MVC games this week - One game Tuesday, Jan. 7 and 5 games Wednesday, Jan. 8

[Da Coach]

One MVC game Tuesday, Jan. 7-
UIC (9-5, 2-2) at Missouri State (7-8, 0-4) - https://www.espn.com/mens-college-ba...50107/group/18

Five MVC games Wednesday, Jan. 8- https://www.espn.com/mens-college-ba...50108/group/18
Murray State (8-7, 2-2) at Northern Iowa (9-6, 3-1)
Drake (12-2, 2-2) at Bradley (13-2, 4-0)
Southern Illinois (5-10, 0-4) at Belmont (10-5, 2-2)
Indiana State (9-6, 3-1) at Valparaiso (9-6, 2-2)
Illinois State (10-5, 2-2) at Evansville (5-10, 2-2)

MVC Standings- https://www.espn.com/mens-college-ba...ngs/_/group/18

[Da Coach]

One MVC game Tuesday, Jan. 7-
UIC (9-5, 2-2) at Missouri State (7-8, 0-4) - https://www.espn.com/mens-college-ba...50107/group/18

Things just keep going downhill for Missouri State. UIC lead for the final 30 minutes of the game, and the Flames lead by as much as 19 points on the way to an impressive 80-63 road win at Missouri State.
Box score- https://www.espn.com/mens-college-ba...meId/401722464
UIC improves to 10-5, and 3-2 in the MVC.
Missouri State drops to 7-9, and 0-5 in the MVC.

Missouri State played lousy defense. They allowed UIC to shoot 32-54 overall (59.3%) and 11-20 from three (55.0%).
Their season defensive FG% is now 404-857 (47.1%), which remains dead last in the MVC.
Also, Missouri State was outrebounded by UIC 33-17.
And the attendance was listed as 1,406, though it actually appeared on the video stream to be less than that.

Things could turn around for the Bears. Because in a quirk of the MVC schedule, Missouri State's next 2 games are against SIU. the other winless team in the Valley - https://missouristatebears.com/sport...hedule/2024-25

Wednesday's games - https://www.espn.com/mens-college-ba...50108/group/18

[bigjimmy]

UIC, along with Valpo, have been the surprise teams of the Mo Valley so far. They have heavily relied on transfers, 8 of their 11 new players are, and have started to put it together, winning 6 of their last 7 games. They have 6 guys who average more than 9 points a game and they have a good mixture of speed and size. They lead the Mo Valley in rebounding, Sasa Ciani leads with 9.2 a game. Will not surprise me if they finish in the top 6. In tonight's game they shot almost 60% overall, 11-20 from 3. We play them on Saturday in Chicago so we better be ready from the get go. By the way Missouri State was 13-15 from the FT line tonight. Their 3 previous games they were 18-42.

[Da Coach]

UIC.... We play them on Saturday in Chicago so we better be ready from the get go.

I have to believe Bradley can play better defense and rebound better than the pathetic effort I saw tonight from Missouri State.

[Da Coach]

Boden Skunberg, a 5th year transfer from North Dakota State, who was honorable mention All-Summit League and lead NDSU in scoring (14.1 ppg), was projected to be a potential starter for this year's Redbirds, is not dressed for the game.

....
The one good bit of news for Illinois State was that Boden Skunberg, the 5th year transfer from North Dakota State who has not played at all this season due to a foot problem, was no longer wearing his boot. But he apparently is still not cleared to play.

Illinois State is playing tonight (Wed. 1/8 ) in Evansville. 6'5" shooting guard Boden Skunberg, a 5th year transfer who averaged 14.1 ppg last year at North Dakota State, and who was projected to be a potential starter, has not played in any games this season because of a leg injury. He was recently reported to be improving. But at today's ISU's shootaround in Evansville, he was wearing a boot again on his left foot/ankle. He is eligible for a medical redshirt. - https://x.com/RedbirdsBack/status/1877051678525931577

[Da Coach]

MVC scoreboard for Wednesday, Jan. 8 - https://www.espn.com/mens-college-ba...50108/group/18

Belmont beats SIU 90-86 - https://www.espn.com/mens-college-ba...meId/401722469
Belmont improves to 11-5, 3-2. SIU drops to 5-11, 0-5

Murray State won again on the road beating UNI in Cedar Falls 71-68 - https://www.espn.com/mens-college-ba...meId/401722468
Murray State improves to 9-7, 3-2. UNI drops to 9-7, 3-2

Evansville beat Illinois State 69-51 - https://www.espn.com/mens-college-ba...meId/401722466
Evansville improves to 6-10, 3-2. Illinois State drops to 10-6, 2-3

Valparaiso BEAT Indiana State 98-95 in Overtime - https://www.espn.com/mens-college-ba...meId/401722467
Valparaiso is now 10-6, 3-2. And Indiana State is now 9-7, 3-2.

[Da Coach]

Bradley remains in 1st place by themselves with a record of 4-1. There are 8 teams tied a game behind Bradley at 3-2. - https://www.espn.com/mens-college-ba...ngs/_/group/18

[bigjimmy]

There are 2 Mo Valley games tonight. Belmont leads at home against Valpo 27-20 with 7:49 to go in the first half. So far both teams are shooting more than half of their shots from 3 point land. The other game that will be starting shortly has Evansville playing at UNI.

[bigjimmy]

Valpo scored 13 of the first 16 points in the first 5 1/2 minutes of the 2nd half to tie it up at 43. For the next 10:00 the game went back and forth and with 5:00 left Valpo was down just 63-61 but Valpo missed their next 8 shots and Belmont made just enough to pull away with a 71-64 win. Both teams shot poorly. Valpo was just 24-66 overall, 9-29 from 3 while Belmont shot 22-61 overall, 6-30 from 3. FT's once again was the difference in a Mo Valley game as Belmont was 21-30 while Valpo was just 7-9. Cooper Schwieger had 12 points and 15 reboundsand Freshman mJustus McNair, who came into this game averaging 4.3 points in 12 minutes a game, led the Crusaders with 19 points. Belmont's starters scored 59 of their 71 points led by Tyler Lundblade with 19. Belmont, after losing 3 in a row, have now won 5 in a row.

[bigjimmy]

Evansville led 10-8 at the 12:40 mark and went the next 6 + minutes without scoring. In fact they went over 10:00 scoring just 2 points and UNI led 32-18 at the half. In the 2nd half the lead stayed in double digits the rest of the way and won 73-56. UNI didn't shoot it great as they were 22-54 overall, 7-22 from while Evansville shot it much worse as they were 20-55 overall, 4-22 from 3. Once again another wide disparity in FT's as UNI was 22-32 while the Purple Aces were 12-17. Ben Schwieger had 10 points and 11 rebounds for UNI and Tytan Anderson, who I think is one of the leading contenders for POY, had15 points, 8 rebounds and 4 assists for the Panthers.