The Missouri Southern men's basketball team shot 33-34 from the free throw line and the third seeded Lions took out sixth seed Nebraska-Kearney 97-88 Thursday night inside Municipal Auditorium.
Southern (19-10) advances to play Central Missouri in the semifinals on Saturday afternoon at 2:15 pm.
The Lions had five score in double-figures led by 26 points and a career-high 16 rebounds from Taevaunn Prince (pictured). It was Prince's ninth double-double of the season as the junior shot 13-13 from the free-throw line.Cameron Cornelius scored 19 points, while Lane Barlow and Charlie Brown scored 14 each. Greg Renfroewent 4-6 from the field and 4-4 from the free throw line, scoring 12 and blocking two shots.
UNK (18-10) was led offensively by Ethan Brozek with 35 points and 13 rebounds as four Lopers scored in double-figures.
Both teams traded baskets early on, but after the game was tied at 12, the Lions went on a 13-4 run to go up by eight (25-17) when Cornelius hit a jumper with just under 12 minutes to play in the first half.
The game was tied at 25 with 9:43 to play, but a three from Barlow the next trip down the court started a run for the Lions. A tip in from Renfroe with 3:28 to go made the score 41-31, MSSU, and a jumper from Wright with 47 seconds left made the score 50-32, but a bucket from Prince as time expired sent the Lions into the locker room with a 52-34 lead at the break.
Southern finished the half on a 27-9 run. The Lions shot 53 percent from the field and 50 percent from long range in the half, while Cornelius scored 12 and Brown added 10.
The Southern lead was 18 (63-45) after a layup from Cornelius with 15:36 to go in the second half, but a 10-3 run from the Lopers cut the Lions' lead to just 11 (66-55) with just under 13 to go. A three-point play from Prince with 12:20 to go in the game, pushed the Lions lead back to 13 (70-57).
A pair of free throws for the Lopers with 10:45 to go cut the lead to just seven (70-63) but a jumper from Prince the next trip down put Southern up 72-63. The lead was 12 (77-65) with just over eight minutes to go, and a pair of freebies from Prince pushed the lead to 14 (83-69) with just over six to go.
A slashing layup from Barlow put the Lions up 16 (89-73) with just under four to go, but a 10-2 run by the Lopers over the next two and a half minutes cut the lead to eight (91-83) with 1:36 to go. After a tip in from Renfroe, another three by the Lopers cut the lead to seven (93-86) with a minute to go, but two freebies from Prince gave the Lions a nine-point lead and Southern called a timeout.
A pair of free throws from Brown in the final minute and a big rebound from Cornelius sealed the win for the Lions.
The Lions shot 47 percent from the game and 97 percent from the free throw line, coming one free throw shy of a season high. Southern out rebounded UNK 45-30 and had 17 second-chance points on 13 offensive boards.
Southern had five turnovers in the game and UNK had three, tying an MIAA Tournament single-game record for fewest turnovers.
The Lions will be back in action on Saturday afternoon when Southern will take on 18th ranked Central Missouri in the semis. Tip off is slated for 2:15 pm.
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