Saturday, February 28th, 2:00 p.m. (et)

FACTS & STATS: Site: Hulman Center (10,200) -- Terre Haute, Indiana. Television: None. Home Record: Missouri St. 9-8, Indiana St. 4-9. Away Record: Missouri St. 2-10, Indiana St. 4-10. Neutral Record: Missouri St. 0-0, Indiana St. 1-1. Conference Record: Missouri St. 3-14, Indiana St. 6-11. Series Record: Missouri State leads, 34-16.

GAME NOTES: Missouri Valley Conference foes will clash in Terre Haute this afternoon, as the Indiana State Sycamores welcome the Missouri State Bears to the Hulman Center. This game marks the regular-season finale for both squads, and Missouri State enters having lost five of its last six games to fall to 11-18 overall, including 3-14 against MVC competition. The Bears gave away to Creighton at home on Tuesday in a 65-59 final, and they now must play on the road where they are just 2-10 to date. As for Indiana State, it carried a five-game win streak into Tuesday's meeting with Wichita State, but the result of that road clash was a 76-70 setback. The Sycamores are just 9-20 overall, and despite the recent string of strong play, they are still just 6-11 in MVC action. Indiana State beat Missouri State in a 76-71 final two weeks ago, but the Bears hold a 34-16 advantage in the all-time series.

Missouri State has struggled to generate offense this season, as the team is only scoring 61.7 ppg on 40.5 percent shooting from the floor. The Bears are paced by Chris Cooks, who provides 12.9 ppg despite his 38.8 percent field goal efficiency. Cooks is pulling down 6.3 rpg as well to go along with 69 assists, both which are team highs, but he has committed 77 turnovers. Kyle Weems is the only other double-digit scorer on the roster, as he is netting 10.0 ppg. Cooks, Spencer Laurie and Will Creekmore all scored 11 points for Missouri State against Creighton on Tuesday, while Wake Knapp contributed 10 points. The Bears turned the ball over 19 times, however, and that carelessness led to defeat.

Jay Tunnell scored 22 points to lead Indiana State in the loss to Wichita State last time out. Rashad Reed pitched in 19 points, and Harry Marshall finished with 11. The Sycamores connected on a respectable 47.6 percent of their field goal attempts in the first half, but they dropped to 29.6 percent over the final 20 minutes. If not for a stellar 28-of-34 effort from the foul line, the final score would have been much more lopsided. Marshall is the team's leading scorer this season with 14.5 ppg, and Tunnell checks in with 12.1 ppg. As for Reed, he provides 10.9 ppg for the Sycamores, who are only generating 62.7 ppg on 40.7 percent shooting from the field.

Indiana State gets the nod here, although this one won't be easy. Missouri State will hang around throughout the second half.

Predicted Outcome

Indiana State 70, Missouri State 64