Joplin, Mo. – The Missouri Southern men's basketball fell in overtime to Emporia State tonight 83-79 inside the Leggett & Platt Athletic Center.
The Lions (11-5, 7-3 MIAA) were led by
Vinson Sigmon Jr. with 21 points, three assists and three rebounds.
Winston Dessesow went for 14 points going 4-of-6 from three while adding four rebounds and three assists.
Avery Taggart had 13 points, four assists, three rebounds, two blocks and two steals.
Sam Thompson led the bench unit with 10 points and eight rebounds while
Christian Bundy led the team with 10 rebounds and added nine points and four assists.
Emporia State (14-3, 8-3 MIAA) was led by Owen Long with 25 points to go with three assists and three rebounds. Alijah Comithier had 23 points and eight rebounds. Peyton Rogers-Scmidt had 12 points and a team-high nine rebounds and Kaden Evans had 11 points. Nahcs Wahwassuck led the bench unit with seven points and four rebounds while coming away with a game-high three steals.
The Lions held the advantage over Emporia State in field goal percentage 50.8-40.0, rebounds 41-35, defensive rebounds 31-21, assists 17-12, blocks 4-3 and bench points 16-12.
In the first five minutes of the game Southern held a 13-7 lead over the Hornets thanks to shooting as a team 5-of-6 from the field and 2-of-3 from three. Over the next five minutes the Lions went on a 9-0 run but the Emporia State response of ten straight points made it 22-17 with 10:09 left in the half.
Over the last ten minutes of the first half the Lions would get the lead up to 11 three times before a pair of free throws with 45 seconds left made it a 38-29 game heading into the intermission. For the half Sigmon Jr. led the team with 15 points with Dessesow and Taggart having six points each as well.
To begin the second half the Lions held onto a seven point lead (47-40) after five minutes of play thanks to an
Isaiah Holden pull up jumper with 15:04 left. Emporia State would used a 12-6 run to chip away at the lead and make it a one point game, 53-52 with 10:27 remaining.
Southern countered with a 5-2 quick run but the Hornets response was to take a 61-58 lead with 7:34 left thanks to a 7-0 run in less than a minute. The Lions came back with a 6-0 run to reclaim the lead and a Bundy dunk at 3:41 made it 64-61. Over the last three minutes of regulation the Hornets got to within one but Southern responded before a three by Emporia State tied it 71-71 with 22 seconds left.
A last second three by the Lions found the rim but was no good and overtime was needed to settle the game. Sigmon Jr. scored first in the extra period but a 7-0 run by the hornets provided enough to decide the game.
Up next for the Lions will be Northeastern State and Rogers State on the road. Tip off from the NSU Event Center is set for 7:30pm on Wednesday Jan. 18
th and from the Claremore Expo Center on Saturday Jan. 21
st at 3:30pm.
Career Update
Avery Taggart - Became the 20
th Lion in program history to make 100 career three's and in doing so joins teammates
Winston Dessesow (161) 8
th and
Lawson Jenkins (104) 19
th. The trio marks the second time in program history to have three active players with 100 or more career three's made as Elyjah Clark, Kinzer Lambert, Braelon Walker (2018-20) and Parker Jennings (2019-20) were the first. Taggart also moved past Demarko McCullough (91-93) and Eddie Reece in assists with 136 for 36
th all-time.
Christian Bundy – Tied with Marquis Addison (10-14) for 16
th in rebounds with 490 in 115 games.
Winston Dessesow – Tied with Patrick Hester (08-12) for 34
th in assists with 140.
Ndongo Ndaw – Moved past
Stan Scott (19-22) for 19
th in blocks with 37.
