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Bears Prep for Key Valley Road Matchup at Bradley

January 04, 2024

By: MSU Athletics Communications
Game 15 - Missouri State Bears (9-5, 1-2 MVC) at Bradley Braves (9-5, 1-2 MVC)
Date and Time Saturday, Jan. 6, 2024 | 3:00 p.m. (Central)
Location Carver Arena (11,433) | Peoria, Illinois
Tickets TicketMaster.com | (309) 677-2625
Radio KWTO (FM 93.3 / AM 560) (Corey Riggs, Mike Keltner) | MSU Radio Network | Listen Live |
The Varsity Network App
Television MVC TV Network
Bally Sports (Midwest / Kansas City / Indiana / South) and NBC Sports Chicago
(John Rooney, Adam Emmenecker) | Bally Sports App | Watch on ESPN+
Series Missouri State leads 43-27 | Last Meeting: BU 64, MSU 54 (2/15/23) | Box Score
Live Stats Live Stats
Game Notes Missouri State | Bradley | 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 returns home on Wednesday, Jan. 10 (7:00 p.m.) vs. Murray St. | Tickets

The Ten Count
  • Missouri State returns to the road Saturday when the Bears travel to Carver Arena in Peoria to square off with Bradley (3 p.m./MVC TV Network). The streaky Braves (9-5) started the season 6-0 before dropping five in a row and have since reeled off three straight victories. MSU is looking for its second straight road victory and first in MVC play this season. 
  • Through their first 3 conference games this season, the Bears have had 8 different players score in double figures. Only one player -- Chance Moore (Jr., Brookhaven, Ga.) -- has scored in double figures twice in Valley play.
  • Sixth-year head coach Dana Ford (98-71) is closing in on 100 wins with the Bears which would make him the eighth MSU coach to reach the century mark in victories. During Ford's six seasons as head coach at Missouri State (2018-present), the Bears have won 26 MVC road games (including 2 in Peoria), second only to Drake's 27 in that span.
  • Despite being out-rebounded by a 37-29 margin in Wednesday's home loss to UNI, the Bears rank 5th nationally in defensive rebounds per game (30.57), while also leading the MVC in rebound margin (+6.3) and total rebounds per game (39.79). MoState is 70-30 under coach Dana Ford when out-rebounding its opponents.
  • Alston Mason (Jr., Phoenix, Ariz.) has scored in double figures in 8 straight games and has logged 6 consecutive games with multiple 3-pointers. Mason ranks 3rd in the MVC in 3-point FG percentage (.403) and 3-pointers per game (2.58), while ranking 4th in The Valley in scoring (18.2 ppg).
  • Cesare Edwards (Jr., Hartsville, S.C.) is coming off a game-high and career-high 25 points in Wednesday's game against UNI, converting 11-of-16 (.688) field goals and matching a career-high with 8 rebounds (also a team high). Over the last 4 games, he has scored in double figures twice and is averaging 19.5 minutes per game off the bench.
  • The Bears are 3-1 this season following a loss and are looking for their first win in Peoria since Isiaih Mosley's three-pointer at the buzzer led Missouri State to a 71-69 win on Jan. 5, 2022. MSU is 14-18 all-time at Carver Arena.
  • Defensively, the Bears continue to be a dominant force, ranking 15th among all Division I teams in 3-point FG percentage defense (.272), 28th in total FG percentage defense (.390) and 36th in blocked shots per game (4.9). KenPom also ranks Missouri State 6th nationally in effective FG percentage defense (43.6).
  • Donovan Clay (Sr., Alton, Ill.) needs 21 rebounds for 800 in his career and currently ranks 17th among active DI players in games played (141), 47th in rebounds (779) and 77th in scoring (1,456). His 845 points in 78 games as a Bear ranks him 44th on MSU's career scoring list. Clay is averaging 11.4 points per game in his career (9g) vs. Bradley.
  • Redshirt freshman Nick Kramer (St. Louis, Mo.) erupted for 10 points in Wednesday's game against UNI, coming off the bench for a pair of 3-pointers, 3-of-5 field goals overall, and 2-for-2 free throws in just his second career appearance.
  • The Bears are 9-2 this season and 88-14 under Dana Ford when they shoot a higher FG percent than their opponent.
  • N.J. Benson (So., Mt. Vernon, Ill.) ranks 11th nationally in total blocks (33) and 13th in blocks per game (2.36). He leads The Valley in offensive rebounding average (3.07) and is 4th in the MVC in total rebounds (5.29).
  • According to KenPom, Missouri State's win at No. 46 Saint Mary's on Dec. 23 is the program's best non-conference road victory since the Bears' iconic 72-69 win at No. 40 Missouri on Nov. 18, 1998. 
The Series
  • The series between Missouri State and Bradley dates back to 1991 when the Bears joined the MVC. Missouri State leads the rivalry, 43-27. The Bears are 14-18 in Peoria all-time.
  • Missouri State swept the 2021-22 series against Bradley before the Braves returned the favor in 2022-23.
  • In game one in Springfield (12/3/22), Bradley ran away with a 58-40 win after catching the Bears on the heels of a four-game, nine-day road trip. Bradley went to all-conference post Rienk Mast early and often as he ignited a 19-4 run to give the Braves their largest lead of the night, 58-36. Mast was the game's only double-figure scorer with 15 points, while MSU's Kendle Moore and N.J. Benson led MSU with 7 points apiece, and Donovan Clay had 6 rebounds. 
  • In the rematch in Peoria (2/15/23), Bradley rode the momentum of a 12-point lead five minutes into the game – and an 18-point advantage early in the second half -- to a 64-54 win over Missouri State. The Bears were led by Donovan Clay who scored 16 points, while Alston Mason tallied 14 points and 3 assists. MoState also got help off the bench from Chance Moore who added 11 points, while N.J. Benson racked up 12 rebounds in reserve. Bradley kept its share of first place in the Valley standings intact with Rienk Mast and Malevy Leons scoring 11 points apiece. The Braves jetted out to a 16-4 lead in the opening five minutes before Chance Moore's 3-pointer for the Bears calmed the waters.  | Box Score
  • See page 7 of game notes for complete series history.
Coach Dana Ford
  • Dana Ford (Illinois State, 2006) is 98-71 (.580) in his sixth season as Missouri State head coach, including a 58-21 (.734) ledger at Great Southern Bank Arena, 29-38 record in away games, and 11-12 mark at neutral sites. He is now 155-136 (.533) in his tenth season as a head coach, including four seasons at Tennessee State. Ford is also 57-38 (.600) in Valley games (31-17 at home, 26-21 away).  
  • Coach Ford is 6-5 all-time against Bradley (4-2 at home, 2-3 in Peoria).
  • 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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