Missouri
Missouri State’s Chance Moore didn’t quit amid slump and reminded us what he’s capable of
Chance Moore was struggling. It was no secret. Everyone could see it.
The Missouri State junior guard is as talented as they come. It was only a matter of time before he emerged from his slump but game after game went by and shots just weren’t falling.
Bears head coach Dana Ford reminded him to stay aggressive in every part of his game. It’s what made him a great player before his slump and it was going to be the answer for when he came out of it.
So with the clock ticking down on Missouri State’s comeback attempt at Southern Illinois on Wednesday night, the junior found himself under the basket with the Bears down two. Alston Mason missed a good look before Moore came down with the rebound.
Moore stayed aggressive. He didn’t look anywhere else. He went back up and laid in the game-tying basket to force overtime before the Bears eventually won the game 76-75 while erasing a 12-point second-half deficit.
More: Missouri State basketball rallies for another overtime victory at Southern Illinois
“It feels good,” Moore said. “Coach told me to keep working, keep staying in the gym and I’m gonna find my way out eventually.”
Moore scored 13 points on 5 of 6 shooting with a pair of 3’s, including one in overtime. Without his play, the Bears wouldn’t be winners of their last three games as Missouri State continues to fight its way back after starting the month with a slump of its own.
Entering the game, Moore averaged 4.6 points per game and shot 21.6% from the field over the last seven games he played in. He was removed from the starting lineup and, at one point, was given a night off.
“I’m happy for Chance,” Ford said. “I love the kid. I’m happy for our team because in order for us to play our best basketball five or six weeks from now, he’s going to have to be a big part of that. It’s good for us.”
Moore was considered one of the Bears’ top two go-to scorers entering the season. Mason has emerged as Missouri State’s top scoring threat each night but Moore was still going to be needed.
More: How much did Missouri State basketball’s upset change the conversation around the program?
Before the start of the new year, Moore was who the Bears needed him to be as he averaged 13.8 points. When the Bears’ season hit a low point when they lost five of six games, the player everyone knew him to be couldn’t be found.
“It was tough for me,” Moore said. “Offense wasn’t going and I was just trying to focus really on defense, rebounding and just other ways to contribute to the game.”
Moore’s defense took a step forward in recent games. He was tasked, on occasion, with matching up with top scorers on opposing teams. He contributed to holding Drake superstar Tucker DeVries scoreless in the second half and overtime while leading the team in blocks in its comeback win over the Bulldogs.
He crashed the boards in the Bears’ win over Valparaiso, even when going 1 for 9 from the field in 17 minutes, but he put all of it behind him and helped the Bears come back to beat the Salukis.
“I just tried to stay positive,” Moore said. “I talked to my coaches, my teammates and my family. I just stayed in the lab and kept praying.”
More: A look at Missouri State’s 3 president finalists through a sports lens
It all added up to Moore’s comeback story amid Missouri State’s resurgence after it would have been easy to count the whole team out. A third-straight win going into Saturday’s home game with Belmont featured maybe the Bears’ most complete game of the season.
Mason didn’t put up the numbers that made him last week’s Missouri Valley Conference Player of the Week but others stood up. Donovan Clay scored 24 points which included the game-winning jumper with 4.8 seconds left in overtime. Mason still managed 13 points with Damien Mayo scoring 12 points and Cesare Edwards adding 12.
The defense came together and held the Salukis to just 6 for 23 shooting from the field in the second half. The Bears kept SIU from making a shot from the field after the Salukis took a 10-point lead with 5:08 remaining.
“I think we need to share the juice,” Ford said. “The more, the merrier. You know we’re capable. This is what we’re capable of. We have a deep team and once we get Matthew Lee playing to his capabilities, kind of like Chance did tonight, then we’ll continue to do this. But it was good to see us share the juice and get a lot of people involved.”
Moore’s breakout on Wednesday added to the comeback story that Missouri State is currently trying to write. At times, Moore had to feel like it was as bad as it gets. For Missouri State, there were times it appeared the team hit rock bottom.
But Moore didn’t quit. He listened to his teammates who encouraged him along the way. Clay, a senior leader, stayed in his ear and kept motivating him with a message that the entire team appeared to have taken to heart.
“He’s a great player and everybody knows he’s a great player,” Clay said. “I think he’s back and the main thing for Chance is moving on and that’s been the main thing for our team. I feel like he moved on tonight.”
Wyatt D. Wheeler is a reporter and columnist with the Springfield News-Leader. You can contact him at 417-371-6987, by email at wwheeler@news-leader.com or X at @WyattWheeler_NL.
The Missouri Lottery offers several draw games for those aiming to win big.
Here’s a look at July 7, 2026, results for each game:
Winning Mega Millions numbers from July 7 drawing
02-31-35-36-63, Mega Ball: 12
Check Mega Millions payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Pick 3 numbers from July 7 drawing
Midday: 1-3-9
Midday Wild: 5
Evening: 8-5-4
Evening Wild: 0
Check Pick 3 payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Pick 4 numbers from July 7 drawing
Midday: 8-1-4-4
Midday Wild: 0
Evening: 2-6-7-0
Evening Wild: 1
Check Pick 4 payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Cash Pop numbers from July 7 drawing
Early Bird: 09
Morning: 08
Matinee: 15
Prime Time: 01
Night Owl: 10
Check Cash Pop payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Show Me Cash numbers from July 7 drawing
12-16-17-28-31
Check Show Me Cash payouts and previous drawings here.
