Dec. 19, 2015 Final Stats
Final Stats | Season Stats | Tickets for SEMO Game
VALPARAISO, Ind. - It was a game that looked promising at the onset for Missouri State Saturday afternoon with an early lead and several key defensive stops before the first media timeout. But home-standing Valparaiso (10-2) got things rolling in a big way from there and never looked back, punishing the visiting Bears to the tune of a 74-45 non-conference setback.
Alec Peters scored a game-high 19 points to go with 10 rebounds for the Crusaders, who won their 19th straight home game, while Tevonn Walker added 18 points to the winning side.
Missouri State (4-7) got 12 points from Dequon Miller.
In the first half, Valparaiso knocked down 7 3-pointers and forced 9 Missouri State turnovers to lead 35-23 at the break. MSU jumped out to a 5-2 lead in the first two-and-a-half minutes behind a jumper from Camyn Boone and transition bucket by Miller. But the home side responded with a 13-2 run over the next 6 minutes to lead 15-7.
Back to back buckets by freshman Jarred Dixon eventually got the Bears back within 27-22 with 5 minutes left in the opening stanza, but the Crusaders extended their lead to as many as 14 before the intermission, powered by a trifecta of 3-pointers in the final 2 minutes of the opening period.
The Crusaders picked up steam in the second half, utilizing runs of 9-2, 8-1 and 9-2 to lead 61-33 with just under 9 minutes to go. Valpo, which returned five starters from a 28-win squad that won the Horizon League and played in the NCAA Tournament a year ago, finished the game with 12 3-pointers and out-rebounded the Bears by a 48-33 margin.
"They dominated us in every area and outplayed us in every way possible," said MSU head coach Paul Lusk, whose team came into the game with three wins in their last four games. "I knew this game would be a real challenge for us, and we simply didn't respond."
MSU's bench was one of the few bright spots for the maroon and white with five of the six reserves finding the scoring column. Tyler McCullough didn't score, but rejected a pair of shots and logged a team-high 6 boards, including 2 on the offensive end. Loomis Gerring scored 5 points, and Ryan Kreklow logged a season-best 31 minutes while matching McCullough's 6 rebounds. Kreklow also produced a team-high 3 assists and converted the Bears' only 3-pointer of the afternoon.
Valparaiso, which finished 27-of-67 (.403) from the field, was 12-of-29 (.414) from long range with four players hitting multiple treys. The Crusaders were also 8-of-11 (.727) at the stripe and converted 17 second-chance points on 17 offensive rebounds to go with 9 steals.
MSU finished 17-of-53 (.321) from the field, 1-of-10 (.100) from long range and 10-of-19 (.526) at the line with 15 turnovers, 7 blocks and 7 steals. The Bears set a season-low in seven statistical categories, including scoring and field goals.
Missouri State returns to JQH Arena on Tuesday night against in-state rival Southeast Missouri State at 7:05 p.m. All children 12 and under will be admitted free for the non-conference finale with a chance to meet Santa before the game. Tickets are available at MissouriStateBears.com/tickets or on game-day only at the MSU Athletics Box Office and by phone at (417) 836-7678.
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