Kyle Weems

PORTSMOUTH, Va.  -- Missouri State senior Kyle Weems is one of a handful of college basketball seniors selected to play in this week's annual Portsmouth Invitational Tournament, the premier showcase event for pro hopefuls. Every year since 1953, the PIT has invited 64 of the best college seniors from around the nation to participate in a four-day, 12-game tournament in front of every NBA team.  The players are divided into eight teams, each including eight NBA hopefuls.

WICHITA, Kan. - No. 24 Wichita State (23-4, 14-2) used 11 three-pointers and a double-double from Garrett Stutz to turn back visiting Missouri State (16-12, 9-7) here Wednesday in Missouri Valley Conference play. Stutz scored 21 points and had 10 rebounds to lift the Shockers to a fifth straight win and clinch a share of the MVC regular-season title. MSU got 17 points from Anthony Downing, 14 from Caleb Patterson and 10 by Kyle Weems. The Bears allowed the Shockers just two offensive rebounds and committed just six turnovers to keep things close for most of the contest.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. - Missouri State senior Kyle Weems (F, Topeka, Kan.) has been named to the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) All-District 16 first-team for the second year in a row, the organization announced Wednesday (March 14). Weems is one of 240 All-District players from 24 districts who are now eligible for the NABC Coaches' Division I All-America teams, announced on March 20. Joining Weems on the District 16 first team are Creighton's Doug McDermott, Wichita State's Garrett Stutz, Evansville's Colt Ryan and Illinois State's Jackie Carmichael.

DES MOINES, Iowa - Missouri State (14-11, 7-6) got 17 points from Kyle Weems and 12 from Anthony Downing to pick up a 57-39 road win over Drake here Saturday in Missouri Valley Conference play. It was the Bears' seventh road win of the season as they remained tied with Illinois State for third place in the MVC standings. MSU shot 44.7 percent from the field and out-rebounded the Bulldogs by a 36-27 margin to secure the season sweep. Drake (13-11, 6-7)

EVANSVILLE, Ind. - A desperation three-pointer by Evansville at the end of regulation forced overtime, and the Aces held on to win the Missouri Valley Conference regular-season finale over Missouri State (16-15, 9-9), 75-70, here Saturday in MSU's first trip to the new Ford Center. The Bears got 20 points from Jarmar Gulley , 17 from Anthony Downing and 13 from Kyle Weems in a valiant effort. MSU out-rebounded Evansville by a 50-31 margin, but committed an uncharacteristic 24 turnovers and missed 11 free throws that proved to be the difference down the stretch.

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. - In a rivalry that had featured four straight one-point decisions, Missouri State (13-10, 6-5) left nothing to chance here Saturday as the Bears rolled to a 63-51 win over visiting Northern Iowa (14-9, 4-7) in a key Missouri Valley Conference game. MSU got 20 points and 10 rebounds from senior Kyle Weems who notched his 13th career double-double, while Anthony Downing scored 16. Jarmar Gulley also contributed 9 points and 10 boards for the home club which beat the Panthers at JQH Arena for the first time in four tries.

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. - Garrett Stutz scored 25 points, and Ben Smith added 21 more to help Wichita State (19-4, 10-2) erase a two-point halftime deficit and escape JQH Arena with a 74-67 win over Missouri State (13-11, 6-6) here Wednesday in Missouri Valley Conference play. The Bears shot 65.2 percent from the field in the first half to build a 36-34 advantage at the intermission, but WSU tallied 40 second-half points to hand MSU its sixth blown halftime lead of the season. Kyle Weems scored 21 points behind five three-pointers to lead for Bears in double figures.

SPRINGFIELD -- Missouri State (7-3) built its lead over visiting Texas A&M-Corpus Christi to as many as 26 points in the second half and forced 18 turnovers here Monday in a 66-53 victory in the second round of the Continental Tire Las Vegas Classic. Using a lineup comprised primarily of reserves in the second half, the Bears added to a 41-19 intermission lead midway through the half. Corey Copeland and Christian Kirk accounted for 13 straight MSU points over a five-minute span.

ST. LOUIS - Missouri State will play for a chance to earn its first NCAA Tournament bid since the Sweet 16 trip in 1999, after it dispatched the Creighton Blue Jays 60-50 behind four double-digit scorers in Saturday's Missouri Valley Conference Tournament Semifinal.   After falling behind 42-37 midway through the second half, the Bears outscored the Blue Jays 23-8 in the final 11:51 minutes of the game.  Jermaine Mallett (Sr., Jackson, Miss.) exploded for nine points during the deciding stretch.