Lions drop overtime heartbreaker to Northwest Missouri - KOAM TV 7

Lions drop overtime heartbreaker to Northwest Missouri

JOPLIN --  The Missouri Southern men's basketball team scored the first six points of overtime, but visiting Northwest Missouri scored nine of the final 11 points and came out with a 69-68 overtime win in the Leggett & Platt Athletic Center. 

Southern (6-4, 1-1 MIAA) started the overtime period with six straight free-throws, four of which from Addison. 

Northwest (10-2, 3-0 MIAA) came back with its own 6-0 run to tie the game and then went ahead on a free-throw from Grant Cozad. A pair of freebies from Addison gave the Lions a 68-67 lead with 27 seconds left in overtime, but a layup from DeAngelo Hailey with two seconds proved to be the game-winner. A last-second shot from Addison was no good. 

The Bearcats opened the game on an 8-2 run, but The Lions answered back and took a 13-10 lead after a jumper from Addison. Northwest took a 14-13 lead on a layup from Hailey and led by nine (26-17) after a free-throw from Dillon Starzl with 9:26 to go in the first half. The lead was 11 (28-17) after a layup from Tyler Funk, but the Lions fought back and went on a 10-1 run over the next three minutes to get to within one (29-28) after a free-throw from Jordan Talbert with 5:40 left in the half. A jumper from Addison with 46 seconds left made the halftime score 36-32, Bearcats.

Both teams traded baskets for most of the second half, but a layup from Addison with 43 seconds left gave the Lions a 60-58 lead. A pair of free-throws from the Bearcats' Bryston Williams with 22 seconds left forced the overtime period. 

Addison led all scorers with 24 points on 8-14 scoring and was a perfect 7-7 from the free-throw line. He had a team-high seven rebounds. Stephen Atkinson scored 18 on 3-7 shooting from long-range, while Talbert had nine points. 

The Lions were out rebounded 37-30, but shot 45 percent from the field. 

Southern will be back in action on Saturday night when the Lions play host to Missouri Western at 7:30 pm in the Leggett & Platt Athletic Center.