SPRINGFIELD, Mo. -- An early second run proved to be too much as the Sycamores late game run was not enough in falling, 67-61 to Missouri State on Saturday afternoon.

ISU fell to 14-14, 6-10 MVC while MSU improved to 16-13, 10-6 MVC.

Tyreke Key led the Sycamores as well as the late game comeback attempt by scoring 19 points and hitting 5-of-10 from the field. As a team the Sycamores hit 14-of-22 from the field (63.6 percent) in the second half and got the deficit down to as few as five points with about a minute to go.

Indiana State would jump out to a quick 3-0 lead on an early second chance bucket by Bronson Kessinger but Missouri State answered with four in a row before Emondre Rickman scored on consecutive possessions ahead of the 15 minute mark to stake ISU to a 7-6 advantage. Indiana State was held without a point for four and a half minutes -- a fact that was helped by the defense which conversely held the Bears without a point for over three minutes themselves. A Jordan Barnes free throw with just under eight minutes on the clock trimmed the Bears lead to 13-10. 

MSU scored five in a row to push their lead out to eight points and force ISU to burn a timeout. Clayton Hughes beat the shot clock with a driving lay-up as the clock ticked the six minute mark and then Barnes drove to the hoop on the next possession to trim the deficit to four points. A long rebound by Tyreke Key who found a streaking Christian Williams for a fast break dunk with 4:10 on the clock made it six in a row for the Sycamores and drew ISU within 18-16. A Christian Williams jumper with 3:05 on the clock capped an 8-0 run and knotted the game at 18.

The Bears would lead 25-20 until Key hit a fast break lay-up with 30 seconds to go to whittle the deficit down to 25-22 and the defense held as the teams headed into the locker room. The Sycamores hit 10-of-25 from the field in the first 20 minutes (40 percent) as Kessinger, Williams and Rickman owned four points each.

Missouri State scored the first four of the second half to open a seven point advantage, but Key drove to the basket on the Sycamores' third possession to stop the bleeding. Then after Rickman forced a turnover, Key drove to the basket again at the 17:43 mark to trim the deficit down to 29-26. The Bears countered with seven in a row to force and Indiana State timeout with 15:11 on the clock as the deficit swelled to 36-26. Rickman was fouled after the timeout and hit a charity toss with just north of 15 minutes to go and MSU led 36-27.

Barnes hit a one-handed floater in the paint as the clock ticked towards the 11 minute mark to return the game to a single digit contest. But MSU answered with seven in a row until Williams hit a floater with 9:13 to to stop the run and get within 47-33. Key then made six in a row with a pair of free throws with 7:40 remaining to make it 47-37.

Cooper Neese drained a 3-pointer and then with 4:33 remaining Emondre Rickman converted a conventional 3-point play which once again drew the Sycamores within single digits at 54-45. Neese then hit a pair of charity tosses with 3:01 to go to answer a Bears score to make it 56-47. Kreklow then drilled a 3-pointer at the death of the shot clock and with 2:30 remaining to push their advantage back out to 59-47.

The Sycamores cut the MSU lead down to 59-53 on a Tyreke Key driving lay-up with 1:40 remaining after having trailed by 12 just one minute earlier. Missouri State would score but then Key was fouled heading to the rim where he hit a pair of free throws to make it 61-55 with 57.9 seconds left. Allante Holston was fouled with 42.1 seconds left and he hit both after the Bears hit 1-of-2 to make it 62-57. 

Missouri State was led in scoring by Tulio Da Silva who scored 16 points and had 11 rebounds.

Indiana State travels to Drake next Wednesday, February 27 at 8 pm (ET). The game will air live nationally on ESPN+.