Joplin, Mo. -- The Missouri Southern men's basketball team held visiting Central Oklahoma to just three points, a shot at the buzzer, for the final 7:30 of the game and Taevaunn Prince recorded his fifth-straight double-double in an 83-78 win over Central Oklahoma on Robert Corn Court inside the Leggett & Platt Athletic Center. 

Southern (9-5, 3-2 MIAA) was led offensively by Prince who had 22 points and 13 rebounds, going 8-12 from the free throw line. Austin Wright scored 19 on 7-11 from the field and 5-8 from long range. The five threes gives him 132 in his career and he moves into fourth-place by himself in the MSSU all-time three point list. Cameron Cornelius scored 13 and pulled down eight boards, while Greg Renfroe had 12 points and six rebounds. 

Central Oklahoma (11-4, 4-2 MIAA) shot 64 percent in the first half, but just 44 percent in the second half. Five scored in double-figures for the Bronchos, led by 17 points from Mahlon Jones. Phillip Brown had a double-double with 13 points and ten boards. 

Both teams scored early and often and UCO had a five-point lead (20-15) after a layup from Garen Wright with 13:50 to go in the first half. The lead was 12 (33-21) after another bucket from Wright, but the Lions slowly whittled at the lead and a three from Wright with 2:49 to go cut the score to 38-34, Bronchos. A layup from Brown for the Bronchos gave UCO a 45-39 halftime lead. 

A jumper from Brown gave UCO a seven-point advantage at 60-53 with 13:52 to go and a bucket from Corbin Byford with 11:11 left pushed the Bronchos' lead to ten (66-56). UCO led 75-69 with 7:30 to go, but the Southern defense went on lockdown and held UCO to just a last-second three for the remainder of the game as the Lions closed the contest on a 14-3 run. 

Southern shot 43 percent from the field and 41 percent from long-range in the game. The Lions had 16 points off of 15 turnovers, but the Lions had a 15-2 advantage on second-chance points having a 17-7 edge on the offensive boards. 

The Lions will be back in action this Saturday when Southern plays host to Northeastern State at 3 pm.