The Missouri Southern Lions played the D1 Arkansas Razorbacks tough but fell 73-52 in exhibition action inside Bud Walton Arena Sunday afternoon.
The Lions hung tough with the Hogs after the first quarter, Arkansas out scored Southern by no more than five points in the next three quarters (16-11, 19-15, 16-12). The Lions' defense held Arkansas to just 23.5 percent (4-for-17) from three point range but the taller Hogs took advantage of the height advantage scoring 42 of the 73 points in the paint. Southern also came up with seven steals while forcing Arkansas into 13 turnovers on the day.
Southern started the game 0-for-6 from the field while Arkansas ran out to a 10-0 lead before junior guard Deb Holcomb would get the Lions on the board with a three from the right corner with just under halfway through the first quarter. A jumper by freshman guard Chelsey Henry from the left wing made it 11-5 before a three point play for Arkansas pushed the lead back to nine, 14-5, at the 4:26 mark. Sophomore guard Dru Clark would cut the lead to six at 16-10 and then a three from the Razorback logo on the floor just 30 seconds later made it 18-13 with 1:21 left in the quarter. The Lions final first quarter point came on a free throw from freshman forward Desirea Buerge as the Lions trailed 22-14 after the first quarter.
The second quarter saw the Lions cut the Arkansas lead to four twice as sophomore guard Kayla Kivinski knifed through the Razorbacks' defense for a lay-up from Holcomb and senior guard/forward Sharese Jones had another lay-up to cut it 24-20 with 7:43 left in the half. Arkansas would answer with five straight points before Henry would sink a rainbow three from the left corner to cut the lead to six, 29-23, with three minutes left in the half. Arkansas closed the half on a 9-2 run to take a 13 point lead, 38-25, into the locker room.
Coming out of the break Arkansas pushed that run up to 12-2 before Jones would hit her second lay-up and a three pointer from Jones would get the Lions within 13, 43-30, with 7:19 left in the quarter. That would be the closest Southern would get as the Razorbacks went on a 9-2 run in 1:39 to push the lead up to 20, 52-32, with 4:32 left in the quarter. The Lions started to chip away as senior guard Kenya Wilson-Brown hit a lay-up off the assist from Kiviniski, then Kivinski would put the ball on the floor and hit a lay-up of her own and Buerge would sink two free throws before Holcomb beat the buzzer to cut the lead to 17, 57-40, at the end of the third.
Sophomore forward Jenson Maydew started the final quarter off with a three from the left wing off the assist from Clark and Holcomb found a streaking Henry for a lay-up as the Lions pulled within 15, 60-45. Another run by Arkansas, 6-0, pushed the lead back to 20 before Holcomb would stop that run with a three from the right corner in front of the Southern bench. Wilson-Brown and Jones would both hit a pair of free throws to get the Lions within 19 before Arkansas would answer each time with jumpers in the paint to push the lead back to 21.
Jones led the way for Southern with 11 points while Holcomb added 10. Both Wilson-Brown and Holcomb each pulled down six rebounds to lead the Lions while Jones added five. The Lions dished out 12 assists on the night with Wilson-Brown leading the way with three. Jones and Maydew each recorded two steals to lead Southern.
The Lions shot 28.1 percent (18-for-64) from the field and 33.3 percent (7-for-21) from three point range. Arkansas shot 50 percent (30-for-60) from the field including 23.5 percent (4-for-17) from downtown. The Razorbacks held a 42-37 rebounding advantage over Southern.
The Lions will open their regular season next weekend as they travel to the Southwestern Oklahoma State University Classic in Weatherford, Oklahoma and take on the Oklahoma Baptist University Lady Bison at 12 p.m. on Friday the 13th.
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