Game 27 - Missouri State Bears (14-12, 6-9 MVC) vs.  Valparaiso Beacons (6-20, 2-13 MVC)
Date and Time	Saturday, Feb. 17, 2024 | 1:00 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	Rebound Foundation Game | KIDS DAY | 2023-24 Promo Calendar
Fan Info	Digital Program | Gates Open at 12:00 p.m.
Radio	KWTO (FM 93.3 / AM 560) (Art Hains, Mike Keltner) | MSU Radio Network | Listen Live | The Varsity Network App
Television	Bally Sports (Midwest, Kansas City, Indiana, South) / NBC Sports Chicago Plus / ESPN+ (John Rooney, Kevin Lehman) | Watch | MVC TV Network Coverage
Series	Missouri State leads 27-10 | Last Meeting: MSU 81, Valpo 70 (1/27/24) | Box Score
Live Stats	StatBroadcast
Game Notes	Missouri State | Valparaiso | 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	Next Home Game: Wednesday, Feb. 21 vs. Bradley (7:00 p.m.) | TICKETS

Accessibility
Missouri State University is committed to providing an accessible and supportive environment for those with disabilities. To request reasonable disability accommodations, contact the Deputy Compliance Officer at (417) 836-6755 or DeputyComplianceOfficer@MissouriState.edu. 

The Ten Count

• Missouri State returns to Great Southern Bank Arena on Saturday to begin a two-game Valley home stand starting with a visit from Valparaiso (1 p.m./ESPN+). The club's annual Rebound Foundation Game will serve as an awareness and fundraiser for the Ford Family's charity to prevent domestic abuse. It is also a Kids Day game with children 12-and-under receiving free admission in addition to pregame and postgame activities, including autographs.
• To donate to the Rebound Foundation, please visit TheReboundFound.org.
• Chance Moore (Jr., Brookhaven, Ga.) made his return to the starting lineup on Wednesday at Murray State, yielded his second 20-point outing in the last four games. Moore was 7-of-15 from the field with three treys and 21 points against the Racers. Over the last 5 games, he is averaging 12.6 points with team-bests 8 threes and 7 blocks in that span. 
• Donovan Clay (Sr., Alton, Ill.) needs just 16 points to reach 1,000 at Missouri State (90 games). He would be the 32nd Bear to reach that milestone. If he reaches 1,000 on Saturday, he would also be the 24th-fastest Bear to reach 1,000. Among all active DI players, Clay ranks 12th in career games played (153), 34th in rebounds (843), 35th in blocks (158), and 84th in scoring (1,595). He is one of 18 DI players to have 1,500 points and 800 rebounds and one of 34 players with 1,500 points and 350 assists. He is averaging 10.5 points and 7.8 rebounds in 4 games against his former team.  
• With a victory Saturday, the Bears (7-4 at home this season) would clinch their 53rd straight winning home season, covering three different home venues since 1971-72.
• The Bears are a rebounding force, ranking 14th nationally in defensive rebounds per game (29.00), 43rd in total rebounds (39.12) and 54th in rebound margin (+4.7), all of which lead the MVC. The Bears have out-rebounded 6 of their last 8 MVC foes.
• Matthew Lee (Sr., San Juan, Puerto Rico) is coming off a 22-point effort at Murray State, his third 20-point output of the season (fourth of his career). Over the last 3 games, Lee is second on the team in scoring (13.7 ppg) with a 2.0 assist-to-turnover ration and 84.6 percent effort at the free throw line (11-of-13).  
• In addition to Clay's push toward 1,000 points at MoState, he is 5 points from 1,600 for his career (153 games), including 2 seasons at Valpo. Meanwhile, Alston Mason (Jr., Phoenix, Ariz.) is 3 treys from 100 at MSU (55g), while Chance Moore (Jr., Brookhaven, Ga.) is 6 points from 600 for his career (60g) and 11 points from 600 at MSU (55g).  
• The Bears are 12 three-pointers away from 200 on the season, which would mark the club's 3rd straight season to reach that milestone, the 14th time in program history and the 7th time in the last 8 seasons.
• Missouri State's bench has outscored its opponents' reserves in 7 straight games by a combined margin of 161-77 (23.0 to 11.0). Cesare Edwards (Jr., Hartsville, S.C.) has been the Bears' top reserve in that span, is averaging 10.7 points and a team-high 7.4 rebounds per game in that span with 5 double-figure scoring games.
• MSU has 122 blocks, which ranks 42nd nationally (2nd in MVC) in blocks per game (4.69). The Bears are on pace to eclipse their season record for total blocks (140) and blocks per game (4.38), set last season. N.J. Benson (So., Mt. Vernon, Ill.) is 2nd in The Valley in total blocks (44) and blocks per game (1.69), which rank 46th and 59th nationally.

The Series

• Missouri State leads the all-time series with Valpo, 27-10, including a 13-4 record at Valpo, 10-5 ledger in Springfield (4-3 at Great Southern Bank Arena) and 4-1 record at neutral sites. 
• The Bears have won 8 straight games in the series since being bounced from Arch Madness by Valpo in 2020. 
• Last season in Springfield (2/1/23), Alston Mason scored 12 of his game-high 27 points in the last three minutes of regulation and overtime to help lift MoState to a 76-67 win. Mason never came out of the game, playing all 45 minutes, while dishing out 9 assists and burying three clutch triples to help the Bears weather a 10-0 run by the Beacons late in regulation. A 10-0 Beacons run late gave the visitors a 61-54 advantage with 3:11 left in the game. Quinton Green caught fire to spark the run by the Beacons before Mason and James Graham combined for three 3-pointers over a 90-second span to draw MoState within 65-63 in the final minute. Then after a missed trey on Valpo's last offensive possession, Chance Moore gathered in the rebound and got the ball to Mason who was fouled and made both free throws at 22.5 seconds, to force OT. In the extra period, Mason gave the Bears a five-point lead with a reverse layup midway through the extra period. Moore then stepped up with a block and a steal to give the Bears the energy they needed to gain separation as part of a 16-0 run to close things out.
• Earlier this season at the ARC (1/27/24), Mason tallied 22 points, and Donovan Clay added 18 more in his return to his previous school to lift Missouri State to an 81-70 road win. The Bears also got help from Cesare Edwards, who notched his first career double-double with 16 points and 11 rebounds, while NJ Benson added 11 points and 9 rebounds. The Bears held Valpo to 35.5 percent from the field and used a 26-5 run to early in the second half to gain an 18-point advantage with just over eight minutes to play, which would match MSU's largest lead of the game. Darius DeAveiro led Valpo with 20 points, while Jahari Williamson scored 19. | Box Score
• See page 8 of game notes for complete series history.

Coach Dana Ford

• Dana Ford (Illinois State, 2006) is 103-78 (.569) in his sixth season as Missouri State head coach, including a 60-24 (.714) ledger at Great Southern Bank Arena, 32-42 record in away games, and 11-12 mark at neutral sites. He is now 160-143 (.528) in his tenth season as a head coach, including four seasons at Tennessee State. Ford is also 62-45 (.579) in the MVC (33-20 at home, 29-25 away). During Ford's tenure, only Drake (74) has won Valley games than MSU.
• Coach Ford is 10-3 all-time against Valpo (3-1 at home, 5-1 away, 2-1 neutral).
• 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.He captured his 100th Missouri State victory on Jan. 24, 2024 with the team's overtime win over Drake.
• 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.
• This year's Rebound Foundation Game is Saturday, Feb. 17 vs. Valparaiso
• Pledge to assist the Rebound Challenge today! Pledge Link