JOPLIN, Mo. — Missouri Southern (13-10, 7-7 Mid-America Intercollegiate) fell to Missouri Western (17-9, 9-6 Mid-America Intercollegiate) 66-65 in a tightly contested conference game at Robert Ellis Young Gymnasium on Saturday. The Lions held a narrow five-point lead at halftime, but Missouri Western outscored them 34-28 in the second half, overcoming the deficit. MSSU scored 38 points in the paint and forced seven steals, but it was not enough to secure the victory.
Missouri Southern started the game strongly, with
Isaiah Atwater scoring the opening points on a jumper. The team maintained a close battle throughout the half, highlighted by
Brayden Williams' 3-pointer, which helped them regain a lead after a brief deficit.
Colin Ruffin contributed with a fast-break jumper to tie the game at 21-21 midway through the half.
Gavyn Elkamil's 3-pointer at 7:14 kept the momentum, and Tyrone Wright's layup extended the lead to 28-25. Southern's defense played a significant role, with multiple defensive rebounds and blocks by
Hunter Fitch and Wright, helping them hold Missouri Western. Elkamil capped off the half with another 3-pointer, securing a 37-32 lead at the end of the first half.
Southern opened the second half with a strong offensive push, highlighted by a 3-pointer from Williams at 19:11, assisted by Ruffin. This was quickly followed by a jumper and a fast-break layup from Wright, extending the lead to 44-34. Elkamil contributed significantly with a layup and a jumper, helping Missouri Southern maintain its advantage. As the half advanced, Missouri Western mounted a comeback, narrowing the gap with a series of 3-pointers, including a key shot by Devin Butler at 11:12. The Lions responded with consistent scoring in the paint, with
Storm Gilchrist and
Jaden Taylor contributing crucial points. However, Missouri Western continued to challenge, taking a slight lead at 6:30 with a 3-pointer by Noah King. In the closing minutes, Missouri Southern remained competitive, with a fast-break dunk by Wright at 1:29 bringing the score to 66-63 in favor of Missouri Western. Despite a final dunk by Taylor cutting the deficit to one, MSSU was unable to reclaim the lead. The half concluded with Missouri Western ahead, 66-65.
Gavyn Elkamil led the team with 14 points, converting 5 of 13 shots and adding three steals. Tyrone Wright contributed 16 points and matched Elkamil with nine rebounds.
Brayden Williams scored 10 points, shooting 4 of 5 from the field, and recorded two assists.
Colin Ruffin, despite scoring only two points, dominated the boards with nine rebounds and provided three assists.
The Lions continue home next week, hosting the Fort Hays State University on Thursday before welcoming the University of Nebraska at Kearney on Saturday for a pair of key MIAA matchups.
