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SPRINGFIELD – Missouri State knocked down a school-record 15 3-pointers and forced 24 turnovers to dispatch visiting Jacksonville State, 91-65, here Sunday to improve to 2-0 for the third time in four seasons.
 
The Bears got game-highs 20 points and 10 rebounds from Alize Johnson and 20 points from Dequon Miller to pace MSU's second-straight 90-point scoring effort. Jarred Dixon added 19 points off the bench to match his career high.
 
Dixon and Johnson also pitched in three treys apiece with Miller and Austin Ruder each pouring in four from long range en route to breaking the club record. The team's previous record of 14 long-distance shots was reached three times, most-recently in 2006 against UNC Wilmington.
 
Missouri State scorched out of the gates with the game's first 12 points and eight straight shutout stops on the defensive end. Obediah Church scored buckets on back-to-back trips before a 3-pointer by Miller and a dramatic steal and 3-pointer in transition by Ryan Kreklow made it 12-0 at the 14:42 mark.
 
Later in the opening half, Johnson and Ruder accounted for three trifectas in the span of two-and-a-half minutes to push Missouri State's lead to 21 points before the final media timeout. In the final two minutes of the opening period, Ruder hit another triple to kick start a 7-0 run by the Bears before the intermission and make it 45-20 at the midway point.
 
Miller ignited another Missouri State run early in the second half, getting two jumpers and a layup before Johnson found Ruder on the wing for an open 3-pointer to give the Bears a 27-point edge coming out of the first media timeout.
 
The Gamecocks (1-1) then mounted their best stretch of the afternoon, reeling off 11 unanswered points over a three-minute span to cut their deficit to 55-39. Miller answered the bell with another long-range bomb to end the scoring drought for Missouri State, but JSU responded with five more points to make it a 58-44 game with just over 11 minutes on the clock.
 
But the Bears were game for the challenge and responded with an 11-4 run of their own over the next four minutes to push their lead back to 21 points, and the home club was never challenged again down the stretch.
 
Jacksonville State was led by Norbertas Giga with 16 points, while Christian Cunningham added 13. The Gamecock's 24 turnovers were the second-most forced by the Bears under sixth-year head coach Paul Lusk.
 
The Gamecocks converted 17-of-21 shots in the second half to overshadow a 26-percent shooting effort in the first 20 minutes. JSU finished the game 22-of-40 (.550) from the field, 5-of-13 (.385) from beyond the arc and 16-of-23 (.596) at the foul line.
 
MSU finished 30-of-64 (.469) overall, 15-of-31 (.484) from long range and an impressive 16-of-17 (.941) at the stripe to go with a 29-26 rebounding edge and just 10 turnovers.
 
The Bears also got double-figure scoring efforts from Ruder, who was 4-for-8 from downtown to finish with 12 points, and Church, who tallied 10 points and 6 rebounds while converting 6-of-6 at the foul line.
 
Missouri State concludes its three-game home stand to start the campaign on Thursday with a 7 p.m. visit from Fontbonne. Tickets for that game and all non-conference home games, are available at MissouriStateBears.com or by visiting the Old Missouri Bank Ticket Window at JQH Arena, (417) 836-7678, during regular box office hours.
 
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