Missouri State

GAMES 4-6 - Missouri State Bears (2-1) at Gulf Coast Showcase
Date and Time	First Round - Monday, November 20, 12:30 p.m. (vs. Georgia Southern) Second Round - Tuesday, November 21, 10:00 a.m. (vs. Manhattan) Final Round - Wednesday, November 22, 12:30 p.m. (vs. Florida Atlantic)
Location	Germain Arena (8,284)  |  Estero, Fla.
Tickets	Gulf Coast Showcase
Radio	KTXR (101.3 FM) (Art Hains, Mike Keltner) | MSU Radio Network | Listen Live
Video Streaming	FloHoops.com (Spence Siegel)
Series	Missouri State leads Georgia Southern, 1-0 Missouri State leads UMKC, 13-3 Missouri State leads Northern Illinois, 2-0 Missouri State leads Towson, 1-0
Live Stats	Live Stats
Game Notes	Missouri State | Georgia Southern | MVC Notebook | MSU Media Guide
Follow	Facebook | Athletics Twitter | Basketball Twitter | Instagram | #MSUBears
Up Next	The Bears return to JQH Arena on Friday, November 25 to take on Evangel at 7 p.m.

The Bears play Monday through Wednesday in the eight-team Gulf Coast Showcase in Estero, Fla.  MSU takes on Georgia Southern (3-0) in the first round Monday at 12:30 p.m. (Central).



Series History

Missouri State has played four of the teams in the Gulf Coast Showcase previously.

• The Bears are 1-0 all-time against Georgia Southern with a 101-55 win at home on 12/2/05.
• The Bears are 13-3 against in-state rival UMKC but have not played the 'Roos since a double-overtime win in Kansas City on 12/17/03. The teams have never played on a neutral court.
• The Bears are 2-0 against Northern Illinois with a road win (11/24/04) and home win (11/19/05) over the Huskies in back-to-back seasons.
• The Bears are 1-0 against Towson with a 71-56 home win on 12/7/92.

The Ten Count

• Alize Johnson (Sr., Williamsport, Pa.) is coming off a 20-20 game Friday night against North Dakota State, one of just two in Division I basketball so far this season. "Zay" had 23 points and 20 rebounds against NDSU to join Noah Dickerson of Washington in the 2017-18 20-20 Club. It was 10th 20-point game and third 20-rebound game.
• Two Bears are rapidly approaching the 400-rebound milestone for their careers. Alize Johnson and Obediah Church (Jr., Springfield, Ill.) are within range of hitting that mark this week with Johnson sitting at 393 and Church at 388 heading into the Gulf Coast Showcase.
• MSU's J.T. Miller (Sr., Clinton, N.C.) starts the week just 40 points shy of 1,000 for his career. The fifth-year transfer from Howard University scored 930 points with the Bison before coming to Missouri State this season.
• Obediah Church (Springfield, Ill.) is now just 4 blocked shots behind Drew Richards (2004-08) for the No. 3 spot on the program's career list. Church is up to 129 career rejections, just 38 behind MSU career leader Danny Moore (1996-99).
• In the Bears' only previous meeting with Georgia Southern, Coach Barry Hinson's club scored a 101-55 win over the Eagles at Hammons Student Center in Springfield (12/2/05). Future NBA man Blake Ahearn scored 23 points for MSU in the win, while Nathan Bilyeu snagged 10 rebounds.
• On Wednesday, MSU head coach Paul Lusk will coach his 200th game as the Bears' sideline boss. Lusk (Southern Illinois, 1995) enters the Gulf Coast Showcase with a 90-107 (.457) ledger in his seventh season at MSU and 92-130 (.414) record in his eighth season overall as a head coach.
• Missouri State's last game in the state of Florida was an 81-72 loss to Miami U in the second round of the NIT (3/21/11) in Cuonzo Martin's final game as Bears' head coach. Adam Leonard scored 26 points for MSU in that game in Boca Raton.
• Alize Johnson was added to both the Naismith Trophy Watch List and Lou Henson Award Watch List last week.
• Ryan Kreklow (Jr., Columbia, Mo.) has converted 15 straight free throws, dating back to Jan. 24, 2017. He is 8-for-8 at the foul line this season.
• Missouri State matched or out-rebounded 26 of 33 opponents last season and has picked up that same momentum in 2017-18 by winning the battle of the boards in all three games. MSU enters the week with a +6.7 rebound margin.