Truman State men's basketball led Missouri State 6-3 less than three minutes into Friday's game, an exhibition for Truman. The Bears scored the next 21 points.
Andrej Acimovic, of Missouri State, had 31 points and 10 rebounds, and Missouri State beat the Division II Bulldogs 79-62 at Great Southern Bank Arena in Springfield. The game does not count on Truman State's record.
Jakob Blakley, of Truman State, opened the scoring with a 3-pointer, and a layup by Quientan McCafferty, of Truman State, made it 6-3. Then Missouri State hit four 3-pointers in a run that ended 24-6 with 6:45 left in the first half. Matt Gray, of Missouri State, made two of them.
Truman State answered from outside. Blakley, of Truman State; McCafferty, of Truman State; and Roy Henderson III, of Truman State, hit 3-pointers in a 41-second span to cut it to 24-15. A 3-pointer by McCafferty, of Truman State, with 52 seconds left in the half made it 34-29 at the break.
Missouri State opened the second half on an 11-0 run for a 45-29 lead.
The Bulldogs got back within eight. Antwan Robinson, of Truman State, hit a 3-pointer, and Marquis Carver-Smith, of Truman State, made free throws to make it 51-43 with 11:33 to play. Missouri State answered with four straight points and never let Truman State closer than nine again.
Acimovic, of Missouri State, made 12 of 16 shots. Trey Williams Jr., of Missouri State, added 14 points and six assists for the Bears.
Carver-Smith, of Truman State, led Truman State with 15 points and seven rebounds. McCafferty, of Truman State, had 13 points and eight rebounds, Blakley, of Truman State, scored 12 on four 3-pointers, and Kyle Edison, of Truman State, had 10. Henderson, of Truman State, had five assists.
Truman State shot 22 of 69 from the field and 9 of 31 from 3-point range. Missouri State blocked 13 shots, four by Christian Thompson, of Missouri State.
The Bulldogs open the regular season against Delta State at 7 p.m. Monday at Pershing Arena in Kirksville.
Final tally: Missouri State 79, Truman State 62.