Opening their season, the men’s basketball team defeated the Central Bible College Spartans 87-66 Nov. 15.

Robert Corn, head men’s basketball coach, said although the Lions played well, there are several things they can learn when they watch the film of the game.

“The disappointing thing was I never felt like we got into much of an offensive flow in the ball game,” Corn said.

The Lions began the game with a 12-0 run against the Spartans, and they never relinquished the lead. However, CBC would pull to within two points of Missouri Southern with a score of 62-60 with just more than 10 minutes to play in the game.

“There was a lot of opportunities tonight where we had good shots from 15-17 feet that we passed up,” Corn said.

He said the men have to start taking those shots in order to get into a more positive mode for their games.

The Lions would then go on a 27-6 run for the rest of the game to claim victory.

“I’m really pleased with the way our guys responded from that point on,” Corn said.

Four Lions scored in the double digits against CBC.

Quentin Edwards, senior guard, led the Lions with 24 points.

He also nabbed five steals during the game.

Ed Miles, junior forward, and Dan Jones, senior center, were next in points, with 14 each.

Jeremie Bond, senior center, was next with 10 points.

Tyler Ryerson, sophomore guard, had six assists in the game.

Jones led in rebounding by grabbing 11 of them, seven of those on the defensive end of the court.

Corn said one positive against CBC was the Lions’ free-throw percentage. The Lions shot 63.6 percent from the line.

Corn said the team needs to shoot 70-75 percent from the line to be effective.

Edwards received a technical foul in the second half.

Corn said he was upset with Edwards for receiving the technical.

“Those things can’t happen because he is too important for us to have on the basketball floor, and that was his third foul right there so we had to take him out,” Corn said.

The Lions next play Southwestern Oklahoma State University at 7 p.m. Saturday in the Leggett & Platt Athletic Center.

Tuesday, the Lions will travel to St. Louis to play the University of Missouri-St.Louis.

Nov. 25-26, the Lions will host the Freeman Sports Medicine/Chris Tucker Memorial Classic.

Nov. 25, they will play Missouri Baptist University at 7 p.m. in Leggett & Platt.

Nov. 26, they will take on Bemidji (Minn.) State University at 7 p.m. at Leggett & Platt.