Bears snap 7-game losing streak behind Trey Williams' 22 points

Missouri State rallies past Western Kentucky, 87-74, to end conference skid

Published on Mar. 6, 2026

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Led by a career-high 22 points from freshman Trey Williams Jr., Missouri State rallied past visiting Western Kentucky, 87-74, to give the Bears their 11th home victory of the campaign and end a seven-game conference losing streak.

Why it matters

The win clinched a spot for Missouri State in next week's Conference USA Tournament, marking a turnaround after the team had lost seven straight conference games.

The details

Missouri State (14-16, 8-11 CUSA) also got 18 points from Keith Palek III, 16 from Michael Osei-Bonsu and 11 off the bench from Zaxton King. The Bears shot 52 percent from the field and turned the ball over just seven times in a physical and fast-paced matchup against the red-hot Hilltoppers. WKU (18-12, 11-8) saw its six-game winning streak snapped, despite 23 points from Teagan Moore and 13 by Grant Newell.

  • The Bears rallied late in the first half to take the lead and never trailed again.
  • Missouri State extended a five-point halftime lead to a dozen less than three minutes into the second half.
  • The Bears stretched their advantage to 17 at the 6:09 mark in the second half.

The players

Trey Williams Jr.

A freshman who scored a career-high 22 points for Missouri State.

Keith Palek III

Scored 18 points for Missouri State.

Michael Osei-Bonsu

Scored 16 points for Missouri State.

Zaxton King

Scored 11 points off the bench for Missouri State.

Teagan Moore

Scored 23 points for Western Kentucky.

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What’s next

The Bears finish up the regular season with a senior day showdown against Middle Tennessee on Saturday afternoon at 2:00 p.m.

The takeaway

Missouri State's win over Western Kentucky not only snapped a seven-game losing streak, but also clinched a spot for the Bears in the upcoming Conference USA Tournament, marking a turnaround for the team after a tough stretch in conference play.