Joplin, Mo. – A turn-around jumper as time expired was ruled no-good and the 21st ranked Missouri Southern men’s basketball team dropped a heartbreaker, 90-89 to visiting Northeastern State on Robert Corn Court inside the Leggett & Platt Athletic Center.
Southern (3-2, 3-2 MIAA) was led offensively by Cam Martin with 26 points and eight rebounds. Martin dished out six assists and added two blocks and a steal. Stan Scott scored 18 points, while Christian Bundy and Lawson Jenkins added 13 and 12 points, respectively.
Northeastern State (1-1, 1-1 MIAA) was led by Caleb Williams who scored 36 points on 7-of-13 from the three-point line.
Both teams traded points before the Lions got a layup from Bundy and a pair of freebies from Martin to post a 10-6 lead with 17:50 to go in the half. A jumper from RJ Smith and a bucket from Martin off an assist from Smith pushed the lead to 14-8 a minute later.
NSU went ahead 20-19 with a jumper from Williams with 13:37 to go on the clock, but a three from Lawson Jenkins with ten minutes to go gave the Lions a 26-23 lead. The two teams traded baskets, but NSU went on an 11-2 run to take a 41-33 lead with five minutes on the clock and a three from Williams with 3:31 left pushed the lead to ten (44-34). A pair of free throws from Scott as the half was winding down made the halftime score 48-41, NSU.
A layup from Bundy a minute into the second half got the Lions within two (48-46), but a quick 4-0 run from the RiverHawks gave NSU a 52-46 lead one minute later. A three from NSU pushed the lead to seven (57-50), but a 4-0 run from the Lions got Southern back to within three.
A three from Scott with 12:05 on the clock got the Lions back within two (61-59) and a three from Keryn Collins with ten on the clock tied the game at 68. A three from Kyle Younge gave the Lions a 71-70 lead and a steal and fast-break bucket from Martin the next trip down pushed the lead to 73-70.
A three-point play from Collins kept the lead at three (75-72), but a pair of free throws for NSU put the RiverHawks up 89-86 with under two minutes on the clock.
Williams made one-of-two free throws with eight seconds on the clock to give NSU a 90-89 lead. The Lions brought the ball up the court and worked a play to Martin at the right wing and his turn-around jumper which went in was waived off to end the game.
Southern shot 53 percent from the field and held a 42-25 advantage in rebounds. The Lions assisted on 20 of their 31 made baskets.
