JOPLIN – Stan Scott scored a career-high 32 points but the Missouri Southern men’s basketball team dropped a tough game tonight in overtime, 102-94 to visiting Fort Hays State inside the Leggett & Platt Athletic Center.
Southern (5-6, 5-6 MIAA) was led in scoring by Scott’s career night as he scored 32 on 11-of-20 from the field and 8-of-9 from the free throw line. He added 10 rebounds and four assists. Cam Martin scored 19 points and pulled down 11 rebounds. Lawson Jenkins scored 14 points and added five rebounds and five assists, while Avery Taggart had a career-high 11 points off the bench. RJ Smith scored nine points and added seven rebounds and five assists.
Fort Hays State (4-7, 4-7 MIAA) was led by 32 points and 15 rebounds from Jared Vitztum while Kaleb Hammeke scored 32 points of his own.
The Lions started out on fire, opening the game on a 14-1 run highlighted by back-to-back threes from Jenkins to open the game, as well as a dunk and a layup from Martin to cap the scoring. The Southern lead reached 14 (20-6) after a three from Scott with 12 minutes left, but the Tigers started to chip away at the lead.
FHSU went on a 14-2 run and trimmed the lead to two (22-20) with eight minutes left and took a 27-26 lead off a free throw from Hammeke with five to go. The two teams traded baskets before a jumper from Scott with eight seconds left gave the Lions a two-point lead at the break (37-35).
A pair of freebies from Jenkins three minutes in pushed the Southern lead to seven (46-39), but a free throw from the Tigers with 14:32 remaining tied the game at 50. The teams traded baskets and FHSU held a slim lead for most of the second half, however a three-point play from Scott with 15 seconds left on the clock tied the game at 82. A defensive stop by the Lions on the other end forced overtime.
In the overtime period, the Tigers raced out to a five-point lead after a pair of free throws from Hammeke with three minutes to go and never looked back.
The Lions shot 44 percent from the field in the game and had a 13-2 advantage in second-chance points.
Southern will be back in action on Saturday afternoon when the Lions play host to Nebraska-Kearney. Tip off from Robert Corn Court is set for 3:30 pm.
Originally posted at: https://mssulions.com/news/2021/1/21/mens-basketball-scott-scores-career-high-32-in-overtime-loss-to-fort-hays-state
