DES MOINES, Iowa – Alize Johnson posted 23 points and 21 rebounds and made 11-of-13 free throws to help Missouri State (16-13, 7-9 MVC) to a 76-73 road win over Drake here Saturday night in Missouri Valley Conference play.
Johnson’s free throw with 3 seconds left in the game gave MSU a three-point advantage, and a desperation three by Drake’s Graham Woodward at the buzzer fell short.
Woodward and Reed Timmer led Drake (7-21, 5-11 MVC) with 15 points apiece.
The Bears trailed by eight at the intermission and fought through six ties and five lead changes in the second half to lead for good with 29 seconds left. Dequon Miller, who scored 16 points and notched 4 assists, knocked down two free throws to give the Bears a 73-72 lead.
After a block by Obediah Church on the potential go-ahead shot by DU with 7 ticks on the clock, Jarred Dixon snagged the rebound and was quickly fouled. The sophomore, who finished with 14 points in his second straight start, made both to push MSU ahead 75-72 with 4.9 seconds to play.
Church finished with 6 blocked shots to match a career high and moved into the program’s all-time top five in that category.
The Bears fouled De’Antae McMurray at the 3.8-second mark. He made the first, but missed the second. Johnson grabbed the rebound and was sent to the line after a hard foul where he clinched the win with his free throw.
Johnson’s 21 caroms was a career high and made him the first Bear since Mike Robinson in 1980 to record that many rebounds in a game.
Missouri State trailed by as many as eight in the second half and rallied to tie the game three times in the final 9:46.
In the first half, the Bears stormed out to a 16-5 lead less than five minutes in. Drake rallied to tie the game at 19 at the midway point and then ended the opening period on a 12-2 run to lead 40-32 at the break. Johnson posted 9 points and 9 rebounds in the first stanza for MSU.
MSU finished 23-of-57 (.404) overall and 10-of-26 (.385) from downtown, including four treys by Miller. MSU was also an effective 20-of-23 (.870) at the foul line and dominated the glass, 46-28.
Jarrid Rhodes also finished in double figures for MSU with 13 points to go with 7 rebounds. Church also snagged 9 rebounds for Missouri State.
Drake was 24-of-62 (.387) overall and 12-for-23 (.522) from bonus range. The Bulldogs also dropped in 13-of-16 (.813) free throws and managed 9 steals on 14 MSU turns.
The Bears wrap a two-game Valley road swing on Wednesday at Bradley (10-19, 5-11 MVC) at 7 p.m., before concluding the regular season at JQH Arena on Saturday, Feb. 25 against Wichita State at 11 a.m. in a nationally-televised game on ESPN2.
