Joplin, Mo. – The Missouri Southern men's basketball team got career-high from Winston Dessesow tonight and the Lions took out Southwest Baptist 87-85 in overtime in the Freeman Sports Medicine/Chris Tucker Memorial Classic.
 
Southern (2-1) was led by Dessesow's 26 points as he went 6-of-13 from long-range and 9-of-17 from the field. RJ Smith scored 19 points and added eight rebounds, while Stan Scott had 12 points, five assists and eight boards of his own. Christian Bundy had six points and eight rebounds, while Avery Taggart had nine points off the bench.
 
SBU (2-1) was led in scoring by Nico Aguirre with 21 points off the bench.
 
The two teams traded baskets for much of the first half. SBU took a 10-8 lead with 14:31 left in the first half, but the Lions went on a 6-0 run to lead 14-10 after a three from Dessesow a minute later.
 
The Southern lead reached as much as six (23-17) after a bucket from Martin Macenis with just under ten minutes on the clock, but the Bearcats pushed back and tied it at 34 with four minutes to go and led by three with 41 seconds on the clock. The Lions got a rebound and an outlet pass from Ndongo Ndaw to Scott as time was winding down and Scott dunked it home to make the score 41-40, SBU at the half.
 
The game was tied at 50 six minutes into the second half and the Lions went to work. A three from Dessesow off an assist from Taggart with 11:25 to go pushed the lead to eight (58-50), while a jumper from Smith with nine minutes left gave the Lions their largest lead of the game at 14 (64-50).
 
The run for Southern was 14-0 but the Bearcats made a run back. SBU got within one (69-68) with 3:45 left and tied the game at 71 a minute later. The Lions trailed 78-76 with ten seconds to go in regulation, but a put back from Taggart tied the score at 78, forcing overtime.
 
In the overtime period, the Lions got a jumper from Smith to take the lead 83-82 with two minutes left and a layup from Dessesow pushed the lead to three with 47 second to go. A pair of freebies from Bundy with six seconds left proved to be the difference as the Bearcats drained a late three for the final tally.
 
Southern shot 43 percent from the field in the game and 87 percent from the free throw line. The Lions out rebounded the Bearcats 44-36, including 18-11 on the offensive boards.
 
The Lions will be back in action tomorrow afternoon as Southern plays host to 6^th-ranked Truman state at 3:30 pm.