BOWLING GREEN, Ohio - The No. 18-ranked Missouri State Bears left everything on the field Friday night by using an explosive second half to defeat the Bowling Green Falcons 5-2. Five different Bears scored goals to lock up the No. 2 seed in next week's Missouri Valley Conference Tournament.
 
MSU (9-2-3, 5-1-1 MVC) used a barrage of 14 shots in the final 25 minutes to put the game away late, breaking up a 2-2 tie in the 65th minute and tacking on two more insurance goals down the stretch.

"The guys came out really sharp from the start tonight," head coach Michael Seabolt said. "Their pressing was fantastic. Their play in possession was really, really good. We were creating tons of chances. They are definitely team goals. The whole team was playing very well and created those opportunities."

Missouri State got the offensive firestorm started early as sophomore forward Gijs Hovius tipped in the first goal off a pass from senior forward Jesus Barea in the fifth minute. Hovius has impressed in the early minutes in the last few games, scoring his team-leading fifth goal of the season. He has scored in the opening five minutes in two of the last three games.

The Bears kept the pressure on the Falcons even with the early lead. Barea rushed toward Bowling Green's net and was fouled well into the box in the 15th minute to bring about Missouri State's first penalty kick of the season. Barea sent the kick into the top-right corner of the net away from Bowling Green senior goalkeeper Brendan Graves to give it a quick 2-0 lead.

Barea earned an astounding four points with his goal and two assists. He now leads Missouri State with four assists on the season.

"It was an unbelievable performance for the team," Barea said. "I'm just happy for the team. It was a good way to bounce back after the tough loss against Western Michigan. That is how we have to do it toward the end of the season and getting into the conference tournament."

Bowling Green responded before the game could get out of hand as Falcons junior midfielder Alberto Anaya caught Missouri State off-sequence when clearing the ball as he chipped a shot over the backpedaling senior goalkeeper Harry Townsend in the 18th-minute.

The flurry of scoring stopped for the rest of the half with each team only getting one more shot on goal before entering the locker room with the Bears leading 2-1. 

Bowling Green came out swinging in the second half. Falcons sophomore forward Trace Terry, one of the team's leading scorers, put a scorching shot toward the net, but Townsend laid out to punch the ball away in the 53rd minute.

The save was one of Townsend's two for the game as the Missouri State defense limited Bowling Green to a tied-for-season-low seven shots.

The Falcons tied it up moments later on a free kick that freshman forward Bennett Painter cleaned up to score. This game marked only the second time all season that the Bears have allowed multiple goals.

Momentum swung on the ensuing stint as Terry was assessed a yellow card in the 56th minute for a hard tackle on sophomore midfielder Daniel Normann. The Falcons bench was also assessed another yellow card for dissent.

The drama spiraled as in a matter of seconds Painter, who just scored the equalizer, was dealt a red card for a tackle. It was Bowling Green's third red card of the season and unlocked Missouri State's fast-paced offense with it having a personnel advantage.

"Obviously, being a man up gives you an advantage, but you see so many games where you're a man up and you don't take the advantage," Seabolt said. "That wasn't going to happen tonight."

Barea tacked on his second assist of the night by finding senior midfielder Alejandro Lopez on the run to score his first goal as a Bear on a left-footer to take the lead 3-2 in the 65th minute.

"It was amazing," Lopez said. "It's been something that I've been working toward the whole season. I'm just very glad it came at the right time."

Missouri State put some distance on Bowling Green two minutes later as sophomore forward Ollie Bate stole a pass inside the Falcons' box and beat Graves on a one-on-one to extend the lead to two. The goal was also Bates' first goal in 17 career games with the Bears.

The Bears responded in the second half to outshot the Falcons 20-7 for the game. Missouri State's shot differential for the season now sits at 184-68 (+116).

Missouri State added the cherry on top as great ball movement in the 81st minute from senior forward Pablo Guillen and senior defender Javier Martin Gil assisted senior defender Jack Denton for his third goal of the season and first score since the first two games of the season against No. 14 Maryland and Kansas City.

The goal was Denton's sixth as a Bear in his 77th career start, tying him with Chris Brunt for sixth on the all-time Missouri State starts list. 

The Bears clinch a first-round bye in the MVC Tournament with one game remaining in the regular season. Missouri State will the Drake Bulldogs on Wednesday, November 1 at 7:00 p.m. for Senior Night at Betty & Bobby Allison South Stadium. Admission is free.