By Scott Puryear (Ozark Sports Zone)
SPRINGFIELD — In hindsight, Dequon Miller now believes improved eyesight might be a tad overrated.
The Missouri State senior guard, scrapping the new contact lenses he tried in going 0-for-6 from the field in Friday’s season opener, bombed in four 3-pointers to lead the Bears’ new school record-setting effort from behind the arc in a 91-65 thrashing of Jacksonville State Sunday afternoon at JQH Arena.
Miller hit 7 of 11 shots, including 4 of 7 on 3-pointers, as Missouri State established a new team single-game record with 15 made 3-pointers.
That included nine 3 treys in the opening half, as the Bears ran off to a 45-20 halftime advantage and pulled away late to improve to 2-0 on the season. The 15 long-range makes broke the old MSU mark of 14 treys set three times by Bears teams most recently against UNC-Wilmington in 2006.
And for Miller, seeing – or maybe, not seeing – was believing … in his shot, at least.
“I just knew I had to get back into a rhythm,” Miller said. “I don’t like to make excuses, but (Friday night) was the first time wearing contacts in a game, so my shot perception was different. I didn’t wear them today … I’m going to leave them alone. I think I’m going to leave them alone for the rest of the year.”
The Bears were 15 of 31 from beyond the arc (48 percent), with Austin Ruder making four (giving him 10 in two games to open the season), while new big man Alize Johnson and Jarred Dixon added three treys each.
Miller and Johnson scored 20 points apiece to lead five Bears in double-figures, with Johnson posting the double-double thanks to a game-high 10 rebounds.
Dixon finished with 19 points (on 8-of-12 shooting) in 21 minutes off the bench, while Ruder added 12 points and Obediah Church had 10 points as MSU rolled over a Jacksonville State (1-1) that came into Springfield off the high of an 84-73 win at Tulsa on Friday, and had trouble getting started against the Bears, who scored the game’s first 12 points.
The Bears, who had not topped 90 points in a game in their last 94 games (dating back to November 20, 2013 in a 97-67 win over Grambling), prior to putting up 96 points in Friday’s opening win over Alabama A&M, now have done so in back-to-back games for the first time since early in that 2013-14 campaign.
Missouri State turned that 12-0 start into a 22-6 lead after Ruder – he of the six 3-pointers in Friday’s season-opening win over Alabama A&M – bombed in his first trey of the game with 9:43 left in the half.
Ruder had three 3-pointers in the half, while the 6-foot-9 Johnson showed off his deep range with a pair of threes on his way to a 10-point, 7-rebound first half to pace the Bears, who had nine points from Ruder and eight each from Church and Dixon over the first 20 minutes.
“It just shows any guy, any game could go off on threes (for us),” said Dixon, who like Miller, had a quiet opener vs. Alabama A&M (four points) but helped put the Bears’ new, explosive depth on display on Sunday.
Said MSU coach Paul Lusk, “I was very pleased with the guys. They were very unselfish and played very hard. It was a quick turnaround (from Friday night’s game), and I thought they responded.”
The Bears also went 16 of 17 at the free-throw line, including a combined 11-for-11 from big guys Church (6 for 6) and Johnson (5 for 5). Missouri State committed just 10 turnovers while forcing 24 by the Gamecocks, a preseason pick for sixth (last) in the East Division of the Ohio Vally Conference.
Former Parkview High School standout Erik Durham had a rough homecoming, picking up two fouls in the first six minutes and sitting much of the first half for Jacksonville State. He finished with seven points and four rebounds in 27 minutes for the Gamecocks, who were led by Norbertas Giga’s 16 points and 13 points from Christian Cunningham.
MSU will next play host to Fontbonne in a 7:05 p.m. tip on Thursday at The Q.
