Joplin, Mo.  – Elyjah Clark had 23 points and CJ Carr added 20 as the Missouri Southern men's basketball team defeated Southwest Baptist 88-72 tonight on Robert Corn Court inside the Leggett & Platt Athletic Center.
 
Southern (15-8, 10-4 MIAA) was led by Clark's night as he scored 23 on 6-8 from long range. Carr had 20 points and 11 assists, while LJ Ross scored 13 points and pulled down seven boards. Braelon Walker had 12 points and Kinzer Lambert added eight points, nine rebounds, three assists and three blocks.
 
SBU (11-12, 5-9 MIAA) had four score in double-figures, led by 19 points from Logan Hovey.
 
SBU opened up a 12-7 lead early on, but three-straight threes, two from Clark and one from Carr, gave the Lions a 16-12 lead with a little less than 15 to go. The game was tied at 16, before a layup from Enis Memic put the Lions up 18-16 with 12:12 left.
 
After SBU led 21-20, a bucket from Walker and a layup from Ross gave the Lions a 24-21 lead with 7:33 to go, but SBU fought back and led 27-25 with 3:51 left. The Lions responded and finished the half on an 8-3 run to finish the half and led 33-30 after a three from Christian Bundy as time expired.
 
Southern started the second half on an 8-3 run and led 41-33 after a three from Clark with 17:18 that forced an SBU timeout. The lead was 11 after a three from Lambert the next trip down, but SBU was within two with 14:30 left after a three-point play from Karim Moulion that made the score 45-43.
 
Back-to-back threes from Clark and Walker had the Lions up 51-45 with 13:17 left, and another three from Clark, number six in the game, gave the Lions a 67-57 lead with 7:43 left in the game.
 
A layup from Ross with 2:25 left pushed the lead to 15, and a jumper from Carr provided the final tally with 40 seconds left.
 
The Lions shot 49 percent from the field and 48 percent from long-range. Southern trailed 41-30 in rebounds and 48-26 in the paint, but the Lions assisted on 18 of 30 made baskets.
 
Southern will be back in action on Saturday afternoon as the Lions play host to Central Missouri. Tip off from the Leggett & Platt Athletic Center is slated for 3:30 pm.