Dec. 7, 2011

SPRINGFIELD -- The Missouri Valley Conference preseason player of the year has taken over, and has pushed Missouri State ahead of visiting Oklahoma State at the half, 34-27.

Weems, who has a game-high 15 points at the break, is 4-for-6 from the field with a pair of three-pointers and six rebounds.  He has a block and a steal as well to pace the Bears who have out-rebounded the Cowboys 20-19 through 20 minutes.

The game has seen five ties and three lead changes, none more significant than a Weems-generated spark with just over five minutes to go in the half.

After OSU jumped ahead 21-18 on a bucket by Reger Dewell at the 5:40 mark, Weems was fouled on the way to the bucket, then shoved after the play by Markel Brown, resulting in a technical foul. Weems made all four free throws, then stole the ball from OSU on its next possession for a coast-to-coast dunk.

The Bears led by as many as nine after that and went into the break up by seven.

OSU was led by Jean-Paul Olukemi and LeBryan Nash with 7 points apiece. The Cowboys are 10-for-28 (.357) from the field without a three-pointer (0-for-5) and 7-of-10 (.700) at the line.

Missouri State, defending a 22-game non-conference home win streak, is 10-for-27 (.370) from the field, 3-of-13 (.231) from downtown, and 11-of-15 (.733) at the line.