After trailing the entire first half, the Missouri State Bears (4-2) opened the second half with a 10-0 run to finish off visiting Pacific, 60-49, in the final round of the NIT Season Tip-Off. Pacific (4-2) led from the opening tip and built an eight-point lead in the first half before MSU closed the gap to 27-26 at the intermission. From there, Will Creekmore opened the second half with a pair of free throws 34 seconds in to give Missouri State its first lead of the night.
Missouri State turned the ball over just twice in the second half and finished with a 44.2-percent shooting performance (23-for-52), including 13-for-25 in the final 20 minutes. The Bears also held a 41-31 rebounding advantage, collecting 16 second-chance points with 14 offensive boards.
The game was a rematch of the 2010 CollegeInsider.com Postseason Tournament, which the Bears won 78-65 at JQH Arena on March 30. Missouri State opened the first 12 days of the season with six games, but will get a break until December 1st.
