CHICAGO – Missouri State got 17 points apiece Donovan Clay and Chance Moore, dominated the glass and used a solid defensive effort to turn back home-standing UIC, 66-51, here Wednesday in the Missouri Valley Conference opener for both clubs.
The win marked head coach Dana Ford’s 22nd conference road victory during his tenure at MoState, the most by any Valley team in that span.
The Bears (4-3) racked up 11 steals, 10 blocks and out-rebounded the Flames by a 50-40 margin to overcome a rough shooting effort. But with wins on The Valley road appraising so high, Ford says the sweet taste of victory goes well at the end of a long road trip.
“I’m very proud of our guys,” said Ford. “Road wins are hard to get in this league and we really have to value them. I felt like our guys were ready to play, and once we settled in, our athleticism and versatility really set in and made a difference. This is a good win for us.”
The Bears scored 42 points in the paint and registered 14 points on fast break situations to keep the home club at arm’s length most of the second half.
UIC (5-3, 0-1) was led by Jace Carter’s 15 points, while Jalen Jackson scored 14. Toby Okani also had a game-high 12 rebounds for the league newcomers.
MSU was supported with a 9-point, 10-rebound effort from Jonathan Mogbo, while N.J. Benson matched his season high with 8 points.
The Bears extended their six-point halftime lead to double figures right after the intermission, getting a transition bucket from Mogbo and a layup from Chance Moore to lead 36-26. Later, a Clay-led 6-0 run quieted the home crowd after UIC had trimmed MSU’s lead to seven. Clay’s dunk with 10:28 remaining in the game capped the stretch and extended the Bears’ lead to 50-37.
By the seven-minute mark, Mogbo’s close-range finish gave the Bears a 55-39 lead, which was its most to that point. Only Kendle Moore’s final layup of the night put the visitors up by a greater margin at 17.
The Bears were 27-of-73 (.370) overall from the field, 6-for-23 (.261) from long range and 6-of-13 (.462) at the line with just 8 turnovers and 14 assists.
UIC was held to 30.2 percent on 16-of-53 field goal attempts. The Flames were also 7-of-21 (.333) from distance and 12-of-19 (.632) at the line with 15 turnovers.
Missouri State also converted its 19 offensive rebounds into 21 second-chance points on the night. It marked the first-ever November conference game in program history.
In the opening half, the home club made four of its first seven shots, while the Bears had trouble finding their mark. But after working through an early 11-2 deficit, Missouri State embarked on an impressive 11-0 outburst in the span of two minutes to capture the lead and never looked back.
Benson had four points on the decisive run, while Clay had seven, and the Bears wouldn’t trail again, leading by as many as seven before the breaker after Clay’s layup at the 5:52 mark.
The Bears continue the two-game Valley stretch with a home game Saturday against Bradley at Great Southern Bank Arena.
