The Missouri State Bears cranked out their best 40-minute defensive effort of the season and rolled over the Indiana State Sycamores 65-44 in Missouri Valley Conference basketball Tuesday night at Hammons Student Center. The 12 points ISU got in the first half, the 44 it had for the game and the Sycamores’ final .269 (14/52) shooting percentage were all the best defensive performances of the season for Missouri State.

 Missouri State climbed to 10-8 for the year and 3-3 in the Valley and moved to within a game of the Sycamores, now 4-2 in league play. ISU is 9-7 for the season.

 Indiana State got one basket the first 10 minutes of the game, two buckets the first 13 minutes and only five (in 27 attempts) from the field the first half. The Bears led 15-2 midway through the period and 32-12 at halftime. ISU had an early surge in the second half to get within 14 but an 11-0 Missouri State run pushed the margin to 25 at 47-22 with 11:28 to play and the Bears were ahead by 30 in the latter stages of the contest.

  Missouri State tossed home 56 percent the first half and finished at .510 (25/49) for the game. The Bears hit 9-of-21 three-point tries, just missing double-digit treys for the fourth time in the past six games. MSU led on the boards, 36-33.

 Dale Lamberth had his third straight double-digit effort off the bench and led all scorers with 15 points. Spencer Laurie had 12 points, six rebounds, seven assists and six steals and Dex Manswell had career highs in points and rebounds with nine of each. Harry Marshall led Indiana State scoring with nine points.

 The Bears climbed to 9-1 for the season at home and Indiana State remained the only MVC school to have never won in Hammons. The Sycamores are 0-18 in HSC since Missouri State joined the Valley in 1990.

 The Bears go back on the road Sunday (Jan. 20) when they visit Cedar Falls, Iowa, to take on the UNI Panthers. Tipoff is 1:05 p.m.