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Missouri State

Mayo-23

Bears Host Lindenwood in Tuesday Matchup

December 17, 2023

By: MSU Athletics Communications
Game 12 - Missouri State Bears (7-4) vs.  Lindenwood Lions (5-6)
Date and Time Tuesday,  Dec. 19, 2023 | 7:02 p.m. (Central)
Location Great Southern Bank Arena (11,000) | Springfield, Missouri
Tickets Tickets | (417) 836-7678 | Great Southern Bank Arena Box Office
Promos & Specials Holiday Game | Free Ornaments | Visit from Santa | Ugly Sweater Recognition
2023-24 Promo Calendar
Fan Info Digital Program | Gates Open at 6:00 p.m.
Radio KWTO (FM 93.3 / AM 560) (Art Hains, Mike Keltner) | MSU Radio Network | Listen Live |
The Varsity Network App
Television ESPN+ | Corey Riggs, Tom Ladd | Watch
Series First Meeting
Live Stats StatBroadcast
Game Notes Missouri State | Lindenwood | MVC Weekly Release | MSU Media Guide
Follow Facebook | Athletics Twitter | Basketball Twitter | Instagram | #MSUBears | #BearsUnite
Bears Mobile App App Store (Apple Devices) | Google Play Store (Android Devices)
Up Next * Missouri State travels to Saint Mary's on Saturday, December 23 (7:00 p.m., Central)
* Next Home Game: Bears vs. UNI, Wednesday, January 3 (6:00 p.m.)  Tickets

The Ten Count
  • Missouri State returns to Great Southern Bank Arena on Tuesday evening (7 p.m./ESPN+) to welcome Lindenwood, the state's newest Division I program, in MSU's final non-conference home game of the campaign. The holiday-themed game will feature an ornament giveaway, visit from Santa, and ugly holiday sweater recognition.  
  • The Bears have reeled off wins in 8 of their last 9 home games and are shooting for their first unbeaten home semester since the Covid-shortened 2020-21 season (3-0). MoState is 4-0 at home so far this season and averaging 83.8 points per game at The Vault with a 48.4 team field goal percentage.
  • Donovan Clay (Sr., Alton, Ill.) has racked up 814 points in three seasons at MoState which ranks 50th in program history with a chance to climb several spots with a double-figure outing against Lindenwood. He is currently 3 points behind Coleco Buie (1995-97), 5 behind Adam Leonard (2009-11), 6 behind Ryan Kreklow (2015-19)), 8 behind Anthony Downing (2011-13), 9 behind Bill Lea (1948-52) and 11 behind Dequon Miller (2015-17) on the MSU career scoring chart.
  • Missouri State boasts five players averaging 9.5 points per game or better at home this season, including Matthew Lee (19.0), Alston Mason (19.0), Donovan Clay (17.8), Chance Moore (10.8) and N.J. Benson (9.5).
  • The Bears rank 37th nationally in rebound margin (+7.9), which is No. 1 in the Missouri Valley, and 5th nationally in defensive rebounds per game (31.36), also tops in the MVC. MoState has not been out-rebounded since game 3 vs. Florida Gulf Coast (Nov. 17) with a +11.1 rebound margin over the 8 games since then, including a +21 margin (47-26) in Saturday's game at Tulsa.
  • Defensively, the Bears continue to be a dominant force, ranking 25th among all DI teams in 3-point FG percentage defense (.280), 29th in total FG percentage defense (.388) and 41st in blocked shots per game (4.9).  
  • Donovan Clay (Sr., Alton, Ill.) ranks No. 76 among active Division I players in career scoring (1,425). He needs one more 3-pointer for 100 in his career (138 games) and 32 rebounds for 800. He also needs 2 assists for 100 at MSU (75g).
  • Cesare Edwards (Jr., Hartsville, S.C.) is coming off a 12-point effort at Tulsa, converting 6-of-8 field goals and snagging 5 rebounds in a 20-minute reserve appearance.
  • Chance Moore (Jr., Brookhaven, Ga.) is averaging 16.4 points over the last 5 games -- all starts -- including 9-of-11 (.818) free throws, 12 3-pointers, and 7.2 rebounds per game.
  • Over the last 5 games, N.J. Benson (So., Mt. Vernon, Ill.) is averaging 9.0 rebounds per game with 3 double-figure rebounding efforts in his last 7 outings. Benson ranks 14th nationally in total blocks (25), 22nd in blocks per game (2.27) and 34th in offensive rebounds per game (3.36).
  • Alston Mason (Jr., Phoenix, Ariz.) has scored in double figures in 8-of-9 appearances this season, with an 18.2 scoring average over the last 5 contests. He also has at least 3 assists and multiple 3-pointers in 7-of-9 games.
  • Raphe Ayres (Jr., Arlington, Va.) turns 24 on Tuesday for the Lindenwood game. He is one of just four Bears to play in all 11 games this season (13.7 minutes) and has recorded multiple rebounds 7 times (2.7 rpg).
The Series
  • This will be the first-ever meeting between the Bears and Lindenwood in men's basketball.
Coach Dana Ford
  • Dana Ford (Illinois State, 2006) is 96-70 (.578) in his sixth season as Missouri State head coach, including a 57-20 (.740) ledger at Great Southern Bank Arena, 28-38 record in away games, and 11-12 mark at neutral sites. He is now 153-135 (.531) in his tenth season as a head coach, including four seasons at Tennessee State. Ford is also 57-37 (.606) in Valley games (31-16 at home, 26-21 away).  
  • Coach Ford is 0-0 vs. Lindenwood in his career. 
  • He picked up his 150th career win on Nov. 20, 2023 with the Bears' 87-69 win over Abilene Christian in the Virgin Islands and his 100th career victory on Feb. 7, 2021 with a Bears' win at Illinois State (72-62). He coached his 100th game at Missouri State on Dec. 15, 2021 vs. South Dakota State. His win over Oakland on Nov. 27, 2022 in The Bahamas was his 75th victory at MSU, while his OT victory at Drake on Jan. 18, 2023 was his 50th MVC win.
  • In 2022-23, the new-look Bears featured 14 new faces and ultimately turned the squad into Valley contenders. The Bears landed an All-MVC selection in second-teamer Donovan Clay and All-Bench Team honoree Chance Moore. Clay, who was also on the MVC All-Defensive Team, led the Bears in scoring (11.9 ppg) and assists (108) while becoming the first Bear since 2018-19 to reach the century mark in assists. Moore averaged 10.6 points per game and racked up 17 double-figure scoring games.
  • Ford's fifth season in Springfield concluded with a 12-8 conference record, making him the first sideline boss in program history to collect a dozen or more conference wins in three straight seasons. The Bears allowed just 63.2 points per game on the year, which ranked 24th nationally and was the club's best scoring defense in more than a decade. MSU also eclipsed its season record for blocked shots (140) -- a mark that had held for nearly a quarter century -- and ranked second in The Valley in rejections.
  • 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, TSU doubled its home attendance average and twice earned votes in the AP Top 25 poll in 2016-17. 
  • Ford, 39, earned the Ben Jobe Award in 2016 as the nation's top Division I minority coach, a distinction he has been nominated for three times. 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, 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 (Clippers) and Fred Van Vleet (Rockets).
  • Ford was recognized by 417 Magazine as one of its top 100 most-influential professionals in 2022 and 2023. He also serves on the NCAA Men's Basketball Rules Committee.   
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.
  • Pledge to assist the Rebound Challenge today! Pledge Link
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