SPRINGFIELD — Paul Lusk sensed his Missouri State Bears might have something special during the recruiting process with 6-foot-9 junior college transfer Alize Johnson, a fact confirmed in offseason and preseason workouts.
And also very clearly confirmed right now, during Missouri State’s 11-4 start to this regular season that includes a 2-0 beginning in Missouri Valley Conference play after the Johnson-led Bears outlasted Indiana State 81-75 in overtime Saturday at JQH Arena.
Johnson registered new personal MSU career highs with his 30 points and 15 rebounds, scoring 24 points after halftime as the Bears bounced back from a Sycamores dunk just before the regulation buzzer that forced overtime to pick themselves back up and win it going away in the extra session.
Saturday’s game was the best showcase yet for Johnson’s candidacy for not only MVC Newcomer of the Year, but perhaps the league’s top player distinction before all is said and done. And it was also simply a ramped-up version of Johnson’s approach to his court time all season – he makes shots, and if he doesn’t, he scrambles to go get the miss and give MSU a second try.
Or a third.
Maybe a fourth.
While his free throws, particularly at the end of Saturday’s game, could use some work (8 of 15 from the line), Johnson’s ability to score from long range (with two more 3-pointers Saturday) or close in, to extend possessions (six offensive rebounds) and energize his teammates in doing so helped the Bears ward off a series of late runs by the Sycamores.
Johnson, the MVC leader in rebounds, now has eight double-doubles on the season, including in three straight efforts – all wins – by the Bears.
“We loved him in the recruiting process … we thought he would be a very good player,” Lusk said of Johnson. “The one thing he (does) that you can’t teach is that he chases the basketball. He has a nose for it. He’s not a high-flyer … he’s a solid athlete, but he chases the basketball. You go at 10 a.m. Monday morning? He’ll be chasing the basketball in drills.
“He got here and had a little bit of a set shot, and we’ve worked on that … we’ve helped him, and he’s put a lot of work in. He’s been good.
“All three of those new guys (Johnson, Ronnie Rousseau III and Jarrid Rhodes) and have been really good, and I think the reason why they’ve been good is … because they’re all very, very coachable. They are happy to be here. They feel zero entitlement, and they’re proud to wear their Missouri State stuff. And we needed a big dose of that, and that has really helped us.”
Sophomore Jarred Dixon added 19 points (on 8-of-10 shooting) and five rebounds in 24 minutes off the bench, while senior guard Dequon Miller had 16 points and six rebounds. Obadiah Church helped control the paint with eight rebounds and five blocked shots.
The Bears used an 8-2 run to finish the first half to grab a 37-29 lead at the break before Indiana State (6-8, 0-2) battled back to make it a nip and tuck affair time and time again down the stretch in regulation. MSU trailed 70-69 after Matt Van Scyoc’s free throw with 1:19 to go, but Johnson put the Bears back on top by making a pair with 1:07 left.
Johnson then hit a small rut at the line, making just one of his next three tries to close regulation, the last with 15 seconds left to give the Bears a 72-70 advantage.
But ISU forced overtime when 6-7, 275-pound Brandon Murphy slammed home a dunk off a penetration and nifty pass from Brenton Scott (22 points) with less than a second left to send it to extras.
The Bears shook that off quickly, as Johnson scored the first OT bucket down low to start a 6-0 run that provided enough cushion to ward off the Sycamores one final time. A Miller free throw with 17 seconds left and a pair from Dixon with eight seconds to play salting the win away.
“I thought it was a good basketball game between two good teams, with one just a little better than the other right now,” Indiana State coach Greg Lansing said. “Paul’s got a good team. I’ve watched all their games … they play both ends of the floor, they are unselfish, the guards can do a lot of things and they’ve got a beast around the basket (Johnson). And Church plays his spot. They’ve got a lot of people playing very valuable roles with that team and doing a good job with it, and that’s why their record is better.”
The Bears held a commanding 52-36 advantage on the boards, including 19 offensive rebounds, and held ISU to 37 percent shooting from the field (25 of 68). Scott was the Sycamores’ lone offensive bright spot, making six treys and grabbing nine rebounds to go with his 22 points, but needing 17 shots (6 of 17) to get there.
“I thought we played very good basketball and I thought (ISU) played very good basketball,” Lusk said. “They were 1-for-9 in overtime, so we guarded. We made good decisions down the stretch, even late shot-clock situations. I thought we did a lot of good things.”
“It always feels good to start 2-0 (in the Valley),” Dixon said. “We’ve just got to keep it moving.
One thing is for sure – Johnson will keep moving, because that’s what he does.
“My teammates were just giving me the ball … they had confidence in me,” he said. “When they have confidence in me, I have confidence in myself. So that was big down the stretch.”
Asked if he’d had a game like that ever (30 points, 15 rebounds), Johnson smiled and said “in high school.”
“Every game,” chimed in teammate Ryan Kreklow.
The Bears will visit Illinois State for Valley play on Wednesday night (8 pm tipoff, Fox Sports Midwest) before returning to JQH Arena next Sunday for a visit from former MSU coach Barry Hinson and his Southern Illinois Salukis in a 3 p.m. tipoff.