Feeling lucky? Explore the latest lottery news & results
Are you a winner? Here’s how to claim your lottery prize
All Missouri Lottery retailers can redeem prizes up to $600. For prizes over $600, winners have the option to submit their claim by mail or in person at one of Missouri Lottery’s regional offices, by appointment only.
To claim by mail, complete a Missouri Lottery winner claim form, sign your winning ticket, and include a copy of your government-issued photo ID along with a completed IRS Form W-9. Ensure your name, address, telephone number and signature are on the back of your ticket. Claims should be mailed to:
Ticket Redemption
Missouri Lottery
P.O. Box 7777
Jefferson City, MO 65102-7777
For in-person claims, visit the Missouri Lottery Headquarters in Jefferson City or one of the regional offices in Kansas City, Springfield or St. Louis. Be sure to call ahead to verify hours and check if an appointment is required.
For additional instructions or to download the claim form, visit the Missouri Lottery prize claim page.
When are the Missouri Lottery drawings held?
- Powerball: 9:59 p.m. Monday, Wednesday and Saturday.
- Mega Millions: 10 p.m. Tuesday and Friday.
- Pick 3: 12:45 p.m. (Midday) and 8:59 p.m. (Evening) daily.
- Pick 4: 12:45 p.m. (Midday) and 8:59 p.m. (Evening) daily.
- Cash4Life: 8 p.m. daily.
- Cash Pop: 8 a.m. (Early Bird), 11 a.m. (Late Morning), 3 p.m. (Matinee), 7 p.m. (Prime Time) and 11 p.m. (Night Owl) daily.
- Show Me Cash: 8:59 p.m. daily.
- Lotto: 8:59 p.m. Wednesday and Saturday.
- Powerball Double Play: 9:59 p.m. Monday, Wednesday and Saturday.
This results page was generated automatically using information from TinBu and a template written and reviewed by a Missouri editor. You can send feedback using this form.
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Updated:
GRAIN VALLEY, Mo. (WDAF) – Authorities said an explosion reported early Tuesday morning was caused by a school employee hitting a firework with a lawn mower in Missouri.
According to the Grain Valley Police Department, officers responded shortly after 7 a.m. to an area near Grain Valley South Middle School, about 23 miles east of Kansas City, for a reported explosion and a person with injuries.
After arriving at the scene, law enforcement discovered a Grain Valley School District employee had been mowing near the school when they struck an apparent explosive device. The explosion caused damage to the mower, and the employee was originally reported to have suffered minor injuries.
Authorities later said the employee is reported to be in good condition with no injuries.
⏩ Read today’s top stories on wkrn.com
The area surrounding the school was blocked to the public for three hours to ensure there were no additional devices or safety concerns. The roads have since reopened, and investigators said there is no known threat to the public.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives has been called to the scene to help with the investigation.
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (KY3) -Missouri teachers are criticizing Gov. Mike Kehoe’s plan to assign A-F letter grades to the state’s public and charter schools, saying the money would be better spent on classroom learning.
The Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education submitted the proposed A-F School Grading Framework to the governor’s office in response to his January executive order. The order directs DESE to create yearly A-F grade cards reflecting student outcomes.
Under the framework, DESE would produce annual grade cards for districts, schools, and charter schools. Grades would be based on scores from students’ Missouri Assessment Program tests and college-readiness exams, including the ACT and SAT.
For Kindergarten through middle schools, grades would factor in student academic achievement, value-added growth, and growth toward proficiency in English Language Arts, literacy, mathematics, and science. High school grades would also include Success Ready Graduate measures and four-year graduation rates.
DESE Interim Commissioner of Education Stacey Preis, PhD, said the framework is designed to give families a clearer picture of school performance.
“The goal for the A–F school grading framework is to provide families and communities with a simple, comparable, and rigorous picture of school performance,” Preis said.DESE plans to present the proposal to the State Board of Education in August. If approved, schools could receive their first grades under the new system in the spring of 2027. The plan remains subject to change based on any revisions requested during the review process.
Setting up the program would cost $1.2 million in the first year and $715,000 each year after that. That money has not been allocated in the current state budget. That money was not allocated in the fiscal year 2027 state budget, which began July 1. The Missouri State Teachers Association said the funds should go elsewhere.
“We’re currently underfunding schools by almost $200 million, and so I think priority number one should be to make sure that we’re fully funding schools to meet the needs of those students,” said Matt Michelson of the Missouri State Teachers Association.
Michelson also questioned the emphasis on standardized testing.
“I think Missourians have wanted to move away from high-stakes testing, and to place even more emphasis on those one-time statewide tests is really concerning for a community as they look at how they can best educate their students,” Michelson said.
Kehoe said the grading system is about transparency and improvement, not punishment.
“It’s not to admonish any school; it’s to give everybody a target on how do you all get to a better level,” Kehoe said. “You have to know where you stand if you’re going to improve, and you have to have some sort of measuring tool, and that’s what A through F is.”
A bill to codify the plan into state law failed during the most recent legislative session. Kehoe said he wants to see it return.
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Copyright 2026 KY3. All rights reserved.
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