SPRINGFIELD – After a 3-pointer by Missouri State's Keith Palek III drew the Bears within 65-64 with 5:36 to play, visiting Sam Houston outscored the home club 15-7 down the stretch to escape Great Southern Bank Arena with an 80-71 Conference USA victory here Wednesday.
 
Jacob Walker led four Bearkats (14-7, 6-4 CUSA) in double figures with 16 points – including 10 in the final seven minutes -- while Veljko Illic scored 14 for the visitors.
 
Missouri State (12-9, 6-4), which had reeled off six straight home victories coming into the game, was able to convert just two of its last seven field goal attempts in the final five-and-a-half minutes to let the visitors off the hook.
 
MSU's Michael Osei-Bonsu led all players with 22 points, converting 8-of-14 field goal attempts and 6-of-7 at the line, while Palek registered 17 points and 7 rebounds while eclipsing 1,500 career points.
 
The Bears were without the services of starting guard Kobi Williams who is listed as day-to-day with a shoulder injury.
 
"We had opportunities to win this game," said MSU head coach Cuonzo Martin. "We have to defend off the dribble and play with a level of toughness down the stretch."
 
After trailing 38-33 at the half, the Bears drew within one possession of the lead 14 times in the second half but were never able to push ahead. Darrion Sutton's alley-oop dunk on a great lob from Trey Williams Jr. with 8:40 to go seemed to ignite the home crowd and made it a 59-56 game at the time. Damon Nicholas Jr. answered with a close-range bucket for the Bearkats moments later.
 
After the under-eight media timeout, Palek buried a long corner jumper that was ruled a two-pointer, Osei-Bonsu converted a traditional three-point play, and Palek's second triple of the night sandwiched a pair of Walker free throws to make it a one-point game and force a Sam Houston timeout at the 5:27 mark.
 
The Bearkats responded with a 9-0 surge over the next three minutes to extend their advantage to double figures for the first time and never looked back.
 
Zaxton King's 3-pointer in the final minute shrunk Missouri State's final deficit to single digits.
 
At 6-4 at the midway point in the conference season, the Bears are a half-game out of second place in the 12-team league.
 
Missouri State finished 27-of-56 (.482) from the field, 6-for-15 (.400) from long range and 11-of-18 (.611) from the free throw line with 12 assists, 12 turnovers and 10 steals.
 
In his return to the starting lineup, MSU's Antwan Burnett posted 6 points, a game-high 9 rebounds, 4 assists and 3 steals in 30 minutes.
 
Sam Houston was 31-for-57 (.544) overall, 4-of-13 (.308) from bonus distance and 14-for-19 (.737) at the foul line with 35 rebounds, 50 points in the paint and 16 fast-break points. The Bearkats committed 14 turnovers.
 
In the first half, the Bears shot 54 percent from the field and registered 24 points in the paint, but the Bearkats rang up 17 rebounds and shot 59 percent themselves to take a 38-33 advantage into the locker room. Osei-Bonsu posted 13 points for Missouri State, including five in the final three minutes of the half to help erase an early 33-24 Sam Houston advantage.
 
Cuonzo Martin's Bears remain at home this weekend when they welcome Jacksonville State to Great Southern Bank Arena for a 2 p.m. matchup on Saturday with a White Out promotion. All fans are encouraged to wear white BearWear.
 
Tickets for the Jax State game, and all remaining home games, are available at MissouriStateBears.com/tickets or through the MSU Athletics Box Office at Great Southern Bank Arena, (417) 836-7678, during regular office hours.
 
A complete list of season promotions and ticket specials is also available at MissouriStateBears.com/promotions.