Half-time report
Missouri State overcame an early deficit to regain the lead in this one. They jumped out to an early 31-25 lead against UCSB.
If Missouri State continues to play like this, its record will drop to 7-5 in no time. On the other hand, UCSB will have to settle for a 7-5 record unless they turn things around (and quickly).
Who’s playing
UCSB Gauchos @ Missouri State Bears
Current records: UCSB 7-4, Missouri State 6-5
How to watch
What you need to know
The UCSB Gauchos make a road trip to take on the Missouri State Bears on Sunday at 2 p.m. ET at Great Southern Bank Arena. The Gauchos strut with some offensive power as they have averaged 76.9 points per game this season.
UCSB is heading into this one after bettors pegged last week’s low/sub-low at 141.5, but even that proved too high. They fell just short of LMU by a score of 60-58 on Wednesday. The Gauchos took an early lead (up by 12 with 13:28 left in the first quarter), but unfortunately, they were unable to maintain that momentum.
Despite their loss, UCSB saw several players rise to the challenge and make remarkable plays. Kenny Pohto, who went 6 of 11 en route to 12 points plus eight rebounds, was perhaps the best of them all. Stephan Swenson was another key player, scoring 15 points.
Meanwhile, there’s no place like home for Missouri State, which bounced back from a tough road loss last Saturday. They won against Lincoln (MO) by a score of 61-49 on Wednesday.
UCSB has been on a rocky road recently after losing three of its last four games, which took a major dent in its 7-4 record this season. As for Missouri State, they now have a winning record of 6-5.
A high-performance offense is likely on the agenda, as both teams are among the highest-scoring teams in the league. UCSB has had no problem running up the score this season, averaging 76.9 points per game. However, it’s not like Missouri State struggled in that department, as its average was 75.6. With both teams so easily able to rack up points, the only question that remains is who can run up the score.
UCSB is hoping to defy the odds on Sunday as experts believe they are headed for a loss.
Odds
Missouri State is a slight 2.5-point favorite against UCSB, according to the latest college basketball odds.
Oddsmakers had a good idea of the line for this one, as the game opened with the Bears as 2-point favorites.
The over/under is 137 points.
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