Joplin, Mo. - The Missouri Southern Lions rally in the second half came just short as fifth ranked Fort Hays State squeaked by with a 68-62 win Saturday afternoon inside The Leggett & Platt Athletic Center.

The Lions (16-9, 10-9 MIAA) jumped out first in a first quarter that saw five of the six ties in the game, when junior Deb Holcomb scored on a jumper in the paint on the opening possession. Tie number one came on the first Fort Hays State (21-3, 15-3 MIAA) possession with a layup from Jill Faxon. Tie number two came just a minute later when FHSU's Chelsea Mason drove to the bucked following a Lions' layup from freshman Desirea Buerge. The Tigers took the lead on a bucket from Beth Bohuslavsky but Southern regained the lead at 7-6 on the next possession with a three pointer from sophomore Jenson Maydew. A pair of free throws from Fort Hays' Paige Lunsford tied and then gave the Tigers the lead at 8-7. From there the two teams traded buckets until back-to-back lay-ups from Southern's Maydew and sophomore Dru Clark made it 13-10 Lions. A lay-up from FHSU's Taylor Chandler and free throw from Bohuslavsky tied it back at 13-13 before Southern would have a little 5-0 run on a three point play from senior Sharese Jones and a lay-up from Holcomb. Fort Hays State ended the first quarter on a 9-0 run to take a 22-18 lead into the quarter break.

Coming out in the second quarter the Tigers pushed their lead up to nine at 27-18 before a three pointer from Clark cut it to six at 27-21 with just under seven minutes to play. A 4-0 run pushed the FHSU lead up to 10, 31-21, before a pair of free throws from Clark and a lay-up from Fort Hays State's Mason made it 33-23 with four minutes left in the half. Buerge answered with a three off the assist from Clark but the Tigers' Faxon answered right back with a three of her own to make it 36-26. Southern closed the half on a 6-2 run with a pair of free throws from Clark and Holcomb and a lay-up from sophomore Kayla Kivinski.

For the half the Lions shot 40.7 percent (11-for-27) from the field, going 3-for-9 from three point range, and were a perfect 7-for-7 at the free throw line. Clark led the Lions with nine points off the bench while Holcomb added eight and both Maydew and Buerge chipping in five each. FHSU shot 48.1 percent (13-for-27) from the field with a 3-of-6 performance from downtown and they were 9-of-10 from the charity stripe. Mason led the Tigers with 10 points and Bohuslavsky added seven.

A quick 4-0 run by Fort Hays State opened the third period before the Lions would start to claw back. A lay-up from senior Kenya Wilson-Brown sparked an 12-2 run to pull Southern even at 44 all following a pair of free throws by Wilson-Brown with 5:46 left in the quarter. That would be the closest the Lions got in the third as FHSU answered with an 8-0 run to go up 52-44 with just over a minute left in the third. Holcomb scored on the next Southern possession and following a turnover by the Tigers' Mason, Kivinski's three at the buzzer just missed to the right of the iron.

The fourth quarter started with an offensive foul called on Holcomb which the Tigers turned into a lay-up by Taylor Chandler to go back up by eight points, 54-46. Holcomb answered right back with a jumper inside the lane and a pair of free throws from Jones made it 54-50 with just over eight minutes left in the game. Chandler got fouled going to the hoop over 90 seconds later and hit just one of two freebies to give the Lions an opening. Jones immediately came down and hit a three to pull the Lions within two at 55-53 with 6:21 to play. Another trip to the free throw line for FHSU garnered just 1-for-2 this time from Bohuslavsky and a pair of freebies from Nikola Kacperska made it 58-53 with 5:45 to play. A three pointer from Maydew off the assist from Clark cut it down to two before FHSU's Mason answered right back as the teams headed into the final media time out with FHSU leading 60-56. Coming out of the media Holcomb drove to the bucket for a little 10 foot jump shot to make it 60-58 and that was the closest the Lions would get as Fort Hays finished the game on a 8-4 run for the 68-62 win.

Southern finished the game shooting 21-for-57 (36.8 percent) from the field and was a perfect 13-for-13 from the free throw line. Fort Hays State went 23-for-50 (46 percent) from the field and 19-for-24 from the free throw line. The Lions were led by Holcomb with 19, and Clark with 14. Both Holcomb & Clark also led Southern in rebounding with seven and six, respectively. The Tigers were led by Mason with 16 and Kacperska with 15.

Southern will be back in action this coming Thursday night as they travel to Bolivar to take on Southwest Baptist. Tip off from the Meyer Sports Center is scheduled for 5:30 p.m.