JOPLIN, Mo. - Joshua Buie and Mike Smith combined to score 41 points, but the Lincoln men's basketball team dropped a 76-63 decision to Missouri Southern in a Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association matchup Saturday night.
Buie tied for the game-high with 21 points on 9-of-15 shooting, while Smith added 20 points off the bench to lead the Blue Tigers (2-14, 0-8), who lost their eighth straight.
Missouri Southern (13-2, 7-1) jumped out to a 6-0 lead in the first four minutes and Lincoln trailed the rest of the way.
The Lions led by as many as 14 in the first half before taking a 40-30 advantage into the break.
Missouri Southern had a 15-point lead -their biggest of the night - early in the second half, but the Blue Tigers put together a 14-6 run to make it 55-48 with 12:01 left in the game.
Charles Cole, who scored 12 points, hit a 3-pointer to bring Lincoln within five with 4:29 remaining, but that's as close as the Blue Tigers would get.
Lincoln, which committed 21 turnovers, was 24-of-57 (42.1 percent) from the field, 3-of-11 (27.3 percent) from 3-point range, and 12-of-18 (66.7 percent) from the free-throw line.
Missouri Southern claimed a 34-30 rebounding advantage and knocked down 38-of-48 free throws to help pull away from the Blue Tigers.
Cameron Cornelius scored 21 points, while Marquis Addison added 13, and Slim Magee chipped in with 12 to help lead the Lions, who were 18-of-43 (41.9 percent) from the field and 2-of-8 (25 percent) from behind the arc.
Lincoln returns home for its next contest, as the Blue Tigers host Central Missouri at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday.
III
Jennifer Rosado scored a career-high 26 points, but it was not enough as the Lincoln women's basketball team fell to Missouri Southern 86-62 in a MIAA game Saturday afternoon.
Rosado was 4-of-9 from the field and hit a career-best 16 free throws in 18 attempts to lead the Blue Tigers (3-12, 0-8), who have now lost eight-straight.
Hunter Yoakum scored 13 points and Quiessence Price added eight to help pace Lincoln, which was 19-of-49 (38.8 percent) from the field, 3-of-14 (21.4 percent) from beyond the arc, and 21-of-26 (80.8 percent) from the free-throw line.
The Blue Tigers jumped out to an 11-4 lead in the first three minutes of the game, but Missouri Southern (12-3, 6-2) responded by going on an 18-4 run to take a 22-15 lead with 11:22 left before halftime.
The Lions didn't look back from there.
Missouri Southern led by as many as 24 with 4:11 left before the break, but Lincoln closed out the half on a 12-0 surge as the Lions took a 47-35 advantage into the locker room.
After trading buckets early in the second half, Missouri Southern went on a 14-4 run to take a 69-47 lead with 11:50 left to play and the Lions were able to cruise from there.
Lincoln was out rebounded 31-24 and the Blue Tigers were just 8-of-25 (32 percent) from the field in the second half.
Missouri Southern, which placed three players in double figures, scored 29 points off 20 Lincoln turnovers and poured in 59 points in the paint.
Nicole Hartzog scored 26 points, while Sharese Jones added 18, and Shonte Clay chipped in with 16 to lead the Lions, who were 35-of-54 (64.8 percent) from the field and 6-of-12 from the 3-point line.