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Bears Face Final Road Test at Valparaiso

Bears Face Final Road Test at Valparaiso

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MSU Athletics Communications

GAME 30 - Missouri State Bears (14-15, 8-8 MVC) at Valparaiso Crusaders (15-14, 8-8 MVC)
Date and Time Tuesday, Feb. 25, 2020 | 7:02 p.m.
Location Athletics-Recreation Center (5,000) | Valparaiso, Ind.
Tickets Valpo Game | Senior Night vs. SIU
Radio KTXR (101.3 FM) (Art Hains, Mike Keltner) | MSU Radio Network | Listen Live
Television KOZL-TV (Tom Ackerman, Kelby Stuckey | ESPN+ | Watch
Series Missouri State leads 19-8 | Last Meeting: MSU 67, Valpo 60 (1/23/20) | Box Score
Live Stats Live Stats
Game Notes Missouri State | Valparaiso | MVC Notebook | MSU Media Guide
Follow Facebook | Athletics Twitter | Basketball Twitter | Instagram | #MSUBears | #BearUp
Coverage MVC Weekly Coaches Teleconference (Monday)
Up Next The Bears conclude the regular season Saturday (3 p.m.) vs. SIU at JQH Arena | Tickets

The Ten Count
  • Missouri State kicks off the final week of the regular season Tuesday when the Bears travel to Valparaiso for the squad's final road game of the campaign. Missouri State is 9-3 all-time in games played at Valpo, including two straight wins at the ARC, with the Bears reeling off four wins in the last five meetings overall against the Crusaders.
  • The Bears are rapidly approaching 200 3-pointers on the season (currently 198), a milestone the squad has reached each of the past three years. Since the implementation of the 3-pointer in 1986-97, MSU has 200 or more triples 10 times.
  • With 2 games left in the conference season, the Bears are averaging 70.6 points in league play. The last time MSU scored 70.0 points per game in a Valley season was 2009-10 (72.2) with a high-water mark of 69.8 (2016-17) since then. MSU would need to average 65.0 points over its last 2 MVC games to achieve a 70-point Valley scoring average.
  • Gaige Prim (Jr., Aurora, Colo.) has scored 10 or more points in 21-of-24 appearances this season (9 in a row) and at least 8 points in every contest. Since moving into a starting role (last 12 games), Prim is averaging 14.1 points and 5.7 rebounds -- both second on the team -- with a team-high 64 field goals and an .800 FT% (40-of-50) in that span.
  • Tulio Da Silva (Sr., Formiga, Brazil) is rapidly approaching a 300-point, 200-rebound year for the second straight season. He is sitting at 264 points and 190 rebounds. Since 2000, the only Bears to reach 300/200 in back-to-back seasons are: Mike Wallace (2001, 02), Jermaine Mallett (2010, 11), Kyle Weems (2010, 11, 12) and Alize Johnson (2017, 18).
  • Missouri State starts the week ranked 35th nationally and 2nd in the MVC in rebound margin (+5.4). MSU has matched or out-rebounded 20-of-29 foes this season and five of its last six.
  • Keandre Cook (Sr., Baltimore, Md.) is just 6 treys away from cracking the program's all-time top 10 in 3-pointers. For his career, Cook is 108-for-271 (.398) from bonus distance. He is the 18th player in program history to eclipse 100 career 3-pointers. His 840 career points (61g) ranks 41st on MSU's career scoring chart with Jimmy Murphy (1950-52, 877 pts.), Will Creekmore (2008-11, 881 pts.) and Ed Liliensiek (1977-81, 882 pts.) within striking distance down the stretch.
  • Josh Hall (RJr., Houston, Texas) has scored in double figures in 4-of-5 games, averaging 13.2 points and 5.6 rebounds per game in that span. Since returning to the starting lineup on Feb. 5, Hall is averaging 12.2 points and 5.7 rebounds while converting 26-of-49 (.531) field goals, including 8 threes.
  • Over the last 12 games (all starts) Ja'Monta Black (Fr., Columbia, Mo.) is averaging 6.3 points and shooting .467 (21-of-45) from 3-pont range with a team-high 23 assists in that span. Black has made a 3-pointer in 12 consecutive contests.
  • Ross Owens (Sr., Woodlawn, Ill.) has started the last 6 games (19 assists, 145 minutes) and is averaging 6.0 rebounds over the last 2 contests, which matches Josh Hall for second on the squad in that span.
  • Over the last 4 games, Isiaih Mosley (Fr., Columbia, Mo.) is averaging 9.8 points, 4.3 rebounds and 25.0 minutes per game off the bench with a 3-pointer in all 4 games. Mosley has scored in double figures twice in the last 4 games.
Coach Dana Ford
  • Dana Ford (Illinois State, 2006) is 30-31 (.492) in his second season as Missouri State head coach, including a 21-8 ledger at JQH Arena, 8-18 record in away games, and 1-5 mark at neutral sites. He is now 87-96 (.475) in his sixth season as a head coach. Ford is 2-1 in his career against Valpo.
  • 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 (Rockets) and Fred Van Vleet (Raptors).
Series History
  • In a series that dates back to 1967, the Bears are 19-8 all-time against Valpo, including a 8-5 record at home against the Crusaders. MSU is also 9-3 on the road against Valpo and 2-0 at neutral sites.
  • In the previous meeting this season (Jan. 23) in Springfield, Missouri State was led by a 27-point performance from senior Keandre Cook and parlayed a dominant first-half effort to pace a 67-60 win over visiting Valparaiso. MSU held the Crusaders to just 31.8 percent shooting for the game and dominated the glass with a 47-34 rebounding advantage, limiting Valpo to just 6 second-chance points on the evening. Cook was 12-of-16 at the foul line and was assisted by 9 points apiece from Gaige Prim and Isiaih Mosley who combined for 12 rebounds.
  • Valparaiso was led by Mileek McMillan with 12 points while Javon Freeman-Liberty and Daniel Sackey recorded 11 points apiece for the visitors.. 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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