Joplin, Mo. - The Missouri Southern basketball team shot 34 percent from the field and just 13 percent from long range as 13th ranked Southwest Baptist defeated the Lions, 83-67 in front of more than 1,600 fans at the Leggett & Platt Athletic Center in Joplin.

Southern (6-2, 1-2 MIAA) lost for the eighth-straight time to the Bearcats (10-2, 1-1 MIAA) as SBU evened its MIAA record at 1-1.

The Lions had four players score in double figures, led by Jason Adams with 15 points. Keane Thomann had his second-straight career-high in points as the sophomore scored 14 on 7-10 shooting from the field. He pulled down eight rebounds and added a block. Mariun Price had 12 points and seven rebounds, while Skyler Bowlin added 10 points, six assists and five rebounds.

SBU's Matt Rogers nearly missed a triple double, scoring 23 points, blocking 10 shots, while pulling down eight rebounds. Tomas Brock scored 22, while Kurtis Koenig had 21.

The Lions started strong, scoring the games' first seven points after a layup from Adams made the score 7-0 just two minutes in. A three pointer from the Bearcats' Brock cut the lead to 9-7 with 16:50 left, but the Lions bounced right back and went on a 10-2 run to bring the lead to ten (19-9) on a layup from Price with 12 minutes left. Southern led by ten once more, but the Bearcats chipped away at the lead and took their first advantage (31-28) after a three from Koenig with 3:55 left in the first half.

SBU led from that point on and while the Lions cut the lead to five (70-65) with just under five minutes to go in the game, the Bearcats finished the game on a 13-2 run to put it away.

Southern came into the game having committed fewer turnovers than its opponents in every matchup, but the Bearcats forced the Lions into 17 giveaways tonight, accounting for 20 SBU points. The Lions forced 15 Bearcat turnovers. SBU out scored the Lions 38-34 in the paint, but the Lions out rebounded the Bearcats 51-47 and had a 17-10 advantage in second-chance points.

Southern will be back in action this Saturday as the Lions travel to Tahlequah to take on Northeastern State at 4 pm.