LEXINGTON, Ky. - Missouri State STUNT (2-8) split its first two games of the Midwest Classic at Memorial Coliseum on Friday. The Bears opened the day by defeating the No. 3-ranked NAIA team of Missouri Valley College before dropping a tight contest with the No. 16-ranked Division II team of Purdue Northwest. 

Missouri State 17, Missouri Valley 11

The Bears earned their second victory of the season with a second-half surge over the Missouri Valley Vikings (0-5). After taking a 5-4 lead into halftime after partner stunts and pyramids & tosses, Missouri State shut out Missouri Valley in the third quarter (jumps & tumbling) to take a 9-4 lead into the team routine. The Vikings closed and maintained the gap in the fourth quarter, but the Bears took all three points in the final round of the team routine to win, 17-11.

Purdue Northwest 13, Missouri State 10

MoState was neck-and-neck with Purdue Northwest (4-3) for the whole match. The Pride gradually pulled away by earning one more point than the Bears in each of the first three quarters. Missouri State shot back up to tie Purdue Northwest by taking all three points in the first round of the team routine, but the Pride responded with a three-point shutout of their own in the following round and held the lead from there.

Up Next

Missouri State STUNT (2-8) will close out the Midwest Showdown at Memorial Coliseum with a rematch against Michigan State (3-3) from earlier in the season at 9:00 a.m. CT and another bout with Purdue Northwest at noon. The Spartans defeated the Vikings 23-2 on Friday, while Purdue Northwest was shut out by Kentucky right after their game against the Bears. Saturday's games can be viewed on Vimeo.