SPRINGFIELD – Missouri State (9-13, 5-5 MVC) overcame a seven-point deficit in overtime and got 22 points from Dequon Miller to rally past visiting Illinois State here Saturday, 84-81, in Missouri Valley Conference play.
Miller knocked down his sixth 3-pointer of the game with 2.2 seconds left in regulation to tie the contest at 72 and force the extra period.
In overtime, ISU (12-11, 6-4) scored the first seven points before a 3-pointer by MSU freshman Ryan Kreklow got the home side on the board. Chris Kendrix made a pair of key foul shots moments later to bring the Bears back within 79-77, and then ISU answered with a pair of foul shots by Paris Lee at the two-minute mark. Then Jarred Dixon took over.
The freshman from Kansas City owned the final two minutes of the game — draining a 3-pointer, drawing a charge, and scoring the go-ahead bucket with 71 seconds to go to give the Bears an 82-81 lead. Dixon then snagged two critical rebounds in the final minute and iced the win with a pair of free throws with 2.3 seconds left in overtime.
“Jarred Dixon was unbelievable out there,” said MSU head coach Paul Lusk. “He was very clutch tonight, and he made some big plays down the stretch that were huge for us.”
He finished with 14 points, 4 rebounds, 5 assists and an MSU freshman record 6 steals. He also made 7-of-9 free throws to secure his fourth straight double-figure scoring effort.
Kendrix added 17 points off the bench for Missouri State and snagged a team-high 8 rebounds in a 31-minute assignment. He finished 6-for-12 from the field.
For Illinois State, DeVaughn Akoon-Purcell finished with a team-high 18 points and took the final two shots of the game for the Redbirds. His first one, just missed off the glass before Dixon gathered in the rebound and made his final two free throws. Akoon-Purcell’s final shot came from just inside half court as time expired and was just off the mark at the horn.
The Redbirds, who had a three-game win streak snapped, also go 16 points from Kyle McIntosh and 15 from Deontae Hawkins, while Akoon-Purcell snagged a game-high 9 rebounds.
After MSU led by two points at the half, the second period was a see-saw battle until midway through the period when Illinois State gained the advantage. A 10-1 run by the Redbirds over a five-minute stretch gave the visitors their biggest lead of the day, 59-50 with 8:23 to go.
But just as they did in overtime, Missouri State bounced off the canvas and rallied late. A layup by Kendrix started a 10-0 run by the Bears, and a free throw by Dorrian Williams with just under six minutes to play gave the maroon side a 60-59 advantage.
Dan Muller’s club built its lead back to six points in the final minute of the game before Dixon and the Bears forced two key turnovers in the clutch. Miller and Dixon combined to go 4-for-4 at the line and got the deficit to 70-68 before Dixon was fouled by MiKyle McIntosh with 14.3 seconds showing. He made the front end, but missed the second, forcing the Bears to foul Akoon-Purcell at the 11-second mark. The senior responded with two makes to give the Redbirds a 72-69 advantage.
MSU then got the big break it needed when Camyn Boone found an open Miller at the top of the key for the game-tying trey with just over 2 seconds on the clock on Missouri State’s final possession in regulation.
Missouri State had its second-best shooting game of the season, converting 28-of-57 (.491) shots from the field with a 10-for-19 (.526) effort from 3-point range. The Bears also out-rebounded the Redbirds by a 34-33 margin with both teams committing 16 turnovers.
MSU’s 10 3-pointers marked its most this season and the team’s highest total since converting 10 bonus shots at Tulsa on Dec. 17, 2014. The Bears’ accuracy from long range was also its best since that same Tulsa game, in which they also made 10-of-19 from beyond the arc.
Illinois State was 30-for-63 (.476) overall, 7-for-17 (.412) from long range and 14-of-19 (.737) at the line with 11 steals and 8 blocked shots.
In the first half, the Bears shot 52 percent and got three 3-pointers from Miller to lead 33-31 at the intermission. After falling behind 9-2 out of the gates, the home side rallied behind a 7-0 run and knotted the game at the 12-minute mark on a jumper by Obediah Church.
ISU regained the lead until an alley-oop dunk by Church started an 11-0 outburst by the Bears who pushed ahead 24-16 with just under seven minutes to go in the opening period. The Redbirds would chip away to tie the game once again in the final minute, but a layup by Kendrix on Missouri State’s last possession gave the home side a two-point lead at the midway point.
