Led by 17 points from Michael Osei-Bonsu, Missouri State shot 48 percent from the field and had four players score in double figures to take care of visiting Southwest Baptist, 72-65, here Tuesday in the Bears’ only preseason exhibition game of the new season.
Jalen Hampton posted a double-double with 10 points and 10 rebounds for the home side, while Dez White scored 11, and Chase Martin poured in 11 off the bench to contribute to the victory.
Coach Cuonzo Martin’s Bears transformed a two-point halftime lead into a double-figure advantage before the first media timeout of the second half. Osei-Bonsu scored twice, Hampton converted a basket at the rim, and MoState collected triples from Wesley Oba and Martin to push ahead 43-33 with 16:04 to play.
Missouri State’s lead swelled to 11 points heading into the under-12 media timeout after a Vincent Brady II layup as the shot clock expired made it 51-40.
With nine minutes to go, back-to-back layups by Oba gave the Bears their biggest lead of the night, 55-42.
Down the stretch, Missouri State overcame a sluggish start at the free throw line by converting nearly all its charity shots with the game in the balance. The Bears made 11 of their last 12 from the stripe in the final seven-and-a-half minutes to put things away.
For its part, SBU capitalized on Missouri State’s mishaps with 21 points off 15 Bears’ turnovers. Drenin Dinkins had a game-high 22 points for the Bearcats, including three triples.
The Bears finished 27-of-56 (.482) from the field, 4-of-16 (.250) from long range and 14-for-23 (.609) at the stripe with 41 rebounds and 11 assists, including three apiece from Martin and freshman Zaxton King. Hampton’s 10 rebounds was a game high.
The Bears never trailed in the second half.
Southwest Baptist finished 23-of-63 (.365) overall, 9-for-30 (.300) from bonus distance and 10-for-11 (.909) at the line with 33 rebounds and 11 turnovers.
In the first half, the Bears shot 48.3 percent from the field and got 10 points from Osei-Bonsu to take a 31-29 lead into the intermission.
There were seven ties and five lead changes in the opening 20 minutes with the visiting Bearcats surviving a clutch 8-0 run from the Bears late in the opening stanza. Back-to-back buckets from White preceded Brady’s second dunk of the game, while a layup by Jalen Hampton gave the Bears a 27-23 advantage at the three-and-a-half minute mark.
SBU responded with its fifth three of the opening half with Luke Ogle making it a one-point game. Later, SBU collected a traditional three-point play from Dinkins to knot things up late in the half.
MoState, however, ended the period with a pair of timely stops and Osei-Bonsu’s fifth field goal to return the lead to the home side at the break.
The Bears will open the regular season on Monday, Nov. 4 at Butler before kicking off their home slate a week later on Nov. 11 against Missouri Southern at Great Southern Bank Arena.
