Sioux Falls, SD -- The Missouri Southern men's basketball team couldn't stop a hot-shooting Northern State team from beyond the arc and the Lions fell to the 25th ranked Wolves today, 81-68 in game one of the Pentagon Showcase. 

The Lions (1-3) were led by a career-day from Elyjah Clark as the sophomore had 15 points and a career-high 12 rebounds in the game, going 3-8 from long-range. Enis Memic had 14 points, going 7-9 from the field, all of the bench, while Kinzer Lambert scored 13 and CJ Carr added 11. 

Northern State (5-1) had five score in double-figures, led by 15 points from Ian Smith. Darin Paterka had 12 points and 15 rebounds, while Carter Evans had 12 points and ten rebounds, all off the bench. The Wolves hit ten three pointers in the game. 

A layup from Lambert started the scoring for both teams, nearly two minutes into the contest. NSU, however answered back with a pair of three pointers to go up 6-2. 

A jumper from Koray Gilbert with 15 minutes to play in the first half got the Lions back to two (12-10), but NSU utilized a 13-4 run to lead 25-14 just five minutes later. The lead was 17 (37-20) with 6:49 to go, but the Lions would finish the half on a 15-3 run to cut the deficit to just five (40-35) going into the break. 

NSU extended its lead to 13 (56-43) with 14:55 to go in the second half and the Lions would get as close as nine on multiple occasions, but not any closer. 

Southern shot 34 percent from the field and 28 percent from beyond the arc, while making 73 percent of its free throws. The Lions forced 14 turnovers and scored 15 points off of the errors, while limiting their own miscues to just six. 

NSU shot 50 percent from the field and 40 percent from long-range. The Wolves out rebounded MSSU 45-38 in the game. 

Southern will be back action tomorrow evening as the Lions face off with Wayne State at 7:30 pm.