Game 29 - Missouri State Bears (9-19, 2-15 MVC) vs.  Illinois State Redbirds (16-12, 8-9 MVC)
Date and Time	Saturday, February 12, 2025 | 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	Senior Day | Kids Day | 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+ (Casey Roehl, Jay Spoonhour) | Watch
Series	Illinois State leads 49-35 | Last Meeting: ILST 74, MSU 68 (1/18/25) | Box Score
Live Stats	StatBroadcast
Game Notes	Missouri State | Illinois State | MVC Weekly Notebook | MSU Media Guide
Follow	Facebook | Athletics Twitter | Basketball Twitter | Instagram | #GoBears | #ItAllCounts
Bears Mobile App	App Store (Apple Devices) | Google Play Store (Android Devices)
Up Next	Next Game: Wednesday, Feb. 26 vs. Belmont, 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 entertain long-time Valley rival Illinois State at 7 p.m. on Senior Night with Chase Martin, Wesley Oba and Allen Udemadu recognized during pregame ceremonies. Saturday's Kid's Day promotion will also include free admission and activities for all fans 12 and under.
• A Missouri State win would secure a 54th straight winning home season for the Bears who have been over .500 at home every season since 1971-72, encompassing a half century and three home venues. The Bears are 7-6 at home this season and 51-17 at Great Southern Bank Arena under Cuonzo Martin.
• Vincent Brady II (Jr., Indianapolis, Ind.) needs 25 points to reach 1,000 for his career (89 games) and 1 double-figure scoring games for 50. He has scored in double figures in 6 consecutive games. 
• Dez White (So., Jefferson City, Mo.) ranks 4th in the MVC in FT percentage (.837) and 3-pointers per game (2.48). His 379 points this season ranks 97th on MSU's single-season scoring list (11th among sophomores).
• Zaxton King's (Fr., Lawrence, Kan.) 260 points this winter ranks 11th on the school's freshman scoring list, just 7 points behind Isiaih Mosley (2019-20) for 10th. He is also the 4th MSU freshman to eclips 50 3-pointers. 
• Over the last month (10 games), the defensive-minded Bears rank 2nd in the MVC in rebounding defense (28.60), 3rd in scoring defense (68.40), 3rd in steals (6.50), 3rd in blocks (3.20) 4th in FG percentage defense (.444), 4th in 3-point FG defense (.332). The Bears are 2-8 in that span but have lost 5 games by 6 points or less.
• Michael Osei-Bonsu (Jr., Bolingbrook, Ill.) is averaging 13.4 points and 8.0 rebounds per game at home this season, while firing at a .602 clip from the field. He currently ranks 1st in the MVC in offensive rebounds per game (3.07); 2nd in total rebounds (205); 3rd in rebounds per game (7.3); and 3rd in double-doubles (4).
• Over his last 6 appearances, Jalen Hampton (Jr., St. Louis, Mo.) is shooting 29-of-35 (.829) from the field while averaging 10.3 points and 6.3 rebounds per game.
• MoState has forced 13.14 turnovers per game this year which ranks 2nd in the MVC (behind Drake's 14.04). The Bears have also recorded 10 or more takeaways in 24-of-28 games.
• Chase Martin (Sr., Columbia, Mo.) needs 14 points to reach 200 for his career (55 games), while Logan Epes (Jr., Garland, Texas) is 7 points from 100 for his career (46 games). 
• Wesley Oba (Sr., Manchester, Engalnd) will be playing in his 75th NCAA game and has averaged 5.8 points and 4.8 rebounds over the last 4 games while shooting 11-for-17 (.647) from the field.

Coach Cuonzo Martin

• After an extensive national search, Missouri State University announced Cuonzo Martin as its men's basketball head coach on March 27, 2024. The man who orchestrated Missouri State's only MVC regular-season championship run during his first tenure in Springfield originally coached at Missouri State from 2008 to 2011.
• Martin has a 273-217 (.557) career record in 15 seasons as a Division I head coach with experience at MSU, Tennessee, California and Missouri. His teams have made nine postseason appearances in that span, including four trips to the NCAA Tournament, four appearances in the NIT, and a CIT title with the Bears in 2010. 
• Coach Martin is also 70-60 (.538) in his fourth season (and second stint) at Missouri State University. Martin is 3-4 all-time against the Redbirds (at Missouri State).
• Martin also boasts 56 college graduates during his career with stints at MoState, Tennessee (2011-14), California (2014-17) and Missouri (2017-22).
• A native of East St. Louis, Ill., Martin was a star player at Purdue from 1991-95 for coach Gene Keady and then played four years professionally. He was on the coaching staff at Purdue for eight years under Keady and Matt Painter before accepting his first head coaching position at MSU on March 26, 2008.
• In Martin's first stint in Springfield (2008-11), he was named Missouri State's 16th head coach in time for the program's 100th anniversary season and its inaugural campaign at Great Southern Bank Arena. In his second season (2009-10), Martin guided MoState to a 24-12 overall ledger, a 19-2 home record, and an impressive run to the CIT Postseason Tournament title.
• His third season at MSU (2010-11) was one of the program's most memorable, as the Bears finished 26-9 overall on the way to the program's first-ever MVC regular-season title with a 15-3 league record. The Bears fell to Indiana State in the finals of the MVC Tournament in St. Louis and capped an unforgettable campaign by advancing to the second round of the NIT. Martin was named 2011 MVC Coach of the Year and recipient of the Ben Jobe Award as the nation's top minority head coach. Over Martin's last two years at MoState, the Bears were 35-3 at home and did not lose a non-conference home game.

The Series

• The series between the Bears and Redbirds dates back to the 1967 NCAA Division II national semifinals - a 93-76 win by the Bears en route to their national runner-up showing. Illinois State leads the all-time series, 49-35. MSU is 9-31 in Normal, 23-14 at home (8-6 at GSB Arena), and 3-4 at neutral sites.
• Earlier this season in Normal (1/18/25), Illinois State made 12-of-14 free throws in the final seven minutes to help the Redbirds escape with a 74-68 win. Missouri State led by as many as 13 in the opening half and held a six-point advantage at the intermission. The Redbirds made three timely 3-pointers over the game's final 20 minutes to retain a late lead and held off MoState's late rally at the free throw line. Johnny Kinzinger had 19 points – all in the second half – to lead ISU with Landon Wolf posting 17 points and a game-high 11 rebounds for ISU. Missouri State got 24 points from Dez White in his return to action, including seven 3-pointers. Vincent Brady II added 13 for the Bears who out-performed ISU in nearly every percentage, firing 46.5 percent from the field, 44.0 from three and .708 at the line. In the final minute, White's seventh trey of the contest made it 71-68, but ISU closed things out at the line with Missouri State committing a costly turnover on its last full possession. White became the 20th Missouri State player to make seven threes in a game.  | Box Score
• Last season in Springfield (1/20/24), there were 16 lead changes and 9 ties, before Illinois State took control over the last six minutes to top MSU, 69-60. After Alston Mason's 3-pointer gave Missouri State a 59-57 lead with 6:16 to go, the Bears missed their last 10 field goal attempts of the game and managed just one more point the rest of the way. Meanwhile, the Redbirds ended the game on a 12-1 run to capture the victory. Darius Burford led three Illinois State scorers in double figures with 22 points. Donovan Clay scored 19 points, and Mason finished with 18.