Benson scores 22 as Missouri State downs Evansville 74-64
AP
Jan 13, 2024
Evansville Aces, Ind. (AP) N.J. Benson's 22 points helped Missouri State Bears defeat Evansville 74-64 on Saturday night.
Benson also had 13 rebounds and three blocks for the Bears (10-7, 2-4 Missouri Valley Conference). Alston Mason scored 18 points while going 7 of 17 from the floor, including 2 for 9 from 3-point range, and 2 for 3 from the line, and added five assists. Donovan Clay and Raphe Ayres both added 14.
The Purple Aces (10-7, 1-5) were led in scoring by Joshua Hughes, who finished with 22 points. Antonio Thomas added 15 points for Evansville. In addition, Kenny Strawbridge had nine points and 10 rebounds.
Missouri State took the lead with 28 seconds left in the first half and did not relinquish it. Benson led their team in scoring with 11 points in the first half to help put them ahead 36-35 at the break. Missouri State used an 11-3 run in the second half to build a nine-point lead at 47-38 with 15:28 left in the half before finishing off the win.
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1st Half
MOSU
Bears
36
EVAN
Aces
35
Time
Team
Play
Score
20:00
N.J. Benson vs. Yacine Toumi (Bears gains possession)
19:40
Alston Mason misses three point jump shot
19:38
Yacine Toumi defensive rebound
19:16
Joshua Hughes misses three point jump shot
19:14
Kenny Strawbridge Jr. offensive rebound
18:57
Gage Bobe misses two point jump shot
18:55
Kenny Strawbridge Jr. offensive rebound
18:46
+2
Yacine Toumi makes two point jump shot
0-2
18:29
Matthew Lee turnover (bad pass)
18:17
Chance Moore shooting foul (Antonio Thomas draws the foul)
18:17
+1
Antonio Thomas makes regular free throw 1 of 2
0-3
18:17
+1
Antonio Thomas makes regular free throw 2 of 2
0-4
17:57
Alston Mason misses three point jump shot
17:55
Gage Bobe defensive rebound
17:48
Antonio Thomas misses two point jump shot
17:46
N.J. Benson defensive rebound
17:37
+2
Donovan Clay makes two point jump shot (Chance Moore assists)
2-4
17:15
+3
Joshua Hughes makes three point jump shot (Yacine Toumi assists)
2-7
17:02
Donovan Clay misses two point layup
17:00
N.J. Benson offensive rebound
16:56
+2
N.J. Benson makes two point layup
4-7
16:36
Antonio Thomas misses three point jump shot
16:34
Kenny Strawbridge Jr. offensive rebound
16:23
Kenny Strawbridge Jr. misses three point jump shot
16:21
Chance Moore defensive rebound
16:11
Chance Moore misses two point layup
16:09
Kenny Strawbridge Jr. defensive rebound
16:04
+3
Gage Bobe makes three point jump shot (Antonio Thomas assists)
4-10
15:54
Yacine Toumi shooting foul
15:54
TV timeout
15:54
+1
Donovan Clay makes regular free throw 1 of 2
5-10
15:54
+1
Donovan Clay makes regular free throw 2 of 2
6-10
15:54
Tanner Cuff turnover (bad pass)
15:43
+3
Alston Mason makes three point jump shot (Matthew Lee assists)
9-10
15:15
Antonio Thomas misses two point jump shot
15:13
Donovan Clay defensive rebound
14:55
Raphe Ayres misses three point jump shot
14:53
Yacine Toumi defensive rebound
14:43
Chuck Bailey III misses two point jump shot
14:41
Donovan Clay defensive rebound
14:34
Matthew Lee misses three point jump shot
14:32
Kenny Strawbridge Jr. defensive rebound
14:22
+2
Antonio Thomas makes two point layup
9-12
14:00
Antonio Thomas personal foul
13:56
Cam Haffner blocks Matthew Lee's two point layup
13:54
Joshua Hughes defensive rebound
13:42
+3
Joshua Hughes makes three point jump shot
9-15
13:24
+2
N.J. Benson makes two point layup
11-15
13:24
Sekou Kalle shooting foul (N.J. Benson draws the foul)
13:24
+1
N.J. Benson makes regular free throw 1 of 1
12-15
13:03
Sekou Kalle turnover (lost ball)
12:49
+3
Raphe Ayres makes three point jump shot (Alston Mason assists)
15-15
12:36
+2
Tanner Cuff makes two point layup (Cam Haffner assists)
15-17
12:20
Alston Mason misses three point jump shot
12:18
Cam Haffner defensive rebound
12:12
+3
Joshua Hughes makes three point jump shot (Cam Haffner assists)
15-20
11:54
+3
Alston Mason makes three point jump shot (Raphe Ayres assists)
18-20
11:39
Tanner Cuff misses two point layup
11:37
N.J. Benson defensive rebound
11:37
Tanner Cuff personal foul
11:37
TV timeout
11:22
Alston Mason misses two point layup
11:20
Alston Mason offensive rebound
11:16
Alston Mason turnover (lost ball)
10:54
Joshua Hughes misses three point jump shot
10:52
Bears defensive rebound
10:50
Tanner Cuff personal foul
10:38
+2
Donovan Clay makes two point layup
20-20
10:12
Cam Haffner turnover (out of bounds)
10:02
+2
Donovan Clay makes two point layup
22-20
9:37
Kenny Strawbridge Jr. turnover (traveling)
9:21
Kenny Strawbridge Jr. shooting foul (Donovan Clay draws the foul)
9:21
+1
