Joplin, Mo. – The Missouri Southern men's basketball team had five score in double-figures as the Lions took out visiting Fort Hays State tonight 84-81 in front of more than 1,600 fans at the Leggett & Platt Athletic Center. 
 
Southern (5-2, 1-0 MIAA) was led by CJ Carr with 19 points, six assists and four steals, shooting 6-12 from the field, 3-5 from long range and 4-4 from the free throw line. Elyjah Clark had 16 points on 4-6 from long-range, while JJ Crattit scored 14 and Lawrence Brown had 12 points and eight rebounds. Dexter Frisbie scored ten and added five rebounds off the bench. 
 
Hays (4-3, 0-1 MIAA) was led by 27 points from Rob Davis. Hadley Gillum scored 14. 
 
Southern trailed 14-11 at the 14-minute mark of the first half after a layup from Hays' Davis. The Lions, however went on a 6-0 run to go ahead 17-14 after a Cratit jumper with 10:26 left in the half.
 
Hays led 26-21, but a layup from Brown and a free throw from Jennings cut the lead to two at 26-24 with 6:28 left in the half. The Tigers lead reached six (32-26), but a 6-0 run, capped by a three from Carr with 3:13 to go tied the game at 32. Another three from Carr gave the Lions a 35-32 lead the next trip down and forced a timeout for the Tigers.
 
A fast-break layup from Davis with 16 seconds left tied the game at 37, but a jumper from Cratit as time expired gave the Lions a 39-37 lead at the break.
 
A three from Clark pushed the Lions' lead to five (48-43) at 17:38. Another three from Clark and a layup from Carr gave the Lions a 53-45 lead with 15:37 left and a bucket from  Frisbie with 10:47 made the score 66-58.
 
A three-point play from Cratit with 6:51 left to go gave the Lions a 75-67 lead, and a trio of free throws gave the Lions an 80-69 lead. A fast-break basked by the Tigers, however, cut the Southern lead to just five at 82-77, forcing a Lions timeout.
 
A pair of free-throws for the Tigers and a fast-break layup cut the lead to just one (82-81) with 2:21 left in the game. A pair of freebies from Carr pushed the Lions lead to 84-81 with just over a minute to go, and a barrage of last-second three's from Hays would not go to secure the Lions' win.

The Lions shot 46 percent from the field, 53 percent from the three point line and 75 percent from the free throw line. Southern forced 23 Tigers' turnovers and scored 29 points off of the miscues. 

Southern will be back in action this Saturday as the Lions play host to Nebraska-Kearney. Tip off from Robert Corn Court inside the Leggett & Platt Athletic Center is slated for 3 pm.