Missouri State put its best performance of the season together and came away with a double-overtime thriller against a team contending atop the Missouri Valley Conference.
The Bears (11-9, 3-6) rallied from a 13-point halftime deficit to force two overtimes and beat previously Valley-leading Drake (16-4, 7-2) with an 83-80 victory in front of Great Southern Bank Arena’s best crowd of the season on Wednesday night.
Heroics from Alston Mason, Cesare Edwards and Kramer throughout the game led the Bears to an unpredictable upset win. It left many wondering where this has been from the Bears throughout Valley play and if it is sustainable.
Mason finished the game with 36 points with 23 coming in the second half. Edwards finished with 12 points with 10 coming in the two overtime periods. Kramer hit a shot at the end of regulation to force the first overtime.
Previously: ‘I don’t have my team competing’: Missouri State basketball’s free-fall continues in loss
Missouri State basketball started the game on fire
Against a team contending for a Valley championship, MSU went back and forth while playing its most inspiring basketball since non-conference play for the first five minutes of the game.
MSU made its first seven shots. Even when Damien Mayo Jr.’s shot was blocked to end the streak, he got his own rejection and laid it in to continue the Bears’ hot start.
Unfortunately, the Bears couldn’t get many stops of their own. Tucker DeVries, the reigning MVC Player of the Year, scored with ease. Although the defensive intensity was strong on the Bears’ side, they frequently found themselves out of place for the Bulldogs to spot up for open looks.
After Mayo’s jumper fell with 14:53 left in the half, the Bears had their largest lead of the half at three. DeVries sank a 3 in response to tie it.
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Missouri State goes ice cold to end half vs. Drake
As has been a problem for Missouri State in recent years, the Bears will go several minutes without scoring a point. Their end to the first half was one of their worst droughts yet.
After starting the game 7 for 7 from the field, the Bears made 5 of their last 26 before halftime. The Bears scored 18 points in the first 5:07 and then scored 11 over the final 14:53.
A stretch of 15 missed shots lasted just under eight minutes. It wasn’t until Chance Moore and Raphe Ayres made back-to-back 3’s to stop the bleeding right before the break.
At the same time, Drake built its lead and at one point scored 16 unanswered. DeVries ended the first half with 18 points with three 3’s and the team shot 44.4% from the field for a 42-29 halftime lead.
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Behind Alston Mason, Missouri State made it a game
Missouri State didn’t lie down and climbed back into the game. Drake started the second half 3 for 12 from the field while Bears standout guard Alston Mason put the team on his back to cut the Bulldogs’ lead to three at the under-12 timeout.
Mason scored 11 of MSU’s first 18 points in the second half including a 3-pointer with 12:26 left to make it a 49-46 game. Hustle plays from Mayo, Nick Kramer and Donovan Clay led the defensive charge to bring the Bears back within a possession.
Nick Kramer hits shot at buzzer to force overtime
Mason scored 12 consecutive points for the Bears until Clay got a layup to fall with 56 seconds left to bring the Bears within two. The Bears forced an airball at the other end as MSU took possession with a chance to tie.
Mason, with 30 points in regulation and 23 coming in the second half, found an open lane and drove to the basket. A layup high off the glass bounced off the rim and out with Drake getting the rebound with 17 seconds left.
The Bulldogs missed the front end of a one-and-one, giving the Bears one last chance to tie it. Mason stepped back for a 3 that was short but Kramer got the rebound. A jumper at the buzzer forced overtime with the game tied at 65.
DeVries was held scoreless in the second half for the Bulldogs.
One overtime wasn’t enough for this game
Both teams hit only one shot through the first four minutes of the five-minute overtime period. Drake led 69-68 with Conor Enright scoring all four of the Bulldogs’ points and Mason hitting a 3 for the Bears.
Missouri State took its first lead since the 14:53 mark in the first half when Mason missed a shot and Kramer got another board. He found Cesare Edwards underneath who scored through contact and finished off a three-point play for a two-point advantage.
Drake big man Darnell Brodie scored at the other end to tie the game. Mason stepped out of bounds in response to give the Bulldogs a shot at winning the game with the shot clock turned off.
At the buzzer, Enright had an open look in the lane but it bounced off the rim and out to force a second overtime.
Missouri State pulls off double-overtime win over Drake
Missouri State scored the first four points of overtime behind buckets from Edwards and Clay — giving the Bears their biggest lead of the game at four.
Drake proceeded to score five unanswered with Kevin Overton hitting a 3 with 2:28 left. Edwards responded with a 3 to put the Bears back up by two. A Brodie free throw cut the lead to one with 1:37 left.
With the one-point advantage, Edwards got an open look in the lane for a layup to go up by three for his seventh point of the second overtime.
Out of a timeout, Drake missed an open look with Missouri State grabbing the board. The Bulldogs sent Mason to the line, who put the game out of reach as the Bears pulled off what seemed like an improbable win.
Up next
The Bears will hit the road for a 3 p.m. game at Valparaiso on Saturday before traveling to Southern Illinois on Wednesday for a 7 p.m. contest. MSU’s next home game is a 1 p.m. game against Belmont on Feb. 3.
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.
