Palek scores 18 in Missouri State’s 74-67 victory against Jacksonville State

By Canadian Press on January 31, 2026.

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. (AP) — Keith Palek III had 18 points in Missouri State’s 74-67 victory against Jacksonville State on Saturday.

Palek added six assists for the Bears (13-9, 7-4 Conference USA). Trey Williams Jr. shot 4 of 8 (3 of 6 from 3-point range) and 3 of 5 from the free-throw line to add 14 points. Kobi Williams shot 5 for 11, including 2 of 5 from beyond the arc, to finish with 13 points.

Jacoby Hill led the Gamecocks (11-10, 6-4) in scoring, finishing with 16 points and two steals. Iaroslav Niagu added 13 points for Jacksonville State, while Jaye Nash had 12 points.

Missouri State took the lead with 16:39 remaining in the first half and did not trail again. Trey Williams Jr. led his team in scoring with eight points in the first half to go up 39-31 at the break. Missouri State used a 9-0 run in the second half to build a 17-point lead at 48-31 with 17:35 left in the half before finishing off the win.

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

The Associated Press