The Lions will be taking on SBU tomorrow for the second time this season.

On Wednesday night, the stakes of the game got a little bit higher.

Southern, led by 25 points from junior guard Tony Webb, beat Emporia State in Emporia 80-69. The Lions were also led by junior forward Vincent Ateba and senior forward Octavius Hawkins with 18 and 15 points respectively. Defensively, the Lions held DeAndre Townsend, the MIAA’s leading scorer, to 12 points, more than eight points below his season average.

Meanwhile up the turnpike in Topeka, SBU was beaten 71-68 by Washburn.

What this means is that Saturday’s meeting, like the first meeting, will be a battle for first place in the MIAA with just four games left on the conference schedule before the championship tournament.

Last time around, the Bearcats hit 17 three-pointers in route to a 90-77 win.

“When they doubled on the post, we kicked it out, and we hit the shot. We may not hit (that shot) every night,” said Southwest Baptist Men’s Basketball coach Jeff Guiot.

The teams are currently tied for first with conference records of 10-3.

The key for the Lions to win will be for them to make sure they pack their Windex. The Bearcats were out-rebounded 42-36 in Wednesday’s loss. In particular, Southern should work hard on the defensive glass to limit easy second looks for Matt Rogers and John Grabowski.

On the women’s side, the Lions had a poor showing Wednesday night and dropped a 79-46 decision to No. 20 Emporia State. Junior point guard India Wood was the only Lion in double figures, she finished with 10.

Saturday’s matchup with SBU is also very important for the women. Not as much for the conference implications but for the regional standings. This week the Lions are ranked third in the South Central Region. After a loss to Emporia State, who is ranked seventh, it is imperative that Southern bounce back with a win over the Lady Bearcats who are ranked fourth in the region.