TAHLEQUAH, Okla. – The Missouri Southern men’s basketball team nearly had a pair of players score in double-figures as the Lions picked up a big road win today, 100-83 over Northeastern State.
Southern (8-6, 8-6 MIAA) wins for the first time in Tahlequah since 2014. Cam Martin finished with 31 points on 13-of-17 shooting and 12 rebounds. Martin moved into fourth-place on the MSSU all-time scoring list, passing Elyjah Clark in the process and has 1,825 points in just three seasons at MSSU.
Lawson Jenkins had a career-high 29 points on 7-of-12 shooting and 9-of-11 from the free throw line, including six three-pointers on the night. Winston Dessesow scored 11 points in his first action in nearly a month and a half. Christian Bundy and RJ Smith scored nine points, while Stan Scott had eight.
NSU (2-12, 2-12 MIAA) had four score in double-figures, led by Troy Locke with 22 points.
The two teams traded baskets and leads for the first 13 minutes of the game, but a three from Martin with 6:15 left in the half put the Lions on top 40-37. A layup from Martin with four to go pushed the lead to six (47-41), but the RiverHawks got back within four (50-46) with 2:15 remaining.
With 1:24 left on the clock, however, Jenkins hit the first of what would be nine free throws (9-of-10) in the final minute and a half to give the Lions a 59-48 lead at the break. Martin had 21 at the break and Jenkins had 18.
A three from Jenkins a minute and a half into the second half put the Lions up 12 (62-51) and a jumper from Christian Bundy with 15:29 made the score 65-57. The RiverHawks made a push, however, and got within one (69-68) before a three from Avery Taggart stopped the run. Jumpers from Martin and Dessesow had the Lions leading 76-71 with 9:22 to go.
A 6-0 run for NSU had the RiverHawks on top 77-76 after a bucket with seven minutes to go, but a hook shot from Martin and Jenkin’s fifth three of the game put the Lions up 83-79. Back-to-back jumpers from Dessesow pushed the lead to six (87-81) with just under five to go, before a three from Martin made the score 90-81, Lions with four minutes left.
A three from Jenkins, his sixth of the day, put the Lions up 93-81 and a layup from Martin gave the Lions their largest lead of the game to that point at 14 (95-81) and put the game away.
Southern shot 59 percent from the field and 56 percent from long-range, while making 72 percent of its free throws. The Lions had the lead for 32 minutes.
Southern will be back in action this Tuesday when the Lions start a three-game week with No. 3 ranked Northwest Missouri visiting the Leggett & Platt Athletic Center. Tip off from Robert Corn Court is set for 7:30 pm.
