On Feb. 4 the Missouri Southern men’s basketball team squared off against the University of Missouri-Rolla Miners in Rolla.

The Lions were looking to get back into the win column after falling to the Truman State University Bulldogs on Jan. 31 at home.

The first time the two teams had met the Lions pulled an 85-77 victory in overtime at the Leggett & Platt Athletic Center.

The Lions downed the Miners 93-62 on the strength of 26 points from senior guard Ameer Watts.

On Feb. 7 the Lions were again at home, this time for a tilt with the Washburn University Ichabods. The Lions opened up with a five-point lead in the early moments of the game and went into the locker room at half time with a five-point lead.

In the second half, however, Southern was outscored 36-29, and, with one second left on the clock and the scored tied at 60 points apiece. Carl Jenkins, WU junior guard rebounded a missed shot and put the ball back in for two points, and a 62-60 win for the Ichabods.

“I thought that we competed pretty hard with them on the boards,” said Robert Corn, head coach.

“They out rebounded us by nine, but I thought that for the most part we did a pretty good job. I thought that defensively we did a nice job.”

“We played hard and executed well,” said Darrell Redmond, senior forward.

“It’s hard to blame it on one play,” said Caleb Engelken, junior forward. “And it hurts to lose this way.”

The loss to the Miners dropped the Lions to a 6-6 record in the MIAA and a 13-8 record overall.

Southern faced Emporia State University Feb. 11.

The Lions defeated the Hornets 61-65 in overtime. The Lions move up to 7-6 in the MIAA and 14-8 overall. The Hornets fall to a 9-4 record in conference.

After ESU they will face the Southwest Baptist University Bearcats on Saturday.

The Bearcats are four games behind Southern in the conference, but the rest of the Lions’ opponents are not. Southern’s season will end with games against Pittsburg State University, Central Missouri State University and Northwest Missouri State University, all of whom are ahead of the Lions in conference standings.