tied the Missouri State record for blocks in a game midway through the second half. Scott Hawk (1977), Ricky Johnson (1983) and Gaige Prim (2020) also had seven blocks.

“This team, they were all good facilitators, they all could handle the ball and get to the rim,” Benson said. “I watched a lot of film and saw a lot of finishes. I usually do that with every team just to know where they’re gonna put the ball on the backboard or if they like floaters or stuff like that.

“I was just able to time my blocks and I was able to do that tonight.”

Mayo, who added three blocks of his own, said having Benson - the Valley leader in blocks with 24 - helps the perimeter defenders carry out their plan aggressively.

“For a guard playing up top, playing defense is not the easiest thing to do,” Mayo said. “When you have somebody who can clean up on the back side, that’s a blessing.”

Velvet-voiced Art Hains honored

The Bears improved to 4-0 at home and did so on Art Hains Night. The Bears’ long-time radio play-by-play voice has been able to return to call home games in football and basketball this season after a year-long, near-fatal fight with complications from West Nile Virus.

Springfield mayor Ken McClure presented Hains with a proclamation during halftime ceremonies. Missouri Valley Conference commissioner Jeff Jackson presented Hains with the John Sanders Spirit Award which annually honors a student-athlete, coach or university administrator who exemplifies a passion for the conference, a strong work ethic and a sense of humor.

Fans in the announced crowd of 3,821 stood in Hains’ honor throughout the ceremony.

Hains briefly addressed the fans, thanking all for their prayers and support. He concluded his remarks by saying “let’s go finish this one off.”

Which the Bears did, with a big dose of defense and total of blocked shots rarely seen.

“If you had a Mount Rushmore of Missouri State, he would have to be on there,” Ford said of Hains. “Life is precious. It was different without him and we’re fortunate to have him back and glad to see our league and university recognize him. He’s earned it.”

Now the Bears will try to earn their first road victory, with a visit to Tulsa next Saturday afternoon in the first meeting between the old rivals since 2015.