Missouri State pulled off a major upset Wednesday night, defeating top-seeded Liberty 77-69 in the Conference USA Tournament quarterfinals.
The ninth-seeded Bears were led by senior Michael Osei-Bonsu, who scored a career-high 31 points while shooting 14-of-16 from the field. He also added eight rebounds and four assists while setting a Missouri State record for points in a conference tournament game.
Missouri State (16-17) also received 19 points from Kobi Williams and 10 from Trey Williams Jr., who hit a key three-pointer in the final minute to help seal the win. Keith Palek III contributed nine rebounds and four assists as the Bears shot 56 percent from the field and outrebounded Liberty 34-30.
Liberty (25-7) was led by Conference USA Player of the Year Zach Cleveland, who finished with 20 points and 14 rebounds. Kaden Metheny and Brett Decker Jr. each added 14 points for the Flames.
Missouri State trailed by 10 early in the second half before rallying with a 15-0 run, fueled by strong play from Osei-Bonsu and timely shooting from the Bears backcourt. The surge gave Missouri State a 57-50 lead midway through the half.
Liberty closed the gap to three points late, but Trey Williams Jr. drained a clutch three-pointer with under a minute remaining. Missouri State then hit free throws down the stretch to secure the victory.
The win marks the first time since 2018 that a No. 9 seed has reached the Conference USA semifinals. It is also Missouri States first conference tournament semifinal appearance since 2022.
The Bears will face the winner of Middle Tennessee and Louisiana Tech in the semifinals Friday at 11:30 a.m. on CBS Sports Network.
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