Missouri State used a strong second half to defeat FIU 75-72 Tuesday in the opening round of the Air National Guard Conference USA Men’s Basketball Championship.
The ninth-seeded Bears knocked down eight 3-pointers in the second half and shot 53 percent from the field to earn the win over the eighth-seeded Panthers.
Kobi Williams led Missouri State with 15 points, while Keith Palek III, Trey Williams Jr. and Zaxton King each added 13 points.
With the game tied late, Williams delivered the decisive basket with a three-pointer with 1:45 remaining to give the Bears the lead for good. Palek sealed the victory by hitting two free throws with 13 seconds left. FIU had a final opportunity after a timeout with less than a second remaining, but the Panthers’ last-second attempt missed.
Missouri State trailed by six with about eight minutes left before mounting a comeback. A three-pointer by Trey Williams Jr. sparked the rally before a series of baskets gave the Bears a brief lead midway through the final minutes.
FIU tied the game at 69-69 with just over two minutes remaining before Missouri State closed out the contest down the stretch.
Stephenson led FIU with 24 points and 10 rebounds, while Zawdie Jackson added 19 points.
Missouri State finished with 11 three-pointers in the game, its most in a conference tournament game. King made four of those shots from long range, while Williams added three.
The Bears improved to 15-17 on the season and will face top-seeded Liberty in the quarterfinals Wednesday at 5:30 p.m. on ESPN+.
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