Delaware Blue Hens Stun Missouri State Bears 76-67 Behind Justyn Fernandez's 23 Points

The Delaware Blue Hens pulled off a stunning 9-point upset over the Missouri State Bears, winning 76-67 on the road at Great Southern Bank Arena. This victory marked a significant upset, as Delaware, ranked 279th in the NET rankings, took down Missouri State, ranked 200th. The Blue Hens' 76 points were fueled by 23 points from Justyn Fernandez, who led the team in scoring. Delaware's 35 points in the first period set the tone for the game, as they outscored Missouri State 35-25 in the opening half.

The game unfolded with Delaware taking an early lead, scoring 35 points in the first period to Missouri State's 25. The Bears struggled to keep pace, despite Kobi Williams' 25 points, which led the team in scoring. At halftime, Delaware held a 10-point lead, and they maintained their advantage throughout the second period, scoring 41 points to Missouri State's 42. The Bears' inability to overcome the deficit resulted in a 76-67 loss, with Delaware outscoring them by 9 points. Missouri State's Trey Williams Jr. added 13 points, while Keith Palek III contributed 11 points and 6 rebounds, but it wasn't enough to overcome the Blue Hens' strong performance.

Justyn Fernandez led the Delaware Blue Hens with 23 points, while Tyler Houser added 21 points and 9 rebounds. Macon Emory also had a strong game, scoring 18 points and grabbing 8 rebounds. For the Missouri State Bears, Kobi Williams scored a team-high 25 points, followed by Trey Williams Jr. with 13 points and Keith Palek III with 11 points and 6 rebounds. The Blue Hens' balanced attack, with three players scoring 18 or more points, proved too much for the Bears to handle. Delaware's top performers combined for 62 points, accounting for over 81% of the team's total scoring output.

Delaware's 76 points were the result of a strong shooting performance, with the team scoring 41 points in the second period. The Blue Hens outrebounded the Bears 38-32, with Tyler Houser and Macon Emory combining for 17 rebounds. Missouri State, on the other hand, struggled with turnovers, committing 15 errors that led to 18 Delaware points. The Bears' 42 points in the second period were not enough to overcome the deficit, as they fell short by 9 points. Delaware's 9-point margin of victory marked a significant upset, given the 79-point difference in NET rankings between the two teams.

The CHD Scout prediction model incorrectly forecasted a Missouri State victory, predicting the Bears would win by 8 points with a score of 75-67. However, the actual result was a 9-point Delaware win, with the Blue Hens scoring 76 points to the Bears' 67. This discrepancy highlights the model's limitations in predicting upsets, particularly when teams with significant NET ranking differences face off. The predicted score and margin were both incorrect, demonstrating the challenges of forecasting college basketball games.

This upset victory has real consequences for both teams' resumes. For Delaware, the win improves their Quad 3 record, as they took down a Missouri State team ranked 200th in the NET rankings. The Blue Hens' current NET ranking of 279 will likely see a boost following this victory. Conversely, the loss hurts Missouri State's Quad 4 record, as they fell to a team ranked significantly lower in the NET rankings. The Bears' 13-12 overall record and 200th NET ranking must be reevaluated in light of this upset loss. Delaware's win also marks a rare occasion where a team ranked outside the top 200 in the NET rankings has beaten a team ranked inside the top 200.

The Delaware Blue Hens want to build on this momentum in their next game, while the Missouri State Bears will aim to bounce back from this upset loss. Delaware's next matchup is scheduled for [insert date] against [insert opponent], while Missouri State will face [insert opponent] on [insert date]. Both teams must regroup and refocus after this significant upset, which will have implications for their respective conference standings and tournament prospects.