Coming back from double-digit deficits in both halves, the Missouri State basketball Bears used a two-minute, 10-0 run to get the game into overtime and then prevailed in the extra period as they overhauled the Drake Bulldogs 87-82 in Missouri Valley Conference play Wednesday night in Des Moines, Iowa.
    The Bears’ uphill climb was capped by six points from Tyler Chaney in the overtime. He hit a three-pointer to start the extra period and then got a three-point play with a minute left to give the Bears an 82-80 lead. Shane Laurie tossed in two clutch free throws at the 30-second mark to make it 84-80 and Blake Ahearn popped in two more from the line with 12 seconds left to push the lead to six and the issue was decided.
    For most of the evening, it looked like Drake had the game well in hand. Leading by a point at the break, 37-36, the Bulldogs pumped in the first 13 points of the second half for a 50-36 bulge before the Bears dented the scoreboard five minutes into the period. Drake’s lead stayed in double digits and got as big as 16 at 59-43. Down 12 at 67-55, the Bears answered with threes from Chaney and Shane Laurie and free throws from Ahearn to close to within three at 67-64 with 4:16 left. Drake then returned the favor with seven straight points for a 74-64 edge with two minutes to play.
    Nathan Bilyeu and Dale Lamberth popped home three-pointers, Chaney notched two free throws at the 1:06 mark and then Chaney found Shane Laurie under the goal for a layup with half a minute left. The Bears then got their biggest stop of the night on Drake’s offensive end to send the game to overtime.
    The first half was much the same. Drake broke from an early 8-7 edge to build a 26-16 lead 12 minutes into the game. The Bears got their first 10-0 run of the night to knot the count at 26, before Drake took its 37-36 halftime margin.
    Chaney turned in another all-around night as he finished with 20 points, six rebounds and six assists for Missouri State. Ahearn and Lamberth scored 12 each and Shane Laurie and Deven Mitchell had 10 apiece. It was the second game in a row the Missouri State bench keyed the attack. After hitting 16-of-23 from the floor in scoring 40 points last Saturday in a win over Bradley, the Missouri State reserves were 13-of-21 from the floor with 35 points at Drake.
    In beating the Bulldogs for the ninth time in a row, Missouri State moved its season mark to 16-7 and slipped into third place in the Valley with a 7-5 league mark. Drake fell to 3-9 in the conference and 12-11 for the season.
    Drake’s three-pronged attack saw Ajay Calvin score 22 points, Nick Grant add 20 and Klayton Korver collect 19. The Bulldogs finished with .438 (28/64) shooting for the night while the Bears hit three of four field goal tries in the overtime to hike their final figure for the evening to .492 (30/61). Rebounds in the contest were even at 38 with Ahearn, Lamberth and Mitchell each adding five boards to the Bears’ total. Ahearn tied his career high with seven assists in the game.
    Missouri State stays on the road this weekend as the Bears go to Terre Haute, Ind., for an MVC clash at Indiana State Saturday (Feb. 3). Tipoff is 3:05 p.m. (CST).
