The Missouri State basketball Bears turned in a solid defensive effort but couldn’t match it on the other end of the floor and dropped their second straight Missouri Valley Conference game in a 63-56 loss Sunday to the Evansville Purple Aces in Evansville, Ind.

    Missouri State held the Aces to just 18 field goals and 44 percent field goal accuracy but the Bears hurt themselves with turnovers, shot only 40 percent and put the Aces on the foul line too much. Evansville stuck in 21-of-30 free throws as the Aces avenged a 106-54 loss to the Bears in Springfield 12 days ago. It was the largest difference in point spread turnaround in a home-and-home series within a season in Evansville history.

    The Bears have lost two in a row for the first time this season and dipped to 5-4 in the Valley and 14-6 for the year. Evansville, winning its second straight after five losses in a row, moved to 4-5 and 11-9.

    The Bears, finishing a second straight three-game week, fell behind 5-0, 9-4 and 12-6 at the start of the game but then scored eight in a row for a 14-12 lead 13 minutes into the contest as defense dominated the first half. Evansville broke from a 21-21 tie for a 24-21 intermission edge.

    The Aces upped their edge to eight at 29-21 at the start of the second half but the Bears clipped off 10 points in a row to take a 31-29 edge. The Bears had six-point leads at 40-34 and 43-37 but it was the Aces’ turn for an 8-0 run and a 45-43 lead with 7:50 to play. UE opened a 50-45 lead and got 13 points from the foul line from there to the end of the game to win going away.

    Deven Mitchell sparked the Bears with his first career 20-point game and added eight rebounds, an assist and four steals. Tyler Chaney scored 14 and had six rebounds but the rest of the ballclub hit just 10-of-31 from the field. The Bears had a 35-31 rebound advantage but committed 16 turnovers in the contest.

    Shy Ely’s career-best 18 points led four Evansville scorers in double figure and Jason’s Holsinger’s long-range shooting produced 16 points.

    Missouri State, with six of its last 10 regular season games in Hammons Student Center, returns home for two contests this week. The Bears host Creighton Wednesday (Jan. 24) at 7:05 p.m., before entertaining Bradley Saturday.