Missouri
Missouri State basketball pulls off shocking 2OT upset over Valley-contending Drake
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.
More: Kaemyn Bekemeier highlights young Missouri State Lady Bears starting to ‘figure it out’
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.
More: A look at Missouri State’s 3 president finalists through a sports lens
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.
Let’s talk drama.
Transfer portal drama, specifically. The kind inspired by last week’s Texas Tech-Florida softball series, which comfortably could have aired on Bravo.
For those who missed out on the fun, former Florida second baseman and current Texas Tech star Mia Williams — the daughter of former Gators point guard “White Chocolate” Jason Williams — was hit by five pitches over the course of the series by her former team.
Florida’s coach was ejected during the fiery Super Regional. The Gators’ players declined a handshake line after the Red Raiders clinched the series and a Women’s College World Series berth behind two Mia Williams home runs in the finale. Jason Williams was spotted Gator-chomping in the direction of the Florida dugout after a home run, and a UF fan was ejected after a reported altercation between Jason Williams and Mia Williams’ sister.
Woah!
College football has some potential for high-octane reunions. Our undivided attention on Sept. 19, for instance, will be on Lane Kiffin’s return to Oxford, Mississippi, with LSU.
Let’s turn local: Does the opportunity for some not-so-amicable reunions exist with Missouri football this year?
Probably not to the degree of any of the examples listed above, but there are multiple former Mizzou players on the Tigers’ schedule this season. Missouri also has several projected starters set to face their former teams, too.
Here are the former Missouri football players who the Tigers will see on the opposing sideline this upcoming fall, and the current Mizzou players who are going to face their former teams:
Which former players will Missouri football face this upcoming fall?
Marquis Johnson, WR, Mississippi State: Johnson is expected to be a starting wide receiver for the Bulldogs’ when Mizzou visits Starkville. The wideout, who flashed as a deep-ball threat as a freshman, spent three seasons with the Tigers but never managed to top his rookie-year receiving production. He lost his starting job midseason last year.
Kewan Lacy, RB, Ole Miss: Lacy spent the 2024 season with Missouri and has since emerged as one of the better running backs in the college game, rushing for 1,567 yards and 24 touchdowns for the Rebels last season. This has been a little bit of a ‘Sliding Doors’ moment, because Mizzou signed Ahmad Hardy two days after Lacy went into the portal.
That’s worked out just fine for both teams, we’d say. If Hardy can make a storybook comeback this year, which this matchup pits two of the best tailbacks in the college game next season.
Horatio Fields, WR, Ole Miss: Fields technically was a Missouri player for a moment, although it may be the shortest stint in program history. He officially signed with Mizzou from Auburn on Jan. 8 but was back in the portal, after MU added multiple more transfer wide receivers, a little more than two weeks later.
Brandon Solis, OT, Kansas: Yes, there was a transfer across Border War lines in football, as well as basketball, this offseason. Solis did not play for Mizzou over three seasons in Columbia and appears likely to be a backup offensive tackle for the Jayhawks.
Courtney Crutchfield, WR, Arkansas: Crutchfield spent one season with Mizzou in 2024 and caught one pass for 26 yards last season with the Razorbacks. He is projected as a backup for Arkansas next season.
Mark Manfred III, CB, Kentucky: Manfred was a three-star freshman last season, entering the transfer portal and joining the new Kentucky staff in December.
Which current Mizzou players take on their former teams?
QB Austin Simmons, WR Cayden Lee and CB Chris Graves Jr. vs. Ole Miss: Three of Mizzou’s most-important offseason transfer additions will return Oct. 17 to Oxford and will almost certainly have a major say in whether or not the Tigers can stage a midseason road upset.
These parting of ways appear to have been quite harmonious. Ole Miss, for what it’s worth, does have a more notable defector from this past year currently residing in Baton Rouge.
Cayden Green, OT, Oklahoma: Green’s December 2023 transfer to Mizzou from OU upset the Sooners fanbase at the time, and the left tackle has previously spoken about leaving social media because of the backlash. But, the move is yet to boil over on the field, so Green’s last outing against the Sooners should be mostly drama free.
Luke Work, Zach Owens, OLs, Mississippi State: There is a chance that two of Mizzou’s starting offensive linemen when the Tigers play Sept. 26 in Starkville are former Bulldogs. Owens is competing for Mizzou’s starting spot at left tackle, and an injury to Josh Atkins means Work is a candidate to play at right tackle.
Darris Smith, DE, Georgia: Smith spent two seasons with Georgia out of high school before transferring to Columbia. He is expected to be Missouri’s top pass rusher this season, as the Tigers try to replace the massive production of Zion Young and Damon Wilson II.
Nick Evers, QB, Oklahoma: Evers, who will compete with Matt Zollers for Mizzou’s backup QB position behind Simmons, started his college career as a four-star prospect in 2022.
Naeshaun Montgomery, WR, Florida: Montgomery will compete for a rotational role in Mizzou’s wide receiver room this fall. He isn’t likely to start ahead of Donovan Olugbode or Caleb Goodie on the outside, but he could see the field against the Gators, where he spent his true freshman season and caught three passes.
Missouri
Robbie O’Connor, Carmelo Musacchia power Northeastern past Missouri State at Lawrence Regional | Whole Hog Sports
An awareness walk took place in Columbia Saturday that brings attention to a genetic disorder.
The eighth annual Missouri Walk of Neurofibromatosis took place on May 30 at Stephens Lake Park.
The event helps raise money and awareness for people who have the genetic disorder neurofibromatosis (NF).
There are three types of NF: neurofibromatosis type one (NF1), neurofibromatosis type two-related schwannomatosis (NF2-SWN), and schwannomatosis.
While the three types of NF are genetically distinct, they share the common feature of causing tumors.
The severity of symptoms and the specific manifestations of the disorders can vary significantly from person to person.
NF1 is the most common of the conditions, affecting approximately one in 2,500.
NF2 affects around one in 25,000 and other schwannomatosis types affect around one in 40,000.
Together, the disorders affect at least 1 in 2,000 people or approximately four million worldwide.
Anyone can be born with an NF disorder, and they have a 50% chance of passing it on.
For Christina Thomas, an organizer for Missouri Walk of Neurofibromatosis, the walk means “the world” to her.
“I’ve always been about advocating for NF and bringing people together,” Thomas said. “It’s awesome to see so many people coming together who have it.”
Thomas is the third generation in her family to have NF, and three of her four kids also have the condition.
“I grew up thinking my family was the only one with it. To me, it’s very important to be able to let people know that they’re not the only ones with it.”
Thomas said she was often teased when she was younger because her father, who also has NF, had tumors all over his body.
“I was always made fun of because of his appearance. People tell me, ‘You don’t want to get close to her she’s contagious.’”
Thomas said she joined the walk because she wants to bring people together who have NF and let them know they are not alone.
Another of her goals is to get the attention from the University of Missouri.
“Our ultimate goal is to get the attention of the University of Missouri, because not for me, not for my kids, but maybe for my grandkids or the ones that are nearly diagnosed, for us to have an NF clinic here instead of having to travel to Kansas City or St. Louis for expert care.”
She said the best way for the community to support those living with NF is through education and awareness.
“We’re always about advocating. We’re always about bringing awareness.”
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