SPRINGFIELD – Visiting UIC shot 62 percent in the second half and racked up 11 three-pointers to top Missouri State, 80-63, here Tuesday in Missouri Valley Conference play.
The Flames (10-5, 3-2 MVC) were led by Tyem Freeman’s 18 points, while Filip Skobalj added 17 points on a perfect 5-for-5 from beyond the arc to tie a Great Southern Bank Arena record.
The Bears’ efforts to erase a nine-point halftime deficit hinged on stringing together enough defensive stops to get back in the hunt. Those stops came at a premium with UIC making 18-of-29 shot attempts over the final 20 minutes, including 7-of-11 back-breaking threes.
Missouri State (7-9, 0-5 MVC) was led by freshman Zaxton King’s 17 points, including three 3-pointers. Michael Osei-Bonsu was the only other Bear in double-figures in the scoring column with 10 points. Vincent Brady II was MSU’s top rebounder (3) and assist man (3).
Osei-Bonsu and Chase Martin helped anchor MSU’s best run of the night after the home club fell behind by 17 less than four minutes into the second half. Skobalj’s second three of the period gave the Flames a 49-32 advantage before Martin scored five straight for the Bears ahead of a dunk by Osei-Bonsu and a triple from Logan Epes. Coming out of the under-12 media timeout, Vincent Brady II continued the MSU surge, hitting a couple of free throws before Osei-Bonsu scored four straight and Dez White knocked down two charity shots of his own to make it a 60-50 contest with 8:47 to play.
UIC responded in a big way, as Skobalj helped cultivate a decisive 9-0 surge from the visitors by burying his fourth trey of the game. By the time, King got the Bears back in the scoring column with just over six minutes to play, the Flames led by 19, and Missouri State would get no closer than 17 the rest of the way.
MoState was 22-of-48 (.468) from the field and 6-for-16 (.375) from long range. The Bears had their best free throw shooting effort of the season, converting 13-of-15 (.867) from the line.
UIC out-rebounded the Bears, 33-17, and finished the game 32-for-54 (.593) overall from the field, 11-for-20 (.650) from bonus distance and 5-for-10 (.500) at the line with 11 turnovers.
Freeman, a former Bear, was 6-of-10 from the field, 3-for-5 from three and snagged a game-high 5 rebounds in a starting role for the Flames.
Tuesday’s game marked UIC’s first-ever victory in Springfield, breaking a streak of 11 straight Bears’ home wins in the series.
In the opening half, the Bears converted five of their first seven shots to sprint out to a 14-5 lead in the first five minutes. UIC switched to zone the rest of the half while embarking on a 31-13 scoring surge to lead by nine at the intermission.
The Flames shot 56 percent in the first 20 minutes with runs of 12-2 and 15-3 giving the visitors separation. Meanwhile, MoState got 12 points from King, including a pair of threes, but the Bears shot just 41 percent in the opening stanza to trail 36-27 at the midway point.
The Bears now embark on an usual two-game Valley series against Southern Illinois, starting Saturday in Carbondale (6 p.m.) and continuing next Wednesday (Jan. 15) at Great Southern Bank Arena (6 p.m.).
Tickets for the SIU home game are available at //MissouriStateBears.com/tickets or through the Missouri State box office at Great Southern Bank Arena, (417) 836-7678, during regular box office hours.
