Joplin, Mo. – The Missouri Southern men's basketball team utilized multiple scoring runs, their best being 18 late in the second half and the Lions cruised to an 89-44 victory over Central Christian on Robert Corn Court inside the Leggett & Platt Athletic Center tonight.
 
Southern (4-2) was led by Winston Dessesow as he scored 19 points off the bench, making five three-pointers. Sam Thompson had 13 points, while Tyriqe Jackson had nine points and a game-high 10 rebounds. Christian Bundy scored nine points, while Parker Long, Avery Taggart and Vinson Sigmon Jr. had eight points each. Martin Macenis had nine rebounds off the bench.
 
Central Christian (3-4) was led by Isaiah Rivera with 13 points off the bench.
 
The opening minutes of the game were back-and-forth, but after Central Christian took an early 10-9 lead, the Lions went on a 26-5 run and led 39-15 with 6:42 left in the first half after a three from Sigmon.
 
The lead was 44-17 after a pair of freebies from Jackson with 3:21 to go in the half and a three from Taggart as time expired gave the Lions a 48-23 lead at the break.
 
A freebie from Thompson with 18 minutes left in the second half pushed the Southern lead to 51-26, and a dunk from Bundy with 13:42 to go extended the lead to 24 (60-36). A three from Dessesow with six to go pushed the lead to 72-40, while another jumper from Dessesow gave the Lions a 38 point lead (78-40) with 4:44 to go.
 
A layup from Macenis with two minutes to go pushed the sore to 85-42, and a layup from Odell Wilson as time expired provided the final tally.
 
The Lions shot 51 percent from the field and 41 percent from long-range, while making 73 percent of their free throws. Southern forced 20 turnovers and scored 22 points off the miscues, while utilizing a 48-26 advantage on the boards to outscore the Tigers 46-16 in the paint and 9-0 in second-chance points.
 
Southern will be back in action on December 1 as the Lions open the MIAA schedule and play host to No. 1 ranked Northwest Missouri. Tip-off is set for 7:30 pm.