Missouri State basketball stays close but comes up short in loss at home to No. 12 BYU

Missouri State basketball gave No. 12 BYU all it could handle on Saturday, but the Cougars were able to escape with a road victory.

Alex Barcello scored 21 points, Te’Jon Lucas added 17 and BYU pulled away in the final 90 seconds in defeating Missouri State 74-68.

Leading 35-27 at the half, the Cougars scored the first six points of the second half for a 41-27 advantage, the largest lead of the game.

But the Bears clawed back and trailed by just one point, 63-62, on a Gaige Prim layup with 1 minute, 38 seconds left to play.

Barcello quickly responded with a jumper, though, and had two free throws in a 7-0 burst and added another free throw as the surge became 10-2 and a 73-64 lead with 14 seconds left.

Spencer Johnson scored 14 points and Caleb Lohner 11 for the Cougars (7-1), who bounced back after losing to Utah Valley in overtime on Wednesday.

Reserves Jaylen Minnett and Lu’cye Patterson scored 19 and 16 points, respectively, for the Bears (4-4).

Gaige Prim added 17 points, but Isiaih Mosley —(who carried in a 18.3 points per game average — only played seven minutes and didn’t score, a first in his career.

Patterson twice gave Missouri State a one-point lead in the middle of the first half, but Johnson, who had 12 points in the first half, kept BYU in control.

Barcello scored 15 points in the second half and Lucas had 11.

Missouri State’s four losses have been by six points or less.

Missouri State is set to play at Little Rock on Wednesday.