Warrensburg, Mo. - The Lions kicked off their final road series of 2023 Thursday evening against the Mules of Central Missouri. A strong second half performance by the Lions and career night from
Darius Dawson helped MSSU top UCM, 75-56. The win boosts the Lions to 4-7 (2-3 MIAA) on the year.
Central Missouri took an early 2-0 lead in the first few minutes, but
Vinson Sigmon Jr. helped even things up with a layup. After the Mules made a three to regain the lead,
Darius Dawson sank one of his own to tie things once again.
Winston Dessesow then made three straight free throws to give MSSU their first lead of the game. Not long after, Dawson completed a three-point play after being fouled on a layup. Just before the halfway point of the first half,
Parker Long made a three and
Martin Macenis found
Darius Dawson for a dunk to make the score 18-14.
The next couple of minutes were quiet offensively, and UCM fought back for a 21-20 lead. UCM continued to fight, taking another lead at 27-24.
Winston Dessesow then responded with a three of his own to even things up at 27. A minute later,
Avery Taggart hit a three as well to regain the lead. The Mules made another basket before half, but
Martin Macenis made a pair of free throws, and
Vinson Sigmon Jr. sank a layup from Macenis to make the score 34-29 at the break.
The hosts scored the first points of the second half, but
Darius Dawson got the Lions going with four straight points on free throws and a dunk, fed by
Martin Macenis. A layup from
Winston Dessesow and a three by
Avery Taggart boosted Southern's lead to 10. Taggart followed up with a layup, and Dawson completed another and-one play to stretch the lead to 48-33 with 14:02 left. UCM then hit a three, but the Lions went on an 11-0 run.
Martin Macenis and
Avery Taggart went back-to-back with made shots beyond the arc, and
Darius Dawson recorded another three-point play, followed by a dunk.
Although Central Missouri broke their scoreless streak, Dawson continued on his, slamming another dunk on a dish from Taggart and a layup.
Martin Macenis and
Vinson Sigmon Jr. both hit layups to make the score 67-45 with 7:13 left on the clock. The Lions maintained a 20+ point lead until the 1:28 mark when the Mules hit a three.
Dylan Owens scored a basket to push the lead over 20 once again, but a pair of UCM free throws ended the game with a 75-56 final score.
Darius Dawson had a big game, recording his second double-double of the year with a career-high 29 points and 10 rebounds. He missed just one shot from the field, going 11-12 on the night.
Avery Taggart also hit double digits, going 3-6 from beyond the arc for 11 points.
Martin Macenis finished with 9 points on a perfect 3-3 performance, snagging 6 rebounds and dishing out 5 assists as well.
The Lions look to stay hot against Lincoln in their next competition. Their contest with the Blue Tigers is scheduled for 3:00 PM on Saturday, December 16 in Jefferson City, Missouri.
The Missouri Southern men's basketball season is presented by Arvest Bank, a proud supporter of Lion Athletics.
