Halftime Report
Missouri State has overcome an early deficit to take the lead back in this one. They have jumped out to a quick 31-25 lead against UCSB.
If Missouri State keeps playing like this, they’ll bump their record up to 7-5 in no time. On the other hand, UCSB will have to make due with a 7-5 record unless they turn things around (and fast).
Who’s Playing
UCSB Gauchos @ Missouri State Bears
Current Records: UCSB 7-4, Missouri State 6-5
How To Watch
What to Know
The UCSB Gauchos are taking a road trip to face off against the Missouri State Bears at 2:00 p.m. ET on Sunday at Great Southern Bank Arena. The Gauchos are strutting in with some offensive muscle as they’ve averaged 76.9 points per game this season.
UCSB is headed into this one after the oddsmakers set last week’s over/under low at 141.5, but even that wound up being too high. They fell just short of LMU by a score of 60-58 on Wednesday. The Gauchos got off to an early lead (up 12 with 13:28 left in the first quarter), but sadly they weren’t able to maintain that momentum.
Despite their loss, UCSB saw several players rise to the challenge and make noteworthy plays. Kenny Pohto, who went 6 for 11 en route to 12 points plus eight rebounds, was perhaps the best of all. Stephan Swenson was another key player, scoring 15 points.
Meanwhile, there’s no place like home for Missouri State, who bounced back after a tough loss on the road last Saturday. They came out on top against Lincoln (MO) by a score of 61-49 on Wednesday.
UCSB has traveled a rocky road recently having lost three of their last four matches, which put a noticeable dent in their 7-4 record this season. As for Missouri State, they now have a winning record of 6-5.
Some high-performance offense is likely on the agenda as both are some of the highest scoring teams in the league. UCSB hasn’t had any problem running up the score this season, having averaged 76.9 points per game. However, it’s not like Missouri State struggles in that department as they’ve been averaging 75.6. With both teams so easily able to put up points, the only question left is who can run the score up higher.
UCSB is hoping to beat the odds on Sunday, as the experts think they’re headed for a loss.
Odds
Missouri State is a slight 2.5-point favorite against UCSB, according to the latest college basketball odds.
The oddsmakers had a good feel for the line for this one, as the game opened with the Bears as a 2-point favorite.
The over/under is 137 points.
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