PITTSBURG, Kan. — The Missouri Southern men’s basketball team closed the game on a 13-3 run and won at Pittsburg State today, 95-84 inside John Lance Arena.
Southern (20-5, 11-4 MIAA) was led by 23 points from Brawlon Walker. Cam Martin had 14 points and 12 rebounds, while Elyjah Clark scored 18 and pulled down eight rebounds. Kinzer Lambert had 15 points, while Enis Memic scored 11 off the bench. Clark now has 1,318 points in his three-year career as a Lion and has moved into 11th place on the all-time scoring list, passing Taevaunn Prince in the process.
The Lions win their 20th game for the third year in a row and have clinched a spot in the 2019 MIAA Basketball Tournament.
Pitt State (14-10, 7-8 MIAA) was led by Christian Edmonson with 22 points and ten rebounds.
The Lions led 12-7 after a pair of free throws from Reggie Tharp with 15:39 left in the first half and a layup from Lambert with 14:29 left pushed the lead to ten (17-7). A jumper from Walker with 12:35 left in the half gave the Lions a 21-13 lead, and a three from Clark with 10:44 left pushed the lead to seven (24-17).
Pitt got within three (26-23) with 8:57 to go in the half, but a quick 5-0 run had the Lions back up 31-23 after a layup from Parker Jennings. Southern led 39-29 after a three from Memic with 4:48 left in the half and a pair of freebies from Martin with 3:22 to go pushed the lead to 13 (44-31). A late three from the Gorillas made the halftime score 51-45.
A free throw from Tharp gave the Lions a 56-49 lead with 17:25 left in the second half and a layup from Walker kept the lead at 61-53 with 15:46 left. Southern led by 11 (68-57) after a layup from Clark with 12:56 to go, but Pitt cut away at the lead. Southern led 74-66 after a layup from Memic with 9:48 on the clock, but a layup from PSU cut the lead to just three (76-73) with 7:50 left.
Southern led 82-81 after a free throw from the Gorillas with just more than five minutes on the clock, but the Lions closed the game on a 13-3 run, highlighted by 7-8 from the free throw line in the final minute of play.
The Lions out rebounded PSU 36-33 and had an advantage of 34-28 in points in the paint. The Lions had a 20-10 advantage in second-chance points and Southern never trailed in the game, holding the lead for more than 38 minutes of the game.
The two teams will be back at it on Tuesday night when the Gorillas come to the Leggett & Platt Athletic Center. Tip off from Robert Corn Court is slated for 7:30 pm and will be Senior Night where the Lions will honor their lone senior, Enis Memic.
