SPRINGFIELD – All five Missouri State starters scored in double figures, including five points by Antwan Burnett in the game's last two minutes, to push the Bears past visiting Jacksonville State, 74-67, here Saturday and give the home squad a key Conference USA victory.
 
Keith Palek III led all players with 18 points and 6 assists for MSU, while Trey Williams Jr. added 14 points,  Kobi Williams tallied 13, Burnett scored 11, and Michael Osei-Bonsu racked up 10 and a game-high 9 rebounds.
 
The Bears (13-9, 7-4 CUSA) led for almost 37 minutes, but saw their advantage dwindle to one point late in the game on a pair of free throws by Jax State's Mostapha El Moutaouakkil with just over two minutes to go. His second shot made it a 65-64 contest, but Burnett stepped up for the home side, scoring a three-point play moments later to extend the Bears' lead to four.
 
After a turnover by the Gamecocks on their next possession, Kobi Williams drained a clutch three from the corner to stretch the Bears' lead to 71-64 with 53 seconds to play.
 
Burnett then helped put the game on ice with a layup on MSU's next trip down the floor. His fourth bucket of the game made it 73-64 with 22 seconds to go, helping the Bears pick up their 10^th home victory of the season and improve to 8-1 in day contests.
 
Jax State (11-10, 6-4 CUSA) was led by Jacoby Hill's 16 points, while Iaroslav Niagu contributed 13, and El Moutaouakkil snagged 9 rebounds.
 
The Bears shot 46.6 percent from the field on 27-of-58 field goal attempts, including 8-for-24 (.333) from long range. The home side also finished 12-for-21 (.571) at the foul line with 28 rebounds, 32 points in the paint and 15 second-chance points from 12 offensive boards.
 
Darrion Sutton posted 4 points and a pair of blocks off the bench, while Logan Epes also helped pace MSU's reserves with a pair of steals in a key stretch late in the first half.
 
Jax State was 22-of-54 (.407) overall from the field, 2-for-14 (.143) from distance and 21-of-27 (.778) at the line with 38 rebounds and 18 turnovers that led to 21 Missouri State points.
 
In the first half, the Bears used a 7-0 run before the first media timeout to gain a 7-4 advantage and never trailed again the rest of the afternoon. Later, a three by Williams Jr. and a pair of free throws from Palek pushed the Bears ahead by double-figures for the first time, 37-27, at the 1:35 mark.
 
A buzzer beater before the intermission by Kobi Williams, after an athletic rebound on the floor by Burnett, gave the Bears a 39-31 edge at the break. MoState earned 12 second-chance points off 9 offensive caroms in the opening 20 minutes.
 
Cuonzo Martin's Bears will enjoy a short break before resuming Conference USA action next Saturday at Liberty for a 1 p.m. (Central) start against the first-place Flames on national TV.
 
MoState returns to Great Southern Bank Arena on Thursday, Feb. 12 to square off with LA Tech at 7:30 p.m. for a nationally-televised game on CBS Sports Network. The Bears host Delaware on Saturday, Feb. 14 for Hall of Fame Weekend which will feature former Missouri State standouts Kyle Weems and Alize Johnson, among others.
 
Tickets for both upcoming home games, 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.

•  Tickets for LA Tech game (CBS Sports National TV) - CLICK
•  Tickets for Delaware game (Hall of Fame Weekend) - CLICK

 A complete list of season promotions and ticket specials is also available at MissouriStateBears.com/promotions.