Springfield, Mo. – The Drury University Panthers used a big second-half run to increase a one-point halftime lead and the Missouri Southern men's basketball team lost to the 17^th-ranked Panthers 83-68 today in Springfield as the Lions closed out the Drury Thanksgiving Classic.
 
Southern (4-2) was led in scoring by CJ Carr with 13 points and three assists. JJ Crattit and Elyjah Clark scored 11 points each, while Lawrence Brown had 10 points and a team-high seven rebounds. Dexter Frisbie scored seven points off the bench.
 
Carr was named to the All-Tournament team.
 
Drury (5-0) had five score in double-figures, led by 20 points from Tevin Foster. Brandon Wolfe scored 16 points off the bench, while John Williams added 15.
 
Drury opened up a 7-2 lead early on, but a three from Cratit cut the lead to just two at 7-5 with just under 16 minutes to go in the first half. The Drury lead reached 23-14 with 6:45 to go in the first half before a fast-break layup from Cratit off the assist from Parker Jennings made the score 23-16. A steal and a layup from Cratit the next trip down made the score 23-18 with 5:13 left in the half.
 
A turnover from Drury and a put back basket from Lawrence Brown pushed the run to 8-0 and made the score 23-20, Drury. Carr answered a Drury three with a three of his own to make the score 26-23 with just over four to go in the half, and a pair of freebies from Brown made the score 31-28 with 2:18 to go. A layup from Carr with just under two to go cut the Drury lead to one (31-30) and a layup from Brown with 1:17 proved to be the last bucket of the half, to make the score 33-32, Drury at the break.
 
The Lions finished the half on a 20-10 run and Brown was tied for a game-high eight points at the break.
 
A three pointer from Clark with 17:11 left in the second half cut the Drury lead to just one (40-37), but the Panthers went on a 13-4 run to push their lead to 53-41 with 13:05 left.
 
The Drury run to start the second half reached 34-17 after a pair of free throws from Foster made the score 67-50 with 8:37 left.
 
The Lions shot 36 percent from the field and 27 percent from the three-point line. Southern shot 71 percent from the free throw line. The two teams were even with points in the paint and points off of turnovers, but despite the Lions holding a 14-10 advantage on the offensive boards, Drury held a slim 15-13 advantage in second-chance points.
 
Southern will now have to regroup as the Lions open up MIAA play on December 1. The Lions will play host to Fort Hays State. Tip off from Robert Corn Court inside the Leggett & Platt Athletic Center is slated for 7:30 pm.