MSSU men overcome 17-point deficit to beat SBU

(From MSSU Lions Athletic News)

The Missouri Southern men's basketball team erased a 17-point Southwest Baptist lead and came-from-behind to defeat the Bearcats 68-65 tonight inside the Meyer Sports Center.

Southern (14-6, 8-3 MIAA) moves into a four-way tie for first place in the MIAA with the win. Cameron Corneliusled the Lions with 22 points and five rebounds going 11-16 from the free-throw line. Austin Wright scored 12 points, while Taevaunn Prince added ten and seven boards.

SBU (9-12, 4-8 MIAA) was led in scoring by 16 points and 17 rebounds from Menas Stephens.

The Lions scored six of the game's first eight points and led 6-2 after a layup from Greg Renfroe with 18:53 left in the first half. The Bearcats, however, answered right back and scored seven in a row to lead 9-6 with 16:55 left. A jumper from Cornelius cut the SBU lead to one (11-10) with 14:39 left in the half, but the Bearcats went on a 18-2 run over the next five minutes and led 29-12 after a three with 9:16 to go in the half.

A free throw from Cornelius with 4:51 to go cut the lead to ten (33-23), and a jumper from Randy Clark with 45 seconds to go, made the halftime score 37-27.

Both teams shot 36 percent from the field in the first half and the Lions forced three more turnovers (10-7) on the Bearcats, but a 24-16 advantage for SBU on the boards spelled the difference in the half.

A 9-5 run to start the second half, capped by back-to-back jumpers from Wright cut the lead to six (42-36) and forced an SBU timeout. A three from Lane Barlow the next trip down cut the lead to just three (42-39) with 15:55 to go in the game.

Back-to-back threes from Wright made the score 46-45, SBU, with 12:37 to go in the game, and a three-point play from Prince the next trip down gave the Lions their first lead since the 17:43 mark of the first half. Both teams traded leads until a layup from Cornelius with 4:09 left to go gave Southern a lead they wouldn't relinquish. Prince hit four free throws in the final 30 seconds to secure the win for the Lions.

The Lions shot 55 percent from the field and 43 percent from long range, while hitting 85 percent of their free throws in the second half. Southern forced 20 SBU turnovers and had a season-high 12 steals in the game.

Southern will be back in action this Saturday as the Lions play host to Central Missouri. Tip off from Robert Corn Court inside the Leggett & Platt Athletic Center is slated for 3:00 pm.