College Insider Tournament
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One team advanced with three straight road wins (Pacific) and the other team showed its dominance at home with three straight home wins (Missouri State) to advance. The Pacific Tigers (23-11) continue on the road as they travel to Springfield, Missouri to face the Missouri State Bears (23-12) on Tuesday night in a game that will air on Fox College Sports nationally at 8pm ET.
Pacific dominates on the road in which they are 12-6, including the three wins they notched in the CIT to get to the championship game. The Tigers defeated Loyola Marymount (86-76), then Northern Colorado (63-59) and finally Appalachian State (64-56) in the CIT to face Missouri State. As Big West Co-Regular Season champion, they are guided by Big West Coach of the Year Bob Thomason, who has coached Pacific to its 13th season with at least 20 games won.
Sam Willard has led the Tigers in scoring (17.6 ppg) and rebounding (11.6 rpg) in the CIT while shooting 56.7% from the field. Demetrece Young has averaged 9.6 points while shooting 40% beyond the arc while two-time Big West Defensive Player of the Year Joe Ford has averaged 9.3 points while shooting 60% from the field.
After struggling through an 11-20 season last year, Missouri State opened this campaign with 10 straight wins and is 23-12 after CIT victories at home over Middle Tennessee (87-79), Louisiana Tech (69-40), and Creighton (67-61). The Bears are particularly dominant at home with only one Division I team (Kansas, 19-0 at home) having won more home games than Missouri State (18-2) this season. The team's two home losses are by a combined 4 points.
Adam Leonard has led the Bears in scoring in the CIT, averaging 17.3 points while making half his three-point shots (12 for 24) in the tournament. Will Creekmore has averaged 12.3 ppg and 7.6 rebounds per game in the tourney while shooting 59.1% from the field. The Bears are surrendering just 65.3 points per game, marking the fourth straight season MSU has allowed less than 66.0 points.
This will be the first ever meeting between Pacific and Missouri State.
Don’t forget to catch the CIT National Championship Game airing live on Tuesday at 8pm ET on Fox College Sports.
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