How to watch Missouri State Bears vs. Valparaiso Beacons: TV channel, NCAA Basketball live stream info, start time

How to watch Missouri State vs. Valparaiso basketball game

By Scout Staff

Feb 17, 2024 at 3:01 pm ET • 3 min read

Halftime Report

Fortunes may be turning around for Valparaiso after losing seven in a row. After one quarter, neither squad has the contest in the bag, but Valparaiso leads 41-38 over the Bears. Valparaiso took a big hit to their ego last Wednesday, so a victory here would be a pleasant pick-me-up.

Valparaiso came into the contest with some extra motivation after the loss they were dealt the last time these two teams faced off. We'll see if they're able to flip the script or if it'll just be more of the same.

Who's Playing

Valparaiso Beacons @ Missouri State Bears

Current Records: Valparaiso 6-20, Missouri State 14-12

How To Watch

When: Saturday, February 17, 2024 at 2 p.m. ET
Where: Great Southern Bank Arena -- Springfield, Missouri
Follow: CBS Sports App
Online streaming: fuboTV (Try for free. Regional restrictions may apply.)
Ticket Cost: $13.00

What to Know

Missouri State is 8-2 against the Beacons since February of 2020, and they'll have a chance to extend that success on Saturday. Both teams will face off in a Missouri Valley battle at 2:00 p.m. ET at Great Southern Bank Arena. The two teams have had a bumpy ride up to this point with three consecutive losses for Missouri State and seven for the Beacons.

Last Wednesday, the Bears couldn't handle the Racers and fell 82-72.

Despite the defeat, Missouri State had strong showings from Matthew Lee, who scored 22 points along with seven assists, and Chance Moore, who scored 21 points along with two steals. Less helpful for Missouri State was Alston Mason's abysmal 0-6 three-point shooting.

Meanwhile, it's hard to win when your shooting is a whole 21.1% worse than the opposition, a fact Valparaiso found out the hard way on Wednesday. They suffered a painful 86-67 defeat at the hands of the Panthers. The loss unfortunately continues a disappointing trend for Valparaiso in their matchups with the Panthers: they've now lost three in a row.

Despite the loss, Valparaiso had strong showings from Isaiah Stafford, who scored 21 points along with two steals, and Darius DeAveiro, who dropped a double-double on 11 points and ten assists.

The Bears' defeat dropped their record down to 14-12. As for the Beacons, they dropped their record down to 6-20 with that defeat, which was their fourth straight at home.

Saturday's game is shaping up to be a scrappy contest: Missouri State have been smashing the glass this season, having averaged 39.1 rebounds per game. It's a different story for Valparaiso, though, as they've been averaging only 33.1 rebounds per game. Given Missouri State's sizable advantage in that area, the Beacons will need to find a way to close that gap.

Looking forward, Missouri State is the favorite in this one, as the experts expect to see them win by 13 points. For those looking to play the spread, take note: they are a solid 7-4 against the spread when expected to win.