By GERARD WELLBROCK
Hays Post

Missouri Southern used an 18-5 first half run to build an eight-point halftime lead and held off Fort Hays State the rest of way, beating the Tigers 80-69 in the first round of the NCAA II Central Regional in Mankato, Minnesota. The loss snaps the Tigers four-game win streak over Southern and ends their season at 22-8. The Lions have now won 10-straight and improve to 25-5.

The Tigers scored the games first six points only to see Southern answer with a 9-0 run. The Tigers would take a five-point lead on a Dwayne Brunson foul line jump shot with 9:15 to play in the first half. Southern scored the next six and eventually pushed the lead to eight. Craig Nicholson’s 3-pointer late in the first half pulled the Tigers within five, but Austin Wright hit a corner three at the horn to give Southern an eight-point lead at the half.

Fort Hays State pulled within six early in the second half but Southern outscored them 20-10 to push the lead to 18 and led by double-figures the rest of the way.

The Tigers shot 54-percent in the second half but the Lions hit on 60-percent finishing 52-percent for the game. Southern hit 5-of-11 from beyond the arc including 3-of-4 in the second half. The Tigers managed just 4-of-13 from 3-point range. The Lions outrebounded the Tigers by 18 and outscored FHSU 11-0 on second chance points.

Dwayne Brunson led the Tigers with 21 points and 10 rebounds. Craig Nicholson added 15. Marquis Addison led MSSU with 26 points on 9-of-13 shooting. Jordan Talbert and Lane Barlow both added 11.

Postgame Press Confernece

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