Joplin, Mo. – The Missouri Southern Men's Basketball team hosted the Emporia State University Hornets on Saturday, February 8 in a conference matchup. Missouri Southern fought hard throughout the game, with key plays from
Jaden Taylor,
Tyriqe Jackson, and
Tyrique Brooks narrowing the gap, Emporia State held its ground in the second half to secure an 83-74 victory.
Missouri Southern (10-12, 5-8 MIAA) vs. Emporia State (8-15,5-9 MIAA)
1st Half: Missouri Southern 31 | Emporia State 37
The game tipped off with an early jumper from Emporia State, but
Martin Macenis quickly responded with a jumper of his own.
Jaden Taylor followed with a smooth layup, and
Tyrone Wright finished the sequence with a powerful dunk, giving Southern a 6-3 lead with 17:51 remaining. The Hornets went on an 8-0 run, trading the lead for a 11-6 score with 15:33 left.
Tyrique Brooks countered with a tip-in, and
Tyriqe Jackson followed up with a pair of free throws and a layup, reclaiming the lead at 12-11 with 14:06 remaining.
Emporia ended a scoreless drought lasting over four minutes with a pair of free throws. The teams traded baskets for the remainder of the half. The Hornets carried a 37-31 lead into halftime.
2nd Half: Missouri Southern 74 | Emporia State 83
Martin Macenis opened the second half with a jumper, and the Lions began to chip away at their deficit, launching a 9-4 rally that cut the lead to 56-47 with 10:38 remaining
. Tyrone Wright slammed down a dunk to ignite a 10-0 Southern run, cutting the deficit to just two points at 59-57 with 5:59 remaining, as
Jaden Taylor added four points,
Tyrique Brooks contributed two, and Tyrique Jackson chipped in another two.
The teams went back and forth, trading baskets in a tight battle for the lead. Emporia State held on to their advantage, clinching an 83-74 win.
Missouri Southern Leaders:
Points: Jaden Taylor - 25
Rebounds: Tyrique Brooks - 7
Assists: Martin Macenis - 3
Steals: Jaden Taylor - 3
Blocks: n/a
Emporia State Leaders:
Points: Parker Day - 25
Rebounds: Chris Harris - 10
Assists: Arhman Lewis - 5
Steals: Three Player - 2
Blocks: Chris Harris - 1
Up Next:
The Lions will be on the road on Thursday, February 13 when they take on the Northwest Missouri State University in a conference matchup. Tip-off is set for 7:30 PM in Maryville, Mo. at the Bearcat Arena
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