Who’s Playing
Missouri State Bears @ Illinois State Redbirds
Current Records: Missouri State 7-11, Illinois State 10-8
How To Watch
What to Know
Missouri State and Illinois State are an even 5-5 against one another since February of 2019, but not for long. The two teams will face off in a Missouri Valley battle at 5:00 p.m. ET on Saturday at CEFCU Arena. Both have had a bumpy ride up to this point with six consecutive losses for the Bears and three for the Redbirds.
Missouri State was supposed to head into this matchup following a close win against S. Illinois, but that’s certainly not how things went down on Wednesday. Missouri State suffered a bruising 73-51 defeat at the hands of S. Illinois. For those keeping track at home, that’s the biggest loss the Bears have suffered since February 21, 2024.
Despite the defeat, Missouri State had strong showings from Jalen Hampton, who went 5 for 8 en route to 14 points plus five rebounds, and Michael Osei-Bonsu, who almost dropped a double-double on 17 points and nine rebounds. Osei-Bonsu had some trouble finding his footing against S. Illinois on Saturday, so this was a nice turnaround.
Meanwhile, Illinois State was within striking distance but couldn’t close the gap on Wednesday as they fell 66-62 to Drake.
The losing side was boosted by Chase Walker, who went 8 for 12 en route to 20 points. Another player making a difference was Landon Wolf, who had 12 points in addition to two steals.
Missouri State’s loss dropped their record down to 7-11. As for Illinois State, their defeat dropped their record down to 10-8.
Missouri State and Illinois State were neck-and-neck in their previous matchup back in February of 2024, but Missouri State came up empty-handed after a 75-74 loss. Can Missouri State avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We’ll find out soon enough.
Series History
Illinois State and Missouri State both have 5 wins in their last 10 games.
- Feb 28, 2024 – Illinois State 75 vs. Missouri State 74
- Jan 20, 2024 – Illinois State 69 vs. Missouri State 60
- Jan 11, 2023 – Illinois State 76 vs. Missouri State 66
- Jan 19, 2022 – Missouri State 88 vs. Illinois State 63
- Dec 01, 2021 – Illinois State 79 vs. Missouri State 74
- Feb 07, 2021 – Missouri State 72 vs. Illinois State 62
- Feb 06, 2021 – Missouri State 74 vs. Illinois State 67
- Feb 05, 2020 – Missouri State 80 vs. Illinois State 60
- Jan 07, 2020 – Missouri State 67 vs. Illinois State 63
- Feb 27, 2019 – Illinois State 65 vs. Missouri State 57
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