Improving their record, Missouri Southern’s men’s basketball team defeated Central Missouri State University Feb. 8.

The Lions won the game 62-54 over the Mules. CMSU would go ahead by one point about 10 minutes into the game, but the Southern men took the lead back 19 seconds later and did not look back.

“For the most part we did a pretty good job of making them take the tougher shots,” said Robert Corn, head men’s basketball coach. “We were up there in their faces for most of those shots.”

Myron Hodge, junior forward/center, led the Lions’ scoring. He added 15 points for Southern, followed by Quentin Edwards, senior guard, with 14.

Dan Jones, senior center/forward, was next with 11 point. Tyler Ryerson, sophomore guard, had 10.

Ryerson helped the others with his seven assists.

Hodge and Ryerson hit three and two three-pointers, respectively.

Jones and Edwards both led the Lions in rebounding. They grabbed eight boards each.

“Most teams we play are quicker than we are,” Corn said. “So we’ve got to make sure that we’re really assertive as far as taking that first step to the loose ball, taking that first step to the basketball. Those types of things are what we have to do to be successful, and tonight we did that.”

The home win broke a three-game losing streak for the Lions.

For the last game of that streak, Washburn University hosted the Lions Feb. 4.

The Lions and the Ichabods went into double overtime, but WU got the better of Southern, winning the game 82-75.

Southern led by two going into halftime, but the game was tied 59-59 at the end of regulation, and 66-66 after the first overtime period.

Jones put up 20 points for Southern against WU. Edwards earned 13 points, and both Ed Miles, junior forward, and Jeremie Bond, senior center, had 12 points.

Hodge was next with 10 points. He and Ryerson had two shots from beyond the arc.

Ryerson had seven assists in the match, and Edwards had four.

Miles led in rebounds, grabbing nine. Hodge and Jones both had eight.

Edwards grabbed five boards, while Dale Hunter, junior center, and Ryerson had four each.

The men’s record is now 11-12 overall and 4-8 in the MIAA with four regular season games left on the schedule.

The next match for the Lions is against Northwest Missouri State University Saturday in Maryville.

Wednesday, the Gorillas of Pittsburg State University come to Joplin for the Del Rio Bordertown Battle. Tip-off will be at 7:30 p.m. in the Leggett & Platt Athletic Center.