The Missouri State Bears experienced their lowest-scoring half of basketball in their 32-year history in Hammons Student Center and couldn’t overcome the bad start in a 50-49 Missouri Valley Conference loss to the Creighton Bluejays Saturday night at Hammons. It was the Bears’ first home defeat of the season ended their last hope for a perfect season in Hammons in what is their final year in HSC before moving to JQH Arena in 2008-09.
 The Bears fought back from a deficit of 18 points to get the game tied twice in the last two minutes and had a chance to win at the end but couldn’t get a long three-pointer from Spencer Laurie to fall from above the top of the circle.
 In losing for the first time in eight games in Hammons this season, the Bears fell to 8-7 overall while Creighton climbed to 10-3. Both teams came out of the contest 1-2 in Valley play.
 The Bears overcame an early 10-4 deficit and took a 13-12 lead with 8:47 left in the first half. Missouri State, however, got no field goals and just four free throws over the last 10 minutes of the half. Kenny Lawson put CU ahead with a jumper and then three straight Bluejay three-point baskets extended the margin to 23-13. Creighton was up 29-15 at intermission. The Bears shot .182 (4/22) from the field the first half and committed 11 turnovers.
 It was the Bears’ lowest scoring half in a game since they got 14 points at Purdue on Dec. 23, 1991, and their lowest scoring half in their 32-year history in HSC, covering 486 regular season games. The Bears’ previous Hammons scoring low for a half was 19 against Arkansas on Dec. 18, 1983.
 Despite their slow start, the Bears made a bid to win the contest, settling down on defense to hold Creighton to .222 (4/18) shooting the second half and forcing 13 Bluejay turnovers while committing just five themselves. The Bluejays pushed their 14-point halftime edge to 18 at 35-17 two minutes into the last half. The Bears then ran off 10 points in a row to cut the gap to eight at the 11:44 mark. A three-pointer by Dale Lamberth and a basket by Chris Cooks got MSU to within four at 40-36 with 8:41 to play.
   Creighton still had an eight-point lead at 46-38 at the 5:31 mark, but the Bears got four free throws from Mitchell, a basket by Lamberth and a trey by Laurie to get a tie at 47-47 with 2:06 remaining. Josh Dotzler answer with a jumper at the 1:09 mark but then immediately committed a foul to send Cooks to the line for two free throws to make it 49-49.
 P’Allen Stinnett hit one of two free throws with 56 seconds left to push CU ahead by one. The Bears turned the ball over at the 47-second mark and got it back with 11 seconds to play when Cooks rebounded a Bluejay miss. Justin Fuehrmeyer brought the ball upcourt and got it to Laurie, whose long attempt at a game-winner was well short at the horn.
 CU finished at just .341 (15/44) from the field while the Bears matched their fewest field goals made in a game in five years as their .289 figure came on 13-of-45 shots. CU had a 38-30 rebound advantage and was led in scoring by Stinnett’s 18 points. Mitchell and Cooks scored 12 each to lead the Bears and Laurie added 11.
 The Bears close their three-game MVC homestand Tuesday (Jan. 8) when they entertain Wichita State at Hammons at 6:02 p.m.
