Pittsburg, Kan. -  The Missouri Southern Lions opened the 2009-10 season in grand offensive style with their biggest scoring output since 2003 in a 110-66 rout of the Missouri S&T Miners Friday evening (Nov. 20) at the Pittsburg State Classic in Pittsburg, Kan. The points are the most the Lions have scored overall since defeating Messenger College 114-48 in 2003 and the most against a Division-II opponent since a 125-82 win over Emporia State back in 2002.

The Lions wasted little time in jumping on the Miners by racing out to a 13-4 lead in the first five minutes of the first half.

After the Miners scored to make it 13-6, the Lions took total control as Mariun Price scored eight of the Lions' next 10 points to fuel a 10-2 spurt for a 23-8 lead with 13:11 left in the first half.

Price and Skyler Bowlin combined for 29 points in the first half as the Lions built the lead as high as 20 before settling for a 51-35 advantage at the half.

The Lions (1-0) then blitzed the Miners at the outset of the second half by scoring the first 11 points of the half to lead 62-35 at the 17:32 mark.

The Lions stayed on the offensive as a dunk from Jason Adams and threes by Price and DaRell Crittendon helped the Lions build a 74-42 lead with 14:17 left.

Southern led 91-52 when Price made a steal and drove in for a spectacular dunk that put the Lions up by an incredible 41 points with 8:04 remaining.

It was a three-pointer by Travis Jones that put the Lions at the century mark and a 100-56 lead at the 5:59 mark of the second half.

Price led the Lions with a career-high 27 points on 9-of-14 shooting from the field. Bowlin scored 20, including a perfect 8-of-8 from the charity stripe to go along with a team-high seven assists. Jones finished with a career-best 15 points and made 3-of-5 from beyond the arc. Keane Thomann tied his career-high with 10 points and Rich Borries led the Lions with seven rebounds in his Lion debut.

Bryce Foster scored 21 to lead the Miners (0-2).

The Lions shot 51.4 percent (36-of-70) overall from the floor, including a sizzling 57.1 percent (20-of-35) clip in the second half.

The Lions' pressure defense was also a key in the victory, forcing 37 turnovers that resulted in a whopping 49 points.

The 44-point margin of victory is the largest for the Lions since beating Central Bible 96-44 in 2006.

The Lions will wrap-up action at the PSU Classic with a matchup against Haskell tomorrow night (Nov. 21). Game-time is again set for 5:30 p.m. in Pittsburg, Kan.