Wichita, Kan. – Both Kyle Younge and Stan Scott recorded career-highs and the 21st ranked Missouri Southern men’s basketball program held off a furious comeback from Newman as the Lions defeated the Jets 82-79 inside Fugate Gymnasium today.
Southern (2-0, 2-0 MIAA) was led by a career-high 23 points from Younge as he went 9-of-15 from the field and a career-high five three-pointers. Scott had a career high 19 points on 8-of-12 from the field. Cam Martin scored 21 points on 8-of-11 from the field and added 11 rebounds and seven assists, going over 1,500 points in his career. Martin has 1,514 points, just six from tying Chris Tucker for ninth place on the MSSU all-time scoring list.
Newman (0-1, 0-1 MIAA) was led by 23 points from Branden Brunn as Joel Boyce scored 13 and Tyjil Hereford scored 10.
The Jets jumped out to a 5-4 lead, but Southern went on a 9-1 run off of seven points from Younge and a fast-break bucket from Scott gave the Lions a 14-6 lead with 12:36 left in the half. Another three from Young, his third of the half, gave the Lions a 21-15 lead with 8:24 to go and a three from Martin a minute later made the lead 24-15.
A layup from Winston Dessesow with 5:37 to go gave the Lions a 28-19 lead and a layup from Scott with four minutes left pushed the Southern lead to 32-19. Back-to-back buckets from Younge made the lead 16 (37-21) a minute later. Younge’s fifth three of the half, this time with a minute to go, gave the Lions a 41-26 lead and a late bucket from Scott gave the Lions a 43-27 lead going into the locker room at the break.
Martin started the half with a baseline jumper that gave him 1,500 career points at Missouri Southern and gave the Lions a 45-27 lead. A layup from Scott with 16:50 left pushed the lead to 14 (50-36) and a three from Scott with just under 15 to go made the score 55-39 Lions. A jumper from Martin with 13:17 on the clock gave the Lions a 60-47 lead, and another three from Scott gave the Lions a 63-50 lead with 11:45 to go.
A pair of free throws from Christian Bundy and a bucket from Martin gave the Lions an 81-69 lead with four minutes to go, but the Jets answered back and cut the lead to six (81-75) with 2:12 to go after a jumper from Newman’s Boyce. A pair of free throws from Newman with 1:21 left got Newman within four (81-77) and another pair of freebies made it a two-point game with 39 seconds to go.
Bundy made a free throw with 18 seconds left and an 82-79 lead for the Lions and gave Newman the ball, however stopping a 10-0 run by the Jets.
The Lions shot 49 percent from the field and 42 percent from the three-point line, while making 70 percent from the charity stripe. Southern held a 40-22 advantage with points in the paint and out rebounded Newman 43-34.
