Trailing by three points with 26 seconds left in the game, Missouri State’s Ryan Kreklow had Illinois State’s Milik Yarbrough trapped near mid-court and slapped the ball away toward the MSU basket.
For a second, it looked like the cardiac Bears, who defeated ISU on a half-court buzzer-beater just two weeks earlier, were at it again here Wednesday. But Kreklow was whistled for a foul on the play instead, and Yarbrough sank both ensuing free throws.
Missouri State turned it over on its next possession and ultimately fell, 65-57 with Yarbrough scoring ISU’s final six points at the free throw line.
MSU (16-14, 10-7 MVC) remains very much in the Valley title hunt with one game to go, and will enter the final game of the year Saturday against Drake (3 p.m. at JQH Arena) no more than a game out of first place. The results of Wednesday’s late games involving fellow frontrunners Loyola and Drake were pending.