Joplin, Mo. -- The Missouri Southern football team out gained Pittsburg State 482-462, including having nearly 100 more yards in the air, but two costly defensive touchdowns for the Gorillas lifted PSU over the Lions 45-31 today in the 2016 Miners Bowl at Fred G. Hughes Stadium. 

Southern (2-9, 2-9 MIAA) had 313 yards in the air and 169 on the ground, to finish with 482 yards of total offense against the Gorillas. Brayden Scott threw for 313 yards, the second-straight week with 300-plus yards as he completed 23-46 and one touchdown, but two costly interceptions. He also ran for two scores and 87 yards on the ground, while Ja'Kori Bell picked up a score on 42 yards. 

Jordan Morrison caught six passes for 115 yards and one score, while Jocqui Davis had eight catches for 73 yards. Brock Renken made his only field goal attempt from 32 yards out. 

Defensively, Chad Nolan, Patrick Cheek and Chris Goss III had nine tackles each with Ricky Green picking up a pair of interceptions, and Travelle Smith having 1.5 sacks. Roderick Earvin had a half a sack, while Romell Hill and Idrissa Simpson had eight tackles each. 

PSU (7-4, 7-4 MIAA) was led by John Roderique as he went 21-37 for 223 yards and had a rushing touchdown. Ramsey Hamilton had two rushing scores, while Kenyan Scheurich added a score, as well. 

The Gorillas got on board twice early as they led 14-0 at the end of the first quarter. 

Southern, however, answered back and got on the board shortly into the second quarter when Scott hit Morrison for five yards to cut the lead in half. The play capped off a 13-play, 84-yard drive. 

PSU added a field goal as time expired to go up 17-7 into the locker room at the break. 

The Lions kicked off to start the second half and Deshon Cowling forced a fumble with Roc Robbins recovering to put the Lions deep inside Pitt territory. Scott threw an 18-yard pass to Davis to get to the one-yard line and took a dive over the goal line to make the score 17-14, PSU with 13:30 left in the third quarter. 

Both teams traded scores with the Gorillas getting a rushing tally from Roderique and Southern answering with a 20-yard score from Bell to make the score 24-21, but PSU added a one-yard score from Hamilton to make the score 31-21 at the end of three. 

Renken's field goal made the score 31-24 with 12 minutes to go, but a pair of defensive touchdowns for the Gorillas put PSU up 45-24 with just under eight minutes to go in the game. 

Scott added a nine-yard score with 6:52 left for the final tally. 

The day marked the final home game for 26 MSSU seniors on the roster and they were honored pre-game with family and friends in attendance.