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.
Missouri
Missouri Democrats vow to fight increased taxes on sales or services
Missouri lawmakers returned to work Wednesday, Jan. 7, to kick off the 2026 legislative session, with Republicans determined to eliminate the state income tax and Democrats vowing to oppose any effort to replace it with increased taxes on sales or services.
Missing from the first day were the partisan fireworks that defined the end of last year’s session and a special session in September. Instead, both the House and Senate functioned normally on Wednesday, quickly running through motions of a first-day and adjourning with little fanfare.
But the partisan schism simmered under the surface.
Republican Gov. Mike Kehoe is pushing for elimination of the state’s income tax and is expecting to lay out his plan next week when he speaks to a joint session of the legislature for his annual State of the State address.
Democrats — still smarting from last year’s GOP moves to cut off debate to pass bills repealing expanded paid sick leave, gerrymander the state congressional map, change the initiative petition process and reimpose an abortion ban — said they are withholding judgment until they see the details of Kehoe’s plan.
But they note the income tax represents 65% of last year’s $13.4 billion in state revenue.
Democrats will not support raising taxes that disproportionately impact lower-income Missourians to pay to eliminate the income tax, said Senate Minority Leader Doug Beck, an Affton Democrat.
“People are already having a really hard time making ends meet in this state,” Beck said. “People are living paycheck to paycheck. So if anyone wants to raise taxes on those folks, that is unacceptable to us. As Democrats, we say there should be no new taxes.”
House Minority Leader Ashley Aune, a Kansas City Democrat, said that while the possible elimination of the income tax is “being sold as … getting rid of your taxes,” most Missourians will see little benefit.
“What they’re not telling you is how much more you’ll have to spend every time you swipe your card,” Aune said, adding: “The next time you have an expensive car repair or costly emergency visit from a plumber to fix a broken pipe, you’ll also be paying double digit sales taxes on that bill. Struggling to pay your rent? The struggle will get even harder when Republicans add a sales tax onto that.”
Democrats will lay out their own income tax proposal next week, Aune said, that will offer “targeted tax relief for those who need it most.”
State Rep. Mark Boyko, the Kirkwood Democrat who will sponsor the measure, said that while Missourians earning over $250,000 could end up paying more under the Democrats’ tax plan, it would generate much-needed revenue.
The proposal, Boyko said, “will actually lower your costs.”
Senate President Cindy O’Laughlin, a Shelbina Republican, urged her colleagues in an opening day speech to work together to “find solutions that move Missouri forward.”
While tax cuts weren’t directly mentioned in her speech, O’Laughlin left little doubt where she stood.
“Taxes, regulations, red tape and bureaucracy do not make Missouri better,” she said. “In every case, they take from Missouri families, they also take from Missouri small businesses. And our job is to reduce that impact. We must make sure what we take is as limited as possible.”
Missouri families want results, O’Laughlin said.
“They want better roads, better schools,” she said. “They want more private home ownership. They want safe streets and neighborhoods. They want better jobs and stronger job skills. They want thriving communities, and they want less dependence on the government at all levels.”
Hovering over the income tax debate is a state budget picture looking gloomier than it has in years.
General revenue is projected to be $400 million below estimates made a year ago. Part of the reason is that a capital gains tax cut passed last year that was estimated to reduce revenue by $111 million annually is now believed to cost as much as $500 million the first year and $360 million a year moving forward.
Beck said that while Democrats decided against using procedural maneuvers to gum up the Senate on the first day, the chamber will move much more slowly this year — not only in response to last year’s GOP moves quash Democratic filibusters, but also to avoid mistakes like the cost of the capital gains tax cut.
“When you shut off debate or refuse to engage with the other side to just rush things through, mistakes happen,” he said. “We were screaming from the hilltop that the capital gains cuts were going to cost way more. But we went too fast, and senators weren’t allowed to do their jobs.”
This story was first published at missouriindependent.com.
