Emporia, Kan. - The Missouri Southern men's basketball team was back in Kansas after a longer break than usual, playing the different Wednesday-Sunday series this week. On Sunday, the Lions played at White Auditorium, taking on the Hornets of Emporia State. Missouri Southern picked up a big 73-70 over Emporia State to improve to 7-10 (5-6 MIAA) on the year.

The Lions kicked off the game with back-to-back three point field goals from Avery Taggart and Vinson Sigmon Jr. to take a 6-0 lead in the first minute. At the 15:43 mark, Parker Long made a three of his own, extending Southern's lead to 13-8. Darius Dawson then made a layup, followed by more three's from Taggart, Long, and Sigmon Jr. to boost the lead to 24-11. Emporia State fought back to erase their deficit and take a 35-32 lead into halftime. 

Martin Macenis got the second half going with a strong and-one play to tie things up, and Darius Dawson slammed home a dunk to give MSSU the lead once again. Avery Taggart sank another one from deep and Macenis kept finding the basket. Winston Dessesow hit a big three at the 11:39 mark of the second half, giving Southern a 49-48 lead. 

The teams battled back and forth for the remainder of the contest. With 7:00 on the clock, Vinson Sigmon Jr. hit a three, then made another one on the next possession. Sam Thompson then scored four straight points to boost MSSU's lead to 65-58. The hosts evened the score with just a little over a minute to go, but Martin Macenis made a jumper to take the lead back. Vinson Sigmon Jr. sealed the game after draining yet another three with 21 seconds on the clock. He followed up on the other end, grabbing a defensive rebound on an ESU miss. They made a layup as time expired, making the final score 73-70 in favor of Missouri Southern.

Martin Macenis led the Lions with 17 points, shooting 57.1% from the field. Additionally, he led the team with 8 rebounds. Vinson Sigmon Jr. was on fire from beyond the arc, making 5-6 shots from deep and finished with 16 points. Avery Taggart contributed 13 points, 8 assists, and 7 rebounds in the win.  

The team returns to Joplin for their next contest, hosting the Northeastern State Riverhawks on Wednesday, January 24. Tip-off for that game is scheduled for 7:30 PM at the Leggett & Platt Athletic Center. 

The Missouri Southern men's basketball season is presented by Arvest Bank, a proud supporter of Lion Athletics.
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