EMPORIA, Kan. — The 23rd-ranked Missouri Southern men’s basketball team secured a top-four seed in the MIAA Tournament and Braelon Walker tied a career-high with 25 points as the Lions defeated the Hornets 91-82 today inside White Auditorium.
Southern (22-5, 13-4 MIAA) has secured one of the top four seeds in the 2019 MIAA Basketball Tournament in Kansas City, meaning the Lions won’t play until the quarterfinals on either Thursday or Friday.
Braelon Walker tied his career high with 25 points (ironically, he had set it previously the last time the Lions played Emporia State). Walker had 21 points at the half on 7-of-11 from the three-point line. He hit seven three-pointers and added three assists and one steal in the game. Cam Martin scored 21 points and added 14 rebounds, going 7-for-11 from the field and 7-for-8 from the free throw line. It is the 16th double-double of the season for Martin. Kinzer Lambert had 13 points and five rebounds, while Elyjah Clark scored 12, pulled down six boards and dished out six assists, while going 3-for-8 from long-range.
ESU (11-15, 6-11 MIAA) had three score in double-figures, led by 17 points from Hassan Thomas and 16 from Kooper Glick.
Walker hit a three for the first points of the game with 18:28 left in the first half, but both teams traded points, before the Lions went on a 5-0 run to lead 15-8 with 12:21 left. Back-to-back 3’s from Walker put the Lions up 29-16 with 6:47 on the clock and the lead reached 14 (36-22) after a layup from Martin with four minutes on the clock. Another three from Walker put the Lions up 15 (42-27), and Southern would go into the locker room up 45-32 at the half.
Southern led by 21 (57-36) after a three from Lambert with 15:42 left in the second half and led by 20 (71-51) after a three from Jennings with just under 11 minutes to play. Emporia, however, answered and chipped away at the lead, eventually cutting the Lions’ advantage to just six (77-71) after a three from Hassan Thomas with 4:40 on the clock.
The Lions got back up by 11 after a three from Lambert with 2:21 left and Southern made its free throws down the stretch to seal the win.
Southern shot 54 percent from the field, 44 percent from the three-point line and 72 percent from the free throw line. Southern had 24 assists on 32 made baskets and outscored ESU 34-24 in the paint.
The Lions will be back in action on Thursday night as Southern travels to Fort Hays State. Tip off from Fort Hays State is slated for 7:30 pm from Gross Memorial Coliseum.
