Missouri State's late-game collapse at Tulsa wasn't that surprising. That's a problem.

TULSA, Okla. — Late in the shot clock with 1:43 remaining, Alston Mason threw up what appeared to be an ill-advised shot from deep that somehow found the bottom of the net.

It appeared to be the dagger while putting the Bears up by six. A team whose toughness on the road was previously called out by its head coach would surely put together what was needed to come away with its first victory in another team's venue.

Then again, this is Missouri State basketball.

From then on, the Bears couldn't get a shot to fall. They couldn't make a free throw, and they couldn't get a stop. Tulsa freshman P.J. Haggerty could do all of those things as he scored seven unanswered points — including a go-ahead three-point play with three seconds left — to lead the Golden Hurricane to a 73-72 victory.

More: Missouri State basketball falls apart late at Tulsa in first matchup since 2015

The Bears choked. They let the game slip away. Tulsa came back and stole it. It was Bears-y. No matter how you want to phrase it, it was a collapse that unfortunately wasn't that surprising to those who feel like they've seen the same situation take place far too many times over the years.

"It was just poor execution down the stretch," a quiet MSU head coach Dana Ford said. "We had unnecessary fouls. It was just poor late-game execution."

The trend continued for Missouri State basketball, which has struggled in late-game situations this season and recent years. The Bears are 0-4 on the road this season and 7-9 in games that have been decided by five points or fewer over the last two years with pretty much the same roster. In games over the last six years decided by five points or less, the Bears are 20-28.

Saturday's collapse put the Bears at 7-4 overall with two non-conference games before Missouri Valley Conference play rules the remainder of the year. A must-win against Lindenwood at home on Tuesday will be followed by a trip to Saint Mary's, where the Bears haven't been competitive when they've made the trip west over the last two seasons.

"Maybe I'm not being loud and clear enough," Ford said. "Maybe that's what the issue is. I do believe they know what to do, but I'm going to have to ask them."

Against Tulsa, in the first matchup between the two regional rivals since 2015, the Bears led by 10 with 5:49 left. They were outscored 16-5 down the stretch right when you might have started to get comfortable.

Instead, the Bears missed all three of their remaining free throws — including one by Mason that could have made it a three-point game to, at worst, get the Bears to overtime. Four different players committed fouls, leading Tulsa to going 7 of 7 from the line down the stretch.

"We have to put guys in better positions to be able to execute," Ford said. "You can name any (ways to execute) that you want in that last stretch right there."

What appeared to be a road win that could have turned into a confidence boost moving forward quickly turned into the end of the good feelings Missouri State provided early this season. There have been glimpses of a good team during a Paradise Jam championship run along with a beatdown of a then-unbeaten Evansville team at home when the Bears were incredibly shorthanded.

That entertaining Bears team is in there, but it's not as consistent as it needs to be to go on a Valley title run — especially considering MSU already owns a 74-57 loss to MVC-favorite Drake and when Indiana State looks as great as it has been. Unfortunately, losses to Middle Tennessee and Tulsa don't bode well for having large crowds, and Tuesday night's home-game atmosphere could come as a bit of a shock, especially considering students are on break.

The overarching storyline for this Missouri State men's basketball season can't be ignored either. Ford is in the second-to-last season of his contract when the university is scheduled to announce its new president before Arch Madness. The buyout is affordable, meaning Ford will have to show his next boss that the current direction of the program is still worth believing in, as outgoing MSU President Clif Smart has shown faith in recent years. Men's basketball, what's supposed to be the university's marquee sports program, will be a topic of conversation with presidential candidates over the next few months.

No one denies the talent on Missouri State's roster. This collection of players should have what it takes to challenge for a Missouri Valley Conference title once it's all said and done. But Saturday's loss provides reasons to take a step back and wonder if much has changed.

A good Missouri State men's basketball team is in there. We'll see if it's consistent enough over these next few months to see if the Bears can change the narrative.

Wyatt D. Wheeler is a reporter and columnist with the Springfield News-Leader. You can contact him at 417-371-6987, by email at wwheeler@news-leader.com or X at @WyattWheeler_NL. He's also the host of the weekly "Wyatt's World Podcast" on Spotify, Apple Podcasts and other podcasting platforms

This article originally appeared on Springfield News-Leader: Missouri State basketball's loss wasn't surprising. That's a problem.