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Bears Set for National TV Game at Indiana State

Bears Set for National TV Game at Indiana State

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GAME 27 - Missouri State Bears (12-14, 6-7 MVC) vs. Indiana State Sycamores (14-10, 7-6 MVC)
Date and Time Sunday, Feb. 16, 2020 | 3:05 p.m. (Central)
Location Hulman Center (10,200) | Terre Haute, Ind.
Tickets Indiana State Game | Future Games
Radio KTXR (101.3 FM) (Art Hains, Mike Keltner) | MSU Radio Network | Listen Live
Television ESPNU (Robert Lee, Julianne Viani) | Watch
Series Missouri State leads 47-26 | Last Meeting: INST 78, MSU 68 (2/1/20) | Box Score
Live Stats Live Stats
Game Notes Missouri State | Indiana State | MVC Notebook | MSU Media Guide
Follow Facebook | Athletics Twitter | Basketball Twitter | Instagram | #MSUBears | #BearUp
Coverage Dana Ford Weekly Availability | MVC Weekly Coaches Teleconference
Up Next The Bears travel to Bradley on Wednesday, Feb. 19 (7 p.m.) in Peoria | Tickets

The Ten Count
  • Missouri State begins a pivotal three-game week Sunday when the Bears take on Indiana State at the Hulman Center in Terre Haute. MSU has won 2-of-3 and is looking to avenge a 10-point home loss to the Sycamores on Feb. 1.
  • After out-rebounding their last three opponents and posting a +11.0 rebound margin in that span, the Bears have returned to the top 50 nationally in rebounding margin, ranking 42nd this week (+5.1), which also ranks third in the MVC.
  • Lamont West (Sr., Cincinnati, Ohio) is coming off his best Missouri Valley Conference game, contributing 15 points and a game-high 7 rebounds against Drake on Wednesday with three 3-pointers. West, a graduate transfer from West Virginia, has scored in double figures 11 times this season, but had not reached the 10-point plateau since Jan. 15.
  • Gaige Prim (Jr., Aurora, Colo.) has scored 10 or more points in 18-of-21 appearances this season (6 in a row) and at least 8 points in every contest. Since moving into a starting role (last 9 games), he is averaging 14.8 points and 5.2 boards.
  • .Josh Hall (RJr., Houston, Texas) has started the last 3 games for the Bears and is averaging 12.7 points, 5.0 rebounds and 3.3 assists per game in that span. The Nevada transfer is also shooting 14-of-23 (.609) from the field over the last three contests with six 3-ponters.
  • In Wednesday's win over Drake, Keandre Cook (Sr., Baltimore, Md.) became the 18th player in program history to eclipse 100 career 3-pointers. In just two seasons, Cook is 104-for-261 (.398) from bonus distance and is just 10 treys away from cracking the program's all-time top 10. At 799 career points (58g), he also ranks 52nd on MSU's career scoring chart.
  • Led by 19 points from Cook and 15 from West, the Bears are coming off a season-high 51 bench points in Wednesday's win over Drake, the team's most since collecting 53 points from its reserves vs. Tulsa on Nov. 16, 2013.
  • Gaige Prim (Jr., Aurora, Colo.) has scored 10 or more points in 18-of-21 appearances this season (6 in a row) and at least 8 points in every contest. Since moving into a starting role (last 9 games), he is averaging 14.8 points and 5.2 boards. Over the last 4 contests, Prim is shooting .551 (27-of-49) from the field and 12-of-14 (.857) at the foul line.
  • Ja'Monta Black (Fr., Columbia, Mo.) has knocked down at least one 3-pointer in 9 straight contests. Over the last 5 contests, Black is averaging 7.2 points and 2.0 3-pointers per game.
  • Ross Owens (Sr., Woodlawn, Ill.) has started the last 3 games for the Bears (the first 3 of his career) and is averaging 20.0 minutes and 3.7 points with a +14.0 plus/minus ratio as a starter. He also has 4 assists each of the last 2 games. 
  • MSU is coming off a 53.0 shooting effort (35-of-66) against Drake. The Bears are 4-0 this season when shooting 50-percent or better from the field and 13-0 under Dana Ford when making at least half their shots. Including his time at Tennessee State, Ford's teams are 36-5 when eclipsing 50-percent from the field.
  • Indiana State (10-0) is one of two MVC teams still unbeaten at home this season. First-place UNI (14-0) is the other.
Coach Dana Ford
  • Dana Ford (Illinois State, 2006) is 28-30 (.483) in his second season as Missouri State head coach, including a 20-8 ledger at JQH Arena, 7-17 record in away games, and 1-5 mark at neutral sites. He is now 85-95 (.472) in his sixth season as a head coach. Ford is 2-1 in his career against Indiana State.
  • In his first season in Springfield, Ford led the Bears to a tie for third place (10-8) in the Missouri Valley Conference with the program's first winning record in Valley play since 2011. He guided two players -- Tulio Da Silva (first team) and Keandre Cook (third team) -- to All-MVC honors in addition to three players on the MVC All-Newcomer Team, including Newcomer of the Year Da Silva.
  • He was introduced as Missouri State's 18th men's basketball coach on March 22, 2018 after coaching the previous four seasons at Tennessee State. The native of Tamms, Illinois was 57-65 (.467) at Tennessee State, including a 52-39 ledger in his last three seasons in Nashville. He coached five All-OVC players and two OVC All-Newcomer Team selections during his tenure at TSU. Under his leadership, Tennessee State also doubled its home attendance average and twice earned votes in the Associated Press Top 25 poll during the 2016-17 season.
  • Ford, 35, was awarded the Ben Jobe Award in 2016 as the nation's top Division I minority coach. That same year, he was named Ohio Valley Conference Coach of the Year and NABC District 19 Coach of the Year after engineering one of the biggest turnarounds in NCAA history, swaying Tennessee State from a 5-26 record in his first season to a 20-11 mark in 2015-16.
  • He has served as an assistant at Tennessee State, Wichita State and Illinois State and was responsible for recruiting future NBA talents such as Robert Covington (Timberwolves) and Fred Van Vleet (Raptors).
Series History
  • The Bears lead the all-time series against Indiana State, 47-26, in a rivalry that dates back to 1951-52. MSU had a seven-game win streak in the series snapped on Feb. 1 at JQH Arena in just the Sycamores sixth-ever win in Springfield. Missouri State is 15-19 all-time in Terre Haute, 31-6 in Springfield (9-3 at JQH Arena) and 1-1 in St. Louis at the MVC Tournament (including the 2011 championship game).
  • In the previous meeting this season (Feb. 1) at JQH Arena, the Bears made a furious comeback to take the lead in the second half but faded down the stretch in a 78-68 setback. MSU fell behind by as many as 15 in the first half, missing 9-of-11 shots during one stretch while the Sycamores made 14 of their first 21 attempts to build a 30-15 advantage. MSU rallied in the final two minutes of the opening period, using an 8-2 run to get back within 46-38, at the intermission behind 12 points by Gaige Prim and a shot in the arm from senior Ross Owens who picked up a steal and 4 points in the final 32 seconds of the half. Prim led the Bears with 23 points and 7 rebounds for the game. Box Score
Rebound Foundation
  • Bears' head coach Dana Ford and his wife, Christina, are founders of the Rebound Foundation. The not-for-profit raises funds and awareness to help renew and restore women who have experienced a life of domestic abuse. The foundation provides a stable home and fresh start to abuse victims and their children. The Rebound Foundation currently provides homes in Springfield, Mo., and Chicago, Ill.
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