Joplin, Mo. -- Skyler Bowlin scored a team-high 19 points and led four Lions in double figures as the Missouri Southern basketball team defeated Northwest Missouri, 88-63 tonight at the Leggett & Platt Athletic Center. 

Southern (11-6, 5-5 MIAA) was led by Bowlin's 19 points on 7-9 shooting from the field. He added seven assists and a steal in 25 minutes off the bench. Keane Thomann went 7-10 from the field and a perfect 4-4 from the charity stripe, scoring 18 points. Jason Adams scored 17 points and pulled down five rebounds, while DaRell Crittendon had 10 points and eight boards. 

Northwest (8-9, 3-7 MIAA) was led by 26 points and eight rebounds from Elijah Allen on 10-12 shooting from the field. Kyle Haake scored 13 points. 

Southern scored the games' first points and never trailed my more than a basket, before taking a five point lead after a three pointer from Bowlin made the score 14-9 with 14:27 left in the first. The Lions' lead was just four (18-14) after a layup from Northwest's Bryston Williams with just under 11 minutes left. 

From that point, the Lions went on a 10-0 run capped off by a layup from Patrick Hester with nine minutes left to make the score 28-14. The Lions led by as many as 19 (37-18) after a pair of free-throws from Bowlin with five minutes left. The lead was 42-28 at the half. Bowlin paced the Lions with 13 first-half points. 

A three-point play from Bowlin with 15:39 in the second half gave the Lions a 49-34 lead and a three from Bowlin pushed the lead to 52-34. A pair of free-throws from Thomann and a three from Adams gave the Lions 25-point lead at 69-44 with eight minutes to go. The lead was 27 (79-52), the largest of the night, after a free-throw from TJ Williams with five minutes to go. 

The Lions were out-rebounded by the Bearcats 35-28, but forced 32 Northwest turnovers, scoring 34 points off of the miscues. Southern was 23-30 from the free throw line and shot 52 percent from the field. 

Southern will be back in action this weekend as the Lions travel to Kirksville to take on Truman State at 3 pm on Saturday.