Joplin, Mo. - The Missouri Southern Men's Basketball team hosted the University of Saint Mary (Kan.) Spires in a non-conference match-up on Saturday, November 30. The Lions came out on the prowl to take an early 25-point lead at halftime. Southern would have
Jaden Taylor,
Tyrique Brooks, and
Tyriqe Jackson lead the way, draining 15 points each, followed by
Tyrone Wright with 13 points for a 100-68 victory over the Spires.
Missouri Southern (4-4) | Saint Mary (Kan.) (5-4)
Half 1: Missouri Southern 47 | Saint Mary (Kan.) 22
Martin Macenis opened the game by draining a three-pointer in the first minute, setting the tone early.
Jaden Taylor followed with five quick points, pushing the Lions to an 8-2 lead. Although the Spires managed to trim the gap to nine points from the free-throw line,
Tyrique Brooks and
Sam Thompson responded with a combined five-point surge, restoring a 14-point cushion for Southern at the 11:05 mark.
Later in the half,
Tyrone Wright ignited the crowd with a thunderous slam dunk and added a free throw, sparking a nine-point run and adding seven points of his own. Macenis contributed with a layup during the run, stretching the lead to 39-15. Southern maintained control despite Saint Mary's efforts to chip away at the deficit in the half's closing seconds.
Tyriqe Jackson capped off the period with points from the free-throw line, giving the Lions a commanding 47-22 advantage heading into halftime.
Half 2: Missouri Southern 100 | Saint Mary (Kan.) 68
The second half began as a battle, with both teams trading baskets. The Spires would find a 7-2 run, trimming their deficit to 22 points, but
Tyrique Brooks responded with a layup and a free throw to halt their momentum. At the 13-minute mark, Saint Mary answered with an 8-2 scoring burst, narrowing the gap to 20 points. However,
Jaden Taylor chipped in four points, and
Sam Thompson added two more, combining for a six-point run to keep Southern firmly ahead.
Both teams continued to exchange baskets, but the Lions maintained their offensive rhythm and control of the game. Southern extended its largest lead to 34 points late in the game, highlighted by a five-point burst from
Isaiah Atwater at the 2:02 mark and a layup from
Prince Agbaeze. With dominant play on both ends of the floor, the Lions cruised to a commanding 100-68 victory.
Missouri Southern Leaders:
Scoring Leader: Tyrique Brooks /
Jaden Taylor /
Tyriqe Jackson – 15
Rebounding Leader: Tyrone Wright – 11
Assist Leader: Jaden Taylor - 7
Steal Leader: Jaden Taylor– 2
Saint Mary (Kan.) Leaders:
Scoring Leader: Jordan Brown – 16
Rebounding Leader: Three Players - 4
Assist Leader: Jordan Brown / Terique Suwareh – 2
Steal Leader: Darius Pottard - 3
Up Next:
The Lions will be on the road next Wednesday, December 4, when they take on the Roger State University Hillcats in their conference opener. Tip-off is set for 7:30 PM.
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