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SPRINGFIELD – Missouri State trimmed an 11-point deficit to just two in the final minute but ultimately could not catch visiting Southern Illinois here Sunday, falling 61-57 to the first-place Salukis as both teams reached the midway point in the Valley race.
 
SIU (16-5, 8-2 MVC) had four players score in double figures, including a team-high 11 points from Lance Jones who knocked down three 3-pointers. But it was Xavier Johnson who hit the game's biggest shot, burying a mid-range jumper on SIU's final possession to give the visitors a four-point lead.
 
The Bears (10-10, 6-4 MVC) tried to answer with a jumper from Bryan Trimble Jr., but SIU gathered the rebound and ran out the clock to end MSU's comeback hopes. MoState never led in the contest.
 
Chance Moore's 3-pointer by the Bears drew the home club within 45-42 with 9:25 to go. But the Bears went cold for the next four minutes, while a 10-2 run by SIU in that span put the Salukis ahead 55-44, their biggest lead of the game.
 
Free throws my Alston Mason and Donovan Clay drew MoState back within seven, and later a dunk-back by Jonathan Mogbo made it a 59-54 contest with 1:25 remaining. After getting a defensive stop on SIU's next possession, the Bears turned to Kendle Moore for a huge three from the right wing to make it a 59-57 contest with 42 seconds left.
 
But as the shot clock expired on SIU's next trip down, Johnson's jumper found its mark and pushed SIU into at least a share of first place in the MVC standings at the midway point in the league standings.
 
Mogbo scored a game-high 14 points for the Bears on 6-of-9 field goals to go with 11 rebounds in securing his third double-double of the year. Trimble was also in double figures for MSU with 12 points, all in the first half, while Donovan Clay had 9 points, 5 rebounds and 4 assists.
 
MSU finished 21-of-52 (.404) overall from the field, 8-of-24 (.333) from distance and 7-for-12 (.583) at the line with a 36-28 rebounding advantage. Mogbo snagged 7 offensive rebounds on the afternoon, helping the Bears rack up 14 second-chance points.
 
The Salukis were 23-of-51 (.451) overall, 10-for-26 (.385) from three and 5-of-6 (.833) at the stripe with 7 steals. SIU standout Marcus Domansk scored 10 points on 3-of-12 field goal attempts, while Johnson and Jawaun Newton also racked up 10 points for the visitors.
 
In the first half, early turnovers put the Bears in an eight-point hole eight minutes into the contest, but Trimble helped the home club rally. The Akron transfer knocked down three straight treys for the Bears, each of which pulled MSU within one point of the lead. He finished with 12 points in the opening stanza, but SIU scored the last four points of the period to lead 30-25 at the intermission.
 
MoState will host Valley newcomer UIC (9-12, 1-9 MVC) on Tuesday at 7 p.m. Tickets for that game are available at MissouriStateBears.com or by visiting the box office at Great Southern Bank Arena, (417) 836-7678, during box office hours.