SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – Indiana State men's basketball solidified a three-game win streak to bring back to Terre Haute with a win in the Missouri Valley opener at Missouri State on Saturday night, 80-77.
 
This game marked the last Missouri Valley meeting between Indiana State and Missouri State, as the Bears are heading to Conference USA in July 2025. The Sycamores wrapped up the series 31-54 overall, 17-21 in Terre Haute, 8-33 in Springfield and 5-15 in the last 20 games.
 
The game opened with altering buckets, beginning with a triple from the Bears' Dez White. Samage Teel drained a pair of threes in back-to-back possessions before White made another triple. Jahni Summers came off the bench after the first media timeout and immediately drained a three off the left wing. But, the game remained tight through the second media timeout with the Sycamores up by three, 13-10.
 
A Jaden Daughtry layup and another Summers trey opened the lead in favor of Indiana State 18-12, but it was tied back up at 20 with nine minutes to play on a short 5-0 spurt by Missouri State.
 
Teel assisted on a layup by Derek Vorst, then the Bears took control of the lead with a 10-point run to go up 33-26 with 2:48 to play. Teel ended the scoring drought for the Sycamores with by converting a conventional three-point play at the 2:33 mark. Both teams made seven points apiece to close out the first half with Missouri State taking a 40-36 lead into the break.
 
It took the Sycamores just under 90 seconds to score their first basket of the second half, but when they did they piled it on with a 13-3 run over just about three minutes to go ahead 49-47 with 15:45 to play.
 
Daughtry opened with a pair of free throws, then Teel swiped a pass to finish with a fastbreak lay-in at the other end. About 30 seconds later Bruno Alocen recorded a steal of his own for Teel to finish another and-one. It was Daughtry's turn to force a turnover that led to an Alocen floater from inside the paint. Teel drove to the basket from the left side, dumping it off to Daughtry in the paint for a left-handed layup to finish it off.
 
The Sycamores didn't slow down using another seven-point unanswered run to extend the lead to 56-49 just inside the 14-minute mark. Doughty made a layup, then Daughtry blocked a shot attempt by the Bears then was rewarded with a two-handed slam in the ensuing possession, followed by a jumper made by Teel.
 
Missouri State brought the game back within a possession with 8:16 to play with a 10-3 run, taking the lead back with 5:12 to play, 67-66. A triple by Jayan Walker was the lone basket in the run for the Sycamores.
 
Indiana State took a one-point, 68-67 advantage off another Daughtry layup. K'mani Doughty made a three-pointer from the corner right in front of the Sycamore bench and recorded the rebound on the defensive side of the court for Josiah LeGree to hit a huge triple from the left wing off an assist by Teel.
 
Doughty once again made a pair of clutch free throws, this time with 1:24 to play, giving Indiana State a four-point, 76-72 lead. A Missouri State layup put some momentum in their way, but Daughtry drove the paint and slammed home a one-handed dunk over a Bears defender to restore the four-point lead.
 
Missouri State wasn't finished, with Vincent Brady II making a three-pointer with 39 seconds remaining; Indiana State at this point lead 78-77. Daughtry again made a layup from Teel's pass to go up three. 80-77. The Bears had two chances to win the game inside five seconds, but neither fell through to give Indiana State the three-point victory.
 
Samage Teel stayed hot, pacing the Sycamores with 23 points on 9-for-12 shooting and 3-for-6 from three. He was close to a triple-double, pulling down seven rebounds and dishing out nine assists. Jaden Daughtry scored 20 points going 9-for-14 from the field. K'mani Doughty recorded seven points and five rebounds. Josiah LeGree dished out five assists.
 
Missouri State was led by Dez White with 30 points (9-for-18, 7-for-8 at the line) and Michael Osei-Bonsu with 13 points and 10 rebounds. Vincent Brady II scored 15 points.
 
News & Notes

• Samage Teel's 23 points came after a season high 24-point game in the last time on the court, which was against Tarleton State. He is now 18-for-25 in the last two games. He has six 20-point games on the season in 10 games. He was 5-for-6 in the first half while the rest of the team was 10-for-25.
• Jaden Daughtry in his last four games (three in the Bahamas plus Saturday night at Missouri State) is 29-for-39 (74.4%).
• Samage Teel and Jaden Daughtry scored 43 of Indiana State's 80 points (53.8%). The duo scored 26 points of Indiana State's 44 in the second half, combining for 11-of-14 from the field.
• This is the first time this season that two Sycamores have scored 20+ points. It most recently happened last season in the NIT Semifinal against Utah on April 2 (Ryan Conwell with 27, Robbie Avila with 26).
• Derek Vorst returned to the court after missing nearly a month. He last played on November 12 against SIU Edwardsville.
• With the win, the Sycamores have opened Missouri Valley play with a victory in three-straight seasons.
• Indiana State finished 22-for-29 from inside the arc (75.9%) and 20-for-27 inside the paint (74.1%) for 40 total paint points.
• The Sycamores shot 57.1% on the night, the second-best percentage of the season.
• The 23 fouls committed by Indiana State ties for second-most of the season.
• Indiana State's 18 assists are the most since the win at home against Chicago State on November 22 (20).
• The Sycamore defense swatted four shots by the Bears, the second-most of the season (6 versus Eureka).
• The Sycamores have scored 80+ points in the last four games and in six of the last seven.
• The five players off the bench combined finished 9-for-13 from the floor (Jahni Summers, Derek Vorst, Josiah LeGree, Jayan Walker, Merritt Alderink).

 
 
Up Next
Indiana State has a short break in games in the schedule, returning to action for two-straight home games, beginning on Wednesday, December 18 at home against Murray State.
 
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