JOPLIN, Mo. — The Missouri Southern basketball team completed the season-sweep of Pittsburg State as the Lions took out the Gorillas on senior night, winning 94-81 on Robert Corn Court inside the Leggett & Platt Athletic Center.
Southern (21-5, 11-4 MIAA) was led in scoring by Reggie Tharp with 23 points and six assists, while both Kinzer Lambert (22 points, 13 rebounds) and Cam Martin (21 points, 10 rebounds) had double-doubles. Elyjah Clark had eight points, 11 rebounds and six assists.
PSU (14-10, 7-8 MIAA) had four score in double-figures, led by 20 points from Grant Lozoya.
The Gorillas led early 4-2, three minutes into the game, but Southern went on a 11-0 run and a pair of freebies from Martin gave the Lions a 13-4 lead with 13:03 left in the half. The Southern lead reached 14 (25-11) after a layup from Parker Jennings with 10:11 to go, and a three from Braelon Walker, after an offensive rebound from Ted Brown gave the Lions a 31-14 lead.
Back-to-back layups from Enis Memic put the Lions up 38-21 and a three from Lambert with 1:38 left gave the Lions an 18-point advantage (43-25). The Lions led 47-27 after free throws from Tharp, but a late tip in from the Gorillas made the Lions’ lead 47-29 at the half.
A layup from Tharp gave the Lions a 20-point lead again (49-29) at the start of the second-half, but the Gorillas went on a 10-2 run before a free throw from Martin kept the Lions’ lead in double-digits (55-43) with 15:15 on the clock.
A layup from the Gorillas with 8:55 left on the clock cut the Lions’ lead to ten (69-59), but a quick 11-0 run from the Lions put Southern up 80-59 with just under seven minutes to go. The Gorillas utilized the three-point shot and kept close to the Lions getting within 12 (89-77) with just more than two to play on the clock.
A three from Clark, his first of the game, put the Lions up 92-79 with 1:39 left in the game, and a dunk from Martin with under a minute to play sealed the win for the Lions.
The Lions shot 46 percent from the field and 77 percent from the free throw line. The Lions forced 16 turnovers and scored 28 points off of the miscues.
Southern will be back in action this Saturday as the Lions will travel to Emporia State with a 3 pm start from White Auditorium.
