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SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – The North Dakota State men's basketball team pulled out a road victory over the Missouri State Bears on Friday evening, winning a 57-54 defensive battle at JQH Arena.
 
NDSU (1-2) was led by 14 points from senior A.J. Jacobson. Paul Miller added 13 for the Bison, and sophomore Tyson Ward recorded his first career double-double with 11 points and 10 rebounds.
 
Missouri State (2-1) was voted the preseason favorite to win the Missouri Valley Conference. The Bears were led by 23 points and 20 rebounds from senior forward Alize Johnson, but NDSU limited Johnson to 8-for-21 shooting in the game.
 
The game saw seven lead changes. The Bears held a 51-48 advantage with 3:50 remaining, but NDSU tied it up at 52-52 following a pair of buckets in the paint by Ward and Jacobson. The Bison scored their final five points at the free throw line – two from Ward with 2:04 left, two from Jacobson with 1:36 remaining, and one final free throw by Ward with eight seconds left.
 
The Bison locked down defensively in the final four minutes. Missouri State missed its final eight shots and didn't score a bucket in the final 3:50.
 
NDSU held Missouri State to 33 percent shooting in the game.
 
It was a defensive battle in the first half. The Bison shot 10-for-30 and the Bears were 10-for-29 in the opening period, with NDSU holding a 24-22 lead at the break.
 
The Bison will return to Fargo for their home opener vs. Florida A&M on Wednesday, Nov. 22.