Joplin, Mo. – The Missouri Southern men's basketball team went cold from the floor tonight and fell at home, 86-78 to visiting Washburn on Robert Corn Court inside the Leggett & Platt Athletic Center.
 
Southern (11-7, 6-3 MIAA) was led by CJ Carr with 28 points, six assists, five rebounds and three steals. LJ Ross had 19 points and 10 rebounds, while Elyjah Clark had 16 points and seven rebounds.
 
Washburn (14-3, 8-0 MIAA) had four in double-figures, led by 22 points from Isaac Clark and 15 points and 13 rebounds for Brady Skeens.
 
The Ichabods took an early 7-4 lead, but a three from Clark with just more than 16 minutes left in the half tied the score at seven. A three from Walker in the left corner got the Lions to within one (14-13) with 9:26 left and a free throw from Christian Bundy tied it at 14 with 9:03 left. Two freebies from Bundy with 4:23 left tied the score at 20, but Washburn answered right back with a 7-0 run and led 27-20 with 2:29 left in the half. The halftime score stood at 29-22, Washburn.
 
Both teams traded baskets to start the half, before a three from the Ichabods' Tyler Geiman with 13:58 to go gave Washburn a 42-32 lead. Three's from Walker and Carr, the last coming with 13:02 left in the half, cut the lead to five (43-38).
 
A three-point play from Skeens with 11:40 left put Washburn up 46-38, but a three-point play from Carr with 11 to go made the score 46-41. A pair of free throws from Carr with 7:28 made the score 59-46, Washburn and a three from Clark with 5:29 left cut the lead to ten (61-51).
 
A three-point play from Ross with 4:32 left cut the lead to seven (63-56), and Southern got as close as six (69-63) after a layup from Ross with 2:56 to go in the game and again (71-65) after another bucket from Ross with 1:51 left.
 
Washburn, however, made enough of its free throws down the stretch to secure the win. At one point late in the half, Washburn was shooting 58 percent from the free throw line, but the Ichabods went 14-17 from the line in the final two minutes of the game.
 
Southern shot 36 percent from the field and 33 percent from the three-point line, while making 79 percent of its free throws. Washburn had a 50-37 advantage on the boards and a 36-22 advantage in the paint.
 
The Lions will be back in action this Saturday when Southern plays host to Emporia State at 3:30 pm.