OPINION|
For those folks like myself, who have witnessed more college basketball seasons than we might care to admit, we understand that what happens before Christmas usually is a distant memory by the end of the marathon in March.
Missouri State’s basketball team is a prime example of how early results don’t always predict future returns. But even those familiar with the Book of Job would have declared patience a true virtue after watching those early-season struggles.
But here we are in the new year, and the Bears are quite enjoying their new home in Conference USA. They’re making shots, getting defensive stops and playing with confidence — ingredients that have been lacking for a long while around the program.
Missouri State, picked dead last in the 12-team CUSA preseason poll, beat third-slotted New Mexico State — a team with eye-popping talent — 89-82 in a rollicking affair Sunday in front of 2,075 fans inside Great Southern Bank Arena. It was easily the biggest victory in the Cuonzo Martin Era Part II.
That’s five wins in a row for the Bears, who are 9-5 overall and 3-0 in CUSA. Kobi Williams went off for 32 points, making seven of nine 3-pointers and nine of 10 free throws. Keith Palek III scored 15 of his 16 points in the second half to keep Missouri State afloat as a 12-point halftime lead melted away.
“I like how we’re coming together,” said senior forward Antwan Burnett, a key figure in the Bears’ resurgence after the transfer — with strength to play inside and quick feet and a soft jumper to excel on the perimeter — missed most of the non-league slate with a pulled hamstring.
“We stayed together through adversity,” added Burnett. “They went on a run and we lost the lead, but we didn’t break.”
This game tested the Bears’ mettle after they led 53-41 at halftime. The Aggies, who resembled a taller version of those talented Southern Illinois teams from back in the Missouri Valley Conference days, went in front 67-66 midway through the second half.
Missouri State’s 3-pointers quit falling, and Michael Osei-Bonsu was in foul trouble. New Mexico’s State 6-foot-10 jumping jack Julius Mims was dunking like it was a contest. The Bears looked lost — and looked on their way to a tough loss.
But they didn’t buckle. Palek seized the day, scoring 13 straight points for his team — including a three-point play to put Missouri State back in front 69-67. The final nine minutes were like a wild ride, with some chippiness between the combatants tossed in for good measure.
But the Bears never surrendered the lead again.
“Just a big performance from Keith in the second half. He just took the game over,” Burnett said. “We believed in him.”
Coach Cuonzo Martin said Palek was asked to do “a little bit of everything” in the second half.
“With Mike being in foul trouble, Keith had to bring it up, post up, pop. A lot of different things, and he embraces those challenges,” Martin said.
Kobi Williams, finishing one shy of the school record of nine 3-pointers in a game, found his way to the foul line to deliver seven made free throws in the second half. And Burnett helped deliver the dagger with his 3-pointer with 2:10 remaining, extending the lead to 83-76.
Freshman guard Trey Willaims said Burnett “is like the missing piece of what we’ve been needing. We probably needed another player who plays with good toughness, is gonna get rebounds, is gonna get on the ground and is gonna guard. It felt like we were missing that, the first part of the season, and we’ve found that with him.”
It cannot be overstated how much Burnett’s addition has meant.
“And he’s probably still 10 pounds overweight,” Martin said. “When he was injured he couldn’t (do conditioning) because of his hamstring. What you see with him is grit and toughness. Imagine what you’ll see in two weeks.”
The other big part of the equation has been shot-making. Kobi Williams, a junior transfer from Truman State, shot 20 percent (8 of 40) through his first six Division I games. He’s 56 percent from long range (23 of 41) over the last seven games.
Trey Williams, an acclaimed recruit, also has found his stroke. There is no substitute for making shots — and when the shots stopped falling in the second half, the toughness pulled the Bears through.
Martin said he enjoyed watching his players embrace the big moments.
“That part is fun. You don’t get these opportunities all the time and it’s phenomenal to be a part of it,” Martin said. “It’s a real adrenaline rush. It’s like a rollercoaster.”
Are the Bears’ legit CUSA contenders? It’s too early to declare that. But keep playing like they did this weekend — a sound 79-55 beatdown of UTEP on Jan. 2 kicked it off — and things are going to be interesting again.
Fans might even be tempted to start showing up again.
“Confidence is the biggest thing,” Trey Williams said. “You might not be the most talented team, but if you’re the most confident team, you have a chance to win any night.”
Martin, asked if he thinks CUSA coaches might start to perceive his team as better than advertised, smiled.
“People know me. Whatever happens or doesn’t happen, it’ll be a street fight,” Martin said. “We’ll be fine. I don’t really care about all that other stuff, what they think about us. We still have to perform.”
Next up is a trip to Kennesaw State on Jan. 7 with the next home game on Jan. 10 against Florida International.
Lyndal Scranton is a Springfield native who has covered sports in the Ozarks for more than 35 years, witnessing nearly every big sports moment in the region during the last 50 years. The Missouri Sports Hall of Famer, Springfield Area Sports Hall of Famer and live-fire cooking enthusiast also serves as PR Director for Lucas Oil Speedway in Wheatland, Missouri and is co-host of the Tailgate Guys BBQ Podcast. Contact him at Lscranton755@gmail.com and follow him on Twitter @LyndalScranton. More by Lyndal Scranton