Kansas City, Mo. -- The Missouri Southern men's basketball team got a three-point play from Stan Scott with a minute remaining and held on to defeat Southern Nazarene 89-88 in double-overtime at Municipal Auditorium in the Central Region Challenge today. 

Scott led the Lions (1-1) with 23 points and nine rebounds, while dishing out five assists and poking four steals. RJ Smith had 22 points and 12 rebounds of his own, while going 8-of-14 from the field, 2-of-3 from long-range and 4-of-5 from the free throw line. Christian Bundy scored 18 and had eight rebounds, while Winston Dessesow had 12 points and four rebounds of his own. 

SNU (1-1) had four score in double-figures, led by 19 points each from Xavier Bryant and Jalen Lynn. 

Southern utilized a big run in the first half to close the lead by the Crimson Storm. Trailing by 12 (30-18) with 6:44 to go in the half, the Lions went on a 13-2 run to get within one (32-31) just two minutes later. The Lions closed the first half on an 18-9 run and trailed 39-36 at the break. A three from Bundy with two minutes to go would be the last points for either team in the half. The Southern defense held SNU to just ten points over the final seven minutes of the half. 

A layup from Scott with 17:43 to go in the second half put the Lions up 42-41, but the Crimson Storm pushed ahead by eight (50-42) with 14:48 to go in the half and led by ten (56-46) with 11:41 to go. 

That's when the Lions went to work. A 10-4 run got the Lions within four points (60-56) with 6:37 to go after a three from Smith, while a three from Dessesow with 2:44 to go capped an 18-7 run by the Lions and put Southern ahead. The two teams traded baskets and after a pair of freebies from Lynn put the Crimson Storm up 68-66, Scott hit a layup just under a minute to go in the game to tie it and force overtime. 

In the first overtime period, the Storm scored first, but both teams traded leads and a pair of free throws from Scott put the Lions up 78-76 with nine seconds left. Lynn, however, hit a jumper as time expired to force the second overtime. 

In double-overtime, the Lions raced out to a six-point lead (84-78) after a tip-in from Bundy, a three from Smith and a free throw from Smith with 2:22 left). SNU got back to within one on multiple occasions, the final being with 39 seconds left, but the Lions played stellar defense in the final 30 second to secure the win. 

Southern shot 51 percent from the field and 82 percent from the free-throw line in the game. The Lions out rebounded SNU 45-36 in the game. 

The Lions will be back in action next weekend when Southern will host the Chris Tucker Memorial Classic inside the Leggett & Platt Athletic Center. The Lions will take on Southwest Baptist on Friday and Truman State on Saturday.