Joplin, Mo. – The Missouri Southern men's basketball team nearly completed an epic comeback, but the Lions fell 83-78 tonight to Nebraska-Kearney on Robert Corn Court inside the Leggett & Platt Athletic Center.
 
Southern (14-10, 11-7 MIAA) was led by 30 points from Taevaunn Prince, his ninth 30-point game of the season. Prince had eight rebounds, going 11-18 from the field, 2-2 from long-range and 6-6 from the free throw line. Charlie Brown scored 22 points, going 10-13 from the field, adding four rebounds and two steals. DJ Feitl had nine points.
 
UNK (14-8, 11-6 MIAA) had five score in double-figures, led by 28 points from Connor Beranek.
 
Both teams traded baskets until a layup from Ty Danielson for UNK gave the Lopers a 6-4 lead with 15:27 in the first. A three from Feitl with 12:10 left in the half, however, gave the Lions a 14-11 lead.
 
UNK tied the game back up on back-to-back possessions with three pointers and took a three-point lead after a jumper from Beranek with 10:17 left in the half. From then, the Lopers went on a 15-4 run to go up 34-20 after a jumper from Ethan Brozek with 4:57 to go. The lead reached 19 twice in the half, but a three from Feitl as time was expiring made the score 45-29 at the break.
 
The Kearney lead reached 20 (55-35) after a jumper from Beranek, but the Lions proceeded to go on a 12-0 run and trailed 55-47 after a layup from Brown. An Austin Wright layup with 9:26 to go in the half cut the UNK lead to seven (56-59) and a three from Wright with 8:29 left cut the lead to just four (58-54).
 
The Lopers opened up a ten-point lead (66-56) with 5:53 left in the game, but the Lions slowly chipped away and a three from Brown with 49 seconds left made the score 77-73, UNK. After the Lopers went back up by five (78-73), Brown hit a layup and then stole the inbounds pass before finding Prince open on the left side for three to cut the lead to just one (79-78) with 28 seconds left.
 
That would be as close as the Lions got, however, as the Lopers made their free throws down the stretch and escaped with the five-point win.
 
The Lions shot 48 percent from the field and 79 percent from the free-throw line, but made just 25 percent from long-range. UNK shot nearly 70 percent in the first half, but Southern held the Lopers to 43 percent from the field in the second half.
 
Southern out rebounded UNK 31-27 in the game and the Lions had a 44-28 advantage in the paint. The Lions forced seven UNK turnovers and scored 12 points off of the miscues, holding a 12-2 lead in points off of turnovers. Southern also had a 12-4 advantage on the offensive boards, holding a 9-2 lead in second-chance points.
 
The Lions will be back in action this Saturday as Southern plays host to Fort Hays State. Tip off is slated for 3 pm.