Joplin, Mo. -- The Missouri Southern football team ran into a high-powered Northwest Missouri squad and the Lions fell 49-7 today inside Fred G. Hughes Stadium. 

Southern (3-7, 3-7 MIAA) trailed just 7-0 at the end of one quarter, but the Bearcats (8-1, 8-1 MIAA) scored 28-unanswered in the second quarter to put the game away. 

The Lions got a touchdown from Dawson Herl to Jaedon Stoshak to account for the lone score in the game. Nick Williams had nine punts for an average of 42.1 yards and a long of 63 yards. He had three inside the 20-yard line. 

Defensively, the Lions were led by Colton Winder with 11 tackles and Richard Jordan Jr. with ten. Jordan had a tackle for a loss of two yards, a fumble recovery and a pass break up. Coleman Booker had an interception and a tackle for a loss of five yards, while Dionnte White picked up a fumble recovery. Brailon Mouton had an interception return for 30 yards. 

The Bearcats were led by quarterback Mike Hohensee who went 18-of-22 for 264 yards and a score, while running back AJ McKeller rushed for 140 yards and three scores on 25 attempts. 

Southern settled for a punt on its first drive but Williams pinned the Bearcats inside the 15-yard line. Northwest turned around an 13-play, 85-yard drive to score on a rushing score from Hohensee. The quarter ended with the Bearcats up 7-0. 

The Bearcats scored four times in the second quarter to go into the locker room up 35-0 at the break. McSwain picked off a pass from Hohensee with a little more than a minute remaining in the half, but the Lions were not able to convert it into points. 

The Southern defense pitched a shutout in the third quarter. The Loins utilized a fumble that was picked up by White inside the Northwest 10-yard line and Herl hit Stoshak for a seven-yard strike to put the Lions on the board. Booker picked off a pass late in the third quarter, as well. 

The Bearcats scored twice early in the fourth, but neither team scored on the final six drives. Mouton had a 30-yard interception in the quarter. 

Southern will be back in action next week as the Lions finish out the regular season at Washburn. Kickoff from Yaeger Stadium is set for 1 pm.