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SPRINGFIELD – Missouri State (7-3) got a career-high 17 points from sophomore Ryan Kreklow and overcame a furious comeback by visiting Southeast Missouri State in the last four minutes to hold on for a 71-66 win here Saturday in the opening round of the Continental Tire Las Vegas Classic.
Kreklow was 5-of-7 from the field and knocked down four 3-pointers to go with his two steals off the bench. Ronnie Rousseau III added 15 points, and junior Chris Kendrix added 12 in reserve for MSU.
Antonius Cleveland posted a game-high 23 points, while Denzel Mahoney added 18 and Daniel Simmons contributed 10 for the Redhawks (4-7), which dropped their fourth straight.
Early in the second half, Missouri State added to a 15-point halftime lead on a triple by Rousseau and a pair of free throws from Jarrid Rhodes to make it a 43-23 game with 18:24 remaining. The Bears maintained control until a 10-0 run powered by Mahoney midway through the half got the visiting team within 53-46 with just over seven minutes to play.
The Bears retaliated with a 7-0 run of their own to get the lead back to 14. A layup by Jarred Dixon, a trey by Dequon Miller and a layup in traffic by Kreklow made it 60-46 game with 5:48 remaining.
SEMO sliced into its deficit twice more before the final media break of the game, getting as close as 11 before Kreklow’s final trey of the night put the home side up 65-41 with under five minutes on the clock.
That’s when Southeast stormed back into the picture, using a 12-0 outburst over the next two-and-a-half minutes to make it a 65-63 contest before the two-minute mark. Cleveland led the charge with a dunk, a traditional 3-point play and a triple from the wing before a pair of foul shots by Mahoney made it a two-point game.
MSU’s defense then stepped up with three straight shutouts during which Kreklow added a free throw to provide some breathing room. Miller then hit the game’s biggest shot – a 3-pointer from the left corner with 34 ticks remaining — to put the Bears up by six.
Obediah Church and Rousseau were able to add free throws in the final 30 seconds for the Bears to counter a 3-point play by Jamaal Calvin down the stretch and secure the five-point win.
MSU finished 20-for-42 (.476) from the field, 9-of-21 (.429) from long range and 22-of-29 (.759) from the stripe. The Bears controlled the glass, 33-31, despite just four offensive rebounds on the night, and committed a season-high 22 turnovers.
Southeast finished 23-of-64 (.359) from the field, 7-of-25 (.280) from bonus distance and 13-of-14 (.929) at the foul line with 15 turnovers and a JQH Arena record 14 steals – five by Calvin.
In the first half, the Bears held SEMO to two field goals over a 10-minute stretch to build up a 16-point advantage at the 5:21 mark. Kendrix ended a 16-2 run by the home side with a layup to give MSU its biggest lead of the half.
Kendrix and Kreklow combined for five first-half 3-pointers to help the home side overcome a dozen turnovers in the first 20 minutes.
The game was the 147th all-time meeting between the two in-state rivals, dating back to 1911. The Bears now lead the series by a 92-55 margin, including a 62-13 mark in Springfield.
Missouri State, which improved to 6-1 at JQH Arena this season, concludes its four-game home stand on Monday for an 8:30 p.m. tip against Chicago State (3-8) in the second round of the Continental Tire Las Vegas Classic. Tickets for the Chicago State game are available at MissouriStateBears.com or by visiting the Old Missouri Bank Box Office at JQH Arena, (417) 836-7678, starting at 10 a.m., Monday.
Other opening-round games in the Las Vegas Classic Saturday saw DePaul beat Chicago State, 109-61; Wyoming held off Cornell, 97-78; and Troy plays a late game at USC.
After Monday’s games, the Las Vegas Classic resumes Thursday and Friday at the Orleans Arena in Las Vegas where the Bears will play a 10 p.m. (Central) semifinal game on Dec. 22 against USC on FS1.
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