Joplin, Mo. – A career-high 25 points for JJ Cratit highlighted a 105-68 win over visiting Randall University tonight on Robert Corn Court inside the Leggett & Platt Athletic Center.
 
Southern (10-3) was led in scoring by 27 points from CJ Carr as the junior went 7-14 from the field and 3-5 from long range, while making 10-11 from the free throw line and dishing out nine assists. Cratit scored 25 points on 8-17 shooting and 7-8 from the free throw line. Parker Jennings had a career-high 14 points, while Lawrence Brown scored nine and added ten boards. Kinzer Lambert added nine points as every Lion that played scored a point.
 
Randall (4-11) was led by 17 points from Trey Sneed as Xavier Hunter scored 13 and Derrick Allen added 12.
 
The Lions led by seven (15-8) after a pair of freebies from Carr with 14:40 left in the first half. A layup from Carr the next trip down gave the Lions a 17-8 lead and a fast-break bucket from Cratit with 12:38 to go pushed the Southern lead to 11 (19-8).
 
However, Randall used a 9-0 run and cut the lead to just two (19-17) with 9:58 to go in the half. The Lions answered back with a 5-0 run of their own to get the lead back to seven (24-17) and pushed the lead to 14 twice, the second time after a jumper by Brown in the paint with 5:29 to go.
 
Another run by Randall, this time 7-0, cut the Lions' lead to just six (40-34) with 2:14 to go, but the Lions closed the half on a 5-2 run to lead 45-36 at the break.
 
The Southern lead reached 15 (58-43) after back-to-back three's from Cratit, the second coming with 16:09 left in the half. A layup from Carr with 13:44 to go pushed the lead to 21 (64-43), and a three from Jennings kept the lead at 21 (79-58) with 8:52 to go.
 
The Lions led by 31 (90-59) after a pair of freebies from Cratit with 4:31 left, and a pair of freebies from Braelon Walker pushed the Lions lead to 33 at (100-67).
 
The Lions shot 49 percent from the field and 89 percent from the free throw line. Southern had a 56-38 advantage in the paint as well as 26-7 in fast-break points. The Lions scored 24 points off of 19 turnovers and the Southern bench outscored Randall's 38-22.
 
The Lions will be back in action on Thursday night as Southern travels to number one ranked Northwest Missouri to get back into MIAA action. Tip off from Bearcat Arena is slated for 7:30 pm.