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Missouri State Bears and Stephen F. Austin Ladyjacks square off in the First 4

Stephen F. Austin Ladyjacks (25-9, 19-6 Southland) vs. Missouri State Bears (22-12, 14-7 CUSA)

Austin, Texas; Wednesday, 9 p.m. EDT

BETMGM SPORTSBOOK LINE: Bears -2.5; over/under is 138.5

BOTTOM LINE: Missouri State takes on SFA in the First Four round of the NCAA Tournament.

The Bears are 14-7 against CUSA opponents and 8-5 in non-conference play. Missouri State leads the CUSA with 25.4 defensive rebounds per game led by Kaemyn Bekemeier averaging 6.6.

The Ladyjacks are 19-6 in Southland play. SFA leads the Southland with 16.9 assists. Kaylinn Kemp paces the Ladyjacks with 4.9.

Missouri State’s average of 4.2 made 3-pointers per game is 1.3 fewer made shots on average than the 5.5 per game SFA allows. SFA has shot at a 44.2% clip from the field this season, 6.5 percentage points above the 37.7% shooting opponents of Missouri State have averaged.

TOP PERFORMERS: Bekemeier is averaging 17.4 points and 8.2 rebounds for the Bears. Lainie Douglas is averaging 16.2 points, 7.4 rebounds and 2.1 blocks over the past 10 games.

Kemp is averaging 11.2 points, 4.9 assists and two steals for the Ladyjacks. Key Roseby is averaging 15.1 points over the last 10 games.

LAST 10 GAMES: Bears: 7-3, averaging 64.8 points, 36.8 rebounds, 14.2 assists, 7.3 steals and 3.7 blocks per game while shooting 42.2% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 57.0 points per game.

Ladyjacks: 9-1, averaging 76.5 points, 32.4 rebounds, 16.6 assists, 9.0 steals and 4.8 blocks per game while shooting 47.3% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 62.5 points.

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The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.

Four former Alabama State men’s basketball players were paid to fix a game in 2024, NCAA says

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — The hero of Alabama State's first NCAA Tournament win and three of his teammates on the 2024-25 team were ruled permanently ineligible for accepting payment from gamblers to fix the outcome of a game that season, the NCAA announced Friday. Amarr Knox, Shawn Fulcher, Corey Hines and Tony Madlock were alleged to have engaged in game manipulation when Alabama State played at Southern Mississippi on Dec. 5, 2024. Southern Miss was a six-point favorite and won 81-64. According to the NCAA, two known bettors offered the players a total of $2,000 to throw the game. The players accepted and were later paid. Knox, Hines and Madlock were Alabama State's top three scorers for the 2024-25 season and Fulcher was a reserve. Knox’s layup with a second left lifted the Hornets to their first NCAA Tournament win, 70-68 over Saint Francis in the 2025 First Four.
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