Lions open season with dramatic 70-68 win over East Central (Okla.)

JOPLIN, Mo. -- Missouri Southern used a 16-2 run that spanned both halves to take the lead for good in a season-opening 70-68 victory over the East Central Lady Tigers Tuesday night (Nov. 15) at the Leggett & Platt Athletic Center. 

ECU had a chance to tie after sophomore Liz Burks (Ottawa, Kan.) missed a pair of free throws with 15 seconds left with Southern leading by two, but Burks made up for the misses by coming up with a crucial steal in the final seconds that sealed the victory for the Lions.

Freshman Meghan Welch (Goddard, Kan.) led three Lions (1-0) in double-figures with 17 points, including knocking down 4-of-8 from three-point distance, while sophomore Robin Kantin (Silver Spring, Md.) and senior Dacie Reutlinger (Owasso, Okla.) scored 13 and 11 points, respectively. 

Kantin and sophomore Brianna Volmer (Parsons, Kan.) each pulled down a game-high seven rebounds for MSSU.

The Lions found offense hard to come by in the early stages of the game, as they were plagued by 16 first-half turnovers and trailed by as many as nine points in the first half.

The Lady Tigers led 31-29 at the half, but Southern scored the first nine points of the second half, capped by a three-pointer from freshman Nacy Thornsberry (Springfield, Mo.) to put the Lions up 40-31 with 17:08 remaining. 

ECU (0-1) responded with an 18-10 run, helped by four Southern turnovers during that span to cut the MSSU lead to 50-49 with 10:45 left. 

The Lions answered the Lady Tigers' charge and outscored ECU 12-6 over the next six minutes to push the lead to seven. The Lady Tigers would get no closer than two over the rest of the way.

Led by Welch's four treys, the Lions as a unit made 10-of-22 three-pointers for the game, compared to ECU connecting on only 3-of-11 from beyond the arc.

Up next for Southern is the MSSU Pizza Hut/Fairfield Inn Classic on Nov. 18-19.  The Lions will host Southwestern Oklahoma State on Friday night (Nov. 18) at 7 p.m., followed by a Saturday afternoon matchup with Central Oklahoma at 3 p.m.