Joplin, Mo. -- The Missouri Southern football team got out on top 13-0 on two of its first three drives and hung tough with number one ranked Northwest Missouri, but the Bearcats were too much for the Lions as Northwest won 45-21 tonight at Fred G. Hughes Stadium inside the Robert W. Plaster Sports Complex. 

Southern (0-4, 0-4 MIAA) put up 263 yards of total offense, including 172 passing and 91 rushing. The Bearcats (4-0, 4-0 MIAA) came into the game averaging giving up 189.7 yards of total offense, 129 of passing and 61 rushing as the Lions topped those averages in all three categories. 

The Lions punted on their first drive, but forced a three-and-out from Northwest on its first possession. TJ Fleeton made the Bearcats pay as he led a nine-play, 68 yard scoring drive that culminated in a 34 yard rushing touchdown from Fleeton to put the Lions up 7-0 early on. 

After another three-and-out from Northwest, Fleeton hooked up with Josh Hadley as Hadley broke loose and scrapped a couple tacklers to go to the house for a 62-yard touchdown catch. The point after was blocked, but Southern led 13-0 with 3:49 left in the first quarter. 

The second quarter, however, was all Northwest. The Bearcats scored 28 points in the quarter on touchdown runs from Phil Jackson and Cameron Wilcox and touchdown passes from Kyle Zimmerman to jordan Biship and Jordan Grove. 

Northwest led 28-13 at the half. 

The Bearcats got another score to start the third as Jackson capped a 10-play, 86-yard drive to start the half to put Northwest up 35-13. 

Brayden Scott hit freshman Josiah Bennett for a 72-yard touchdown pass to cut the lead to 14 at 35-21 after Scott hit Jordan Morrison for the two-point conversion with 53 seconds left in the third. 

Northwest added a 41-yard field goal from Simon Mathiesen and a touchdown run from Wilcox to close out the scoring. 

Scott went 3-9 passing for 107 yards and a touchdown, while Fleeton was 2-10 for 65 yards and a touchdown. Fleeton also added a rushing touchdown of his own. Bennett caught one pass for 72 yards and a score, while Hadley had one catch for 62 yards. 

Defensively, Justin Legier had 13 tackles, a breakup and a tackle for a loss. Patrick Cheek, Idrissa Simpson and Chris Goss III had nine stops, while Jeremiah Shelley and Keith Beverly had eight tackles each. 

The Lions will be back in action next weekend when Southern travels to Nebraska-Kearney. Kickoff from Kearney is slated for 2 pm.