Polk State Basketball lost to host Missouri State University-West Plains 92-83 on Nov. 13, 2026, in West Plains, Missouri, in the opening game of the West Plains Grizzly Tournament. The loss was the first of the season for Polk State College’s men’s basketball team and dropped the Eagles to 4-1. Eric Dailey led Polk State with a career-high 32 points.
Polk State opened with a 13-5 lead after Ethan Simon scored on a dunk. Missouri State University-West Plains answered with a 29-12 run, but Polk State regained the lead before halftime. Dailey scored Polk State’s final 10 points of the first half, including a buzzer-beating 3-pointer that put the Eagles ahead 35-34 at the break.
West Plains controls second half
Missouri State University-West Plains scored the first 11 points of the second half and led by as many as 15 points. Polk State continued to challenge the hosts late in the game. A 3-pointer by Tre Jackson capped an 11-2 run that cut the deficit to 75-71 with three and a half minutes remaining.
Polk State could not get closer after pulling within four points. Jackson finished with 24 points and made six 3-pointers, while Elijah Lubsey and Jordan Bryant each scored six points. Dailey’s 32 points and Jackson’s 24 accounted for 56 of Polk State’s 83 points.
Polk State scheduled to face No. 24 Moberly Area
Polk State was scheduled to face No. 24 Moberly Area Community College on Saturday in an attempt to split its trip to Missouri. The game was scheduled for 1 p.m. Eastern time, or noon Central time. Polk State was seeking its first win over a nationally ranked team under head coach Marreese Speights.
FSB Take
Polk State’s late 11-2 run showed the Eagles could create a closing opportunity after falling behind by as many as 15 points. The second-half start by Missouri State University-West Plains, however, left Polk State chasing the game before Jackson’s 3-pointer made it a four-point contest. The scheduled matchup with No. 24 Moberly Area Community College offered Polk State an immediate opportunity to respond to its first loss and pursue a split in Missouri.
Source: Original report