Hays, Kan. – The Missouri Southern men's basketball team trailed by eight at the half and couldn't get any closer as the Lions fell on the road 89-71 to Fort Hays State inside Gross Memorial Coliseum.
 
Southern (8-7, 5-4 MIAA) was led by Stan Scott with 21 points and nine rebounds. Avery Taggart scored 17 and added five boards, while Winston Dessesow had nine points and Lawson Jenkins scored eight.
 
Fort Hays State (12-3, 7-3 MIAA) got 22 points each from Jared Vitztum and Kaleb Hammeke.
 
The Tigers jumped out to a 14-7 lead six minutes into the game, but a layup from Scott the next trip down started a 14-8 run to get Southern within one (22-21) after a layup from Dessesow with 8:37 to go in the half.
 
Hays went up 28-21 just two minutes later, but a jumper from Alex Jones got the Lions within three (30-27) with five minutes to go. A three from Scott made the score 36-34 at the 3:08 mark, but that would be as close as the Lions got before the half ended, trailing 48-40 at the break.
 
A pair of free throws from Scott a minute into the second half got the Lions within four (48-44), but the Tigers jumped back out to an eight-point lead (54-46) with 15:37 to go in the half. A free throw from the Tigers gave FHSU an 11-point lead (60-49) with 10:48 on the clock and the Tigers led 65-52 a minute later.
 
A free throw from Jenkins got the Lions within nine (71-62) with 5:27 to go and a layup from Christian Bundy kept the lead at nine (73-64) with 5:15 left. A three from Dessesow with 4:16 left got the Lions within eight, but that was as close as Southern got.
 
The Lions shot 40 percent from the field and had a 16-13 advantage in offensive rebounds. The Lions' bench outscored Fort Hays 26-21.
 
Southern will be back in action on Saturday afternoon as the Lions travel to Nebraska-Kearney. Tip off is set for 4 pm.