Donovan Clay makes regular free throw 1 of 2
23-20
9:21
+1
Donovan Clay makes regular free throw 2 of 2
24-20
8:56
Antonio Thomas misses two point jump shot
8:54
Chance Moore defensive rebound
8:47
Sekou Kalle shooting foul (Chance Moore draws the foul)
8:47
+1
Chance Moore makes regular free throw 1 of 2
25-20
8:47
+1
Chance Moore makes regular free throw 2 of 2
26-20
8:32
+3
Antonio Thomas makes three point jump shot (Kenny Strawbridge Jr. assists)
26-23
8:18
+2
Cesare Edwards makes two point layup
28-23
7:59
Chance Moore blocks Antonio Thomas's two point layup
7:57
Yacine Toumi offensive rebound
7:52
Donovan Clay personal foul (Yacine Toumi draws the foul)
7:52
TV timeout
7:42
Yacine Toumi misses two point jump shot
7:40
Donovan Clay defensive rebound
7:36
Donovan Clay turnover (lost ball)
7:31
Kenny Strawbridge Jr. misses two point jump shot
7:29
Alston Mason defensive rebound
7:22
Donovan Clay offensive foul
7:22
Donovan Clay turnover (offensive foul)
7:00
Yacine Toumi misses two point layup
6:58
Cesare Edwards defensive rebound
6:44
Cesare Edwards misses two point jump shot
6:42
Kenny Strawbridge Jr. defensive rebound
6:30
+3
Antonio Thomas makes three point jump shot (Yacine Toumi assists)
28-26
6:06
Chance Moore misses three point jump shot
6:04
Yacine Toumi defensive rebound
5:58
Raphe Ayres shooting foul (Kenny Strawbridge Jr. draws the foul)
5:58
+1
Kenny Strawbridge Jr. makes regular free throw 1 of 2
28-27
5:58
+1
Kenny Strawbridge Jr. makes regular free throw 2 of 2
28-28
5:40
+2
N.J. Benson makes two point dunk (Alston Mason assists)
30-28
5:38
Purple Aces 30 second timeout
5:21
+2
Yacine Toumi makes two point layup
30-30
5:14
Chance Moore misses two point layup
5:12
Antonio Thomas defensive rebound
5:01
Matthew Lee shooting foul (Antonio Thomas draws the foul)
4:49
Antonio Thomas misses regular free throw 1 of 2
4:49
+1
Antonio Thomas makes regular free throw 2 of 2
30-31
4:34
N.J. Benson offensive foul
4:34
N.J. Benson turnover (offensive foul)
4:17
+2
Yacine Toumi makes two point jump shot (Gage Bobe assists)
30-33
4:04
Cesare Edwards misses three point jump shot
4:02
Purple Aces defensive rebound
3:59
TV timeout
3:51
Chuck Bailey III misses two point jump shot
3:49
N.J. Benson defensive rebound
3:36
N.J. Benson misses two point layup
3:34
N.J. Benson offensive rebound
3:29
+2
N.J. Benson makes two point layup
32-33
2:59
Yacine Toumi misses three point jump shot
2:57
Raphe Ayres defensive rebound
2:44
N.J. Benson misses two point layup
2:42
N.J. Benson offensive rebound
2:34
Tanner Cuff shooting foul (N.J. Benson draws the foul)
2:20
N.J. Benson misses regular free throw 1 of 2
2:20
N.J. Benson misses regular free throw 2 of 2
2:20
Chuck Bailey III defensive rebound
2:20
Gage Bobe misses three point jump shot
2:18
Raphe Ayres defensive rebound
2:08
Alston Mason misses three point jump shot
2:06
Chance Moore offensive rebound
1:59
Chance Moore misses three point jump shot
1:57
Yacine Toumi defensive rebound
1:50
Yacine Toumi misses two point layup
1:48
Kenny Strawbridge Jr. offensive rebound
1:34
Chuck Bailey III misses two point jump shot
1:32
N.J. Benson defensive rebound
1:01
+2
Alston Mason makes two point jump shot
34-33
0:45
Chance Moore shooting foul (Chuck Bailey III draws the foul)
0:45
+1
Chuck Bailey III makes regular free throw 1 of 2
34-34
0:45
+1
Chuck Bailey III makes regular free throw 2 of 2
34-35
0:28
+2
N.J. Benson makes two point alley-oop layup (Alston Mason assists)
36-35
0:20
Purple Aces 30 second timeout
0:03
N.J. Benson blocks Kenny Strawbridge Jr.'s two point layup
0:01
Matthew Lee defensive rebound
0:00
End of period
2nd Half
MOSU
Bears
38
EVAN
Aces
29
Time
Team
Play
Score
19:37
Yacine Toumi misses three point jump shot
19:35
Kenny Strawbridge Jr. offensive rebound
19:27
Donovan Clay blocks Joshua Hughes's two point layup
19:25
Matthew Lee defensive rebound
19:14
N.J. Benson misses two point layup
19:12
N.J. Benson offensive rebound
19:08
+2
N.J. Benson makes two point layup
38-35
18:58
Kenny Strawbridge Jr. misses three point jump shot
18:56
Chance Moore defensive rebound
18:49
Gage Bobe shooting foul (Alston Mason draws the foul)
18:49
Alston Mason misses regular free throw 1 of 2
18:49
Purple Aces defensive rebound
18:49
+1
Alston Mason makes regular free throw 2 of 2
39-35
18:16
Purple Aces turnover (shot clock violation)
18:02
+3
Donovan Clay makes three point jump shot (Alston Mason assists)
42-35
17:34
Antonio Thomas misses two point jump shot
17:32
Alston Mason defensive rebound
17:25
Matthew Lee misses three point jump shot
17:23
Antonio Thomas defensive rebound
17:17
+3
Joshua Hughes makes three point jump shot (Yacine Toumi assists)