Missouri
Missouri Lottery Powerball, Pick 3 winning numbers for Jan. 7, 2026
The Missouri Lottery offers several draw games for those aiming to win big. Here’s a look at Jan. 7, 2026, results for each game:
Winning Powerball numbers from Jan. 7 drawing
15-28-57-58-63, Powerball: 23, Power Play: 2
Check Powerball payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Pick 3 numbers from Jan. 7 drawing
Midday: 7-2-8
Midday Wild: 2
Evening: 7-4-8
Evening Wild: 8
Check Pick 3 payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Pick 4 numbers from Jan. 7 drawing
Midday: 6-0-8-6
Midday Wild: 7
Evening: 7-8-2-6
Evening Wild: 6
Check Pick 4 payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Cash4Life numbers from Jan. 7 drawing
01-07-30-41-56, Cash Ball: 01
Check Cash4Life payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Cash Pop numbers from Jan. 7 drawing
Early Bird: 04
Morning: 08
Matinee: 13
Prime Time: 08
Night Owl: 10
Check Cash Pop payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Show Me Cash numbers from Jan. 7 drawing
03-05-09-10-36
Check Show Me Cash payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Powerball Double Play numbers from Jan. 7 drawing
28-41-50-61-68, Powerball: 05
Check Powerball Double Play 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.
Missouri
Jaland Lowe, Jayden Quaintance to start for Kentucky vs Missouri, per report
Kentucky basketball fans have seemed to have finally gotten their wish. After receiving a lot of pushback for not making a change to the starting lineup, more specifically not starting Jaland Lowe since returning from injury, Mark Pope is making a change. According to KSR’s Jack Pilgrim, both Lowe and Jayden Quaintance will start in Kentucky’s game against Missouri. Pilgrim reports the two will replace Collin Chandler and Malachi Moreno as starters against Missouri, which will make the lineup Jaland Lowe, Denzel Aberdeen, Otega Oweh, Mo Dioubate and Jayden Quaintance.
It’s a long-time coming for Kentucky fans, as since Jaland Lowe has been back from injury on Dec. 5, he hasn’t started a single game. Even in the games before he wasn’t included in Kentucky’s starting lineup. That’s seven games played with zero starts to show for it, with fans constantly wondering why Lowe has continued to come into the games following the first media timeout after Kentucky has already fallen behind. He’s not the only one being included in the lineup change, with Quaintance starting as well. Quaintance made his debut against St. John’s and has since been working to get acclimated after spending nine months returning from an injury. Now, he’s getting the start, too. We haven’t seen the two on the floor together since Kentucky’s second-half surge to beat St. John’s on Dec. 20.
The chatter around the starting lineup questions has mainly centered around Lowe, as he is clearly the engine of this team. When he’s not in, Kentucky sturggles to have any flow, or identity for that matter. Now, the Wildcats have the opportunity to start the game off fresh instead of it being like the last game where Kentucky fell behind 9-5 before Lowe came in. Mark Pope hinted on his radio show Monday that this development with Lowe was coming, saying “starting is in his future” while also noting that they’re continuing to ‘nurse’ him along. Before that, though, during Kentucky’s 10-day break between the Bellarmine and Alabama games, Pope discussed the reason why Jaland Lowe had not been starting:
“We’re trying to limit his contact and exposure so much in practice that, the thinking behind that is like, let’s protect the integrity of the group that we have getting most of the reps in practice to actually be able to go perform on the court, just to give some continuity.” At the time, Pope wasn’t sure if that was the right way to go about it, but it’s something he said they would continue to be thinking about moving forward. “That might not be the right answer. We’re going to kind of explore that as we go. It also gives you a chance to maybe extend his healthy window, which we’re hoping is going to be the entire season, by not being the headline guy at the beginning of a scout.”
Well, those comments from Pope combined with the pushback from fans has now led to Jaland Lowe finally making his first start as a Kentucky Wildcat. Mark Pope now has real chance for his team to build some momentum with two players on the floor together in Lowe and Quaintance who will hopefully be staying on the floor together and consistently moving forward. This development is going to be what Kentucky fans focus on most against Missouri.
More news on the Wildcats
-
Detroit, MI5 days ago2 hospitalized after shooting on Lodge Freeway in Detroit
-
Technology3 days agoPower bank feature creep is out of control
-
Dallas, TX4 days agoDefensive coordinator candidates who could improve Cowboys’ brutal secondary in 2026
-
Health5 days agoViral New Year reset routine is helping people adopt healthier habits
-
Nebraska2 days agoOregon State LB transfer Dexter Foster commits to Nebraska
-
Iowa2 days agoPat McAfee praises Audi Crooks, plays hype song for Iowa State star
-
Nebraska2 days agoNebraska-based pizza chain Godfather’s Pizza is set to open a new location in Queen Creek
-
Entertainment2 days agoSpotify digs in on podcasts with new Hollywood studios