The Missouri Southern men’s basketball team opened up their highly anticipated 2015-16 season in the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association/Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference Challenge inside the Leggett & Platt Athletic Center last weekend.

The MIAA/NSIC Challenge consisted of four teams, two from both conferences. Pittsburg State University (Kan.) was the other MIAA team. Minnesota State University and St. Cloud State were the two NSIC teams invited.

“These would be two good quality wins on our resume. Those two teams will be really good in the NSIC,” said head coach Jeff Boschee on facing MSU and St. Cloud State.

The Lions would open their season up against St. Cloud State. The Lions would go on to win their season opener thanks to a career night from sophomore Charlie Brown. Brown dropped a career-high 27 points and three assists as he paved the way for the Lions in a 95-79 victory in front of nearly 1,700 fans.

Brown got off to a slow start missing his first three shots. From that point on, Brown was unstoppable. Brown hit 10 of his next 11 shots going 3-3 from long range, and 4-5 at the line.

“I put in a lot of work in the summer and I knew coming in I was going to be real confident in my skills. I just wanted to show that to the people and wanted to make plays for my team,” said Brown.

The offensive attack didn’t stop with Brown as seniors Austin Wright and Taevaunn Prince had 20 points each as Wright went 4-8 from long range and Prince added nine rebounds. Senior and new addition DJ Feitl had 18 points.

In the final game of the MIAA/NSIC Challenge, Southern would see MSU who lost their season opener to PSU.

In the first half, both teams were neck and neck. Southern went on a 6-1 run after MSU tied the game at 25. The Lions went into the break with a 31-28 lead.

The second half began with MSU coming out on fire and Southern coming out flat. MSU opened up a quick seven point lead after trailing by three. MSU would hold a lead as high as 13 before the Lions cut the lead to three (68-65) with 1:48 to go I the game. MSU would hold off the surging Lions and escape Leggett & Platt with a 79-67 victory.

Prince led the offensive charge for the Lions as he scored 29 points and grabbed a career-high 17 rebounds. He shot 9-17 from the field and 10-11 from the free-throw line.

Southern allowed 51 points in the second half, while shooting 30 percent from the field and 17 percent from behind the arc. Southern also allowed MSU to shoot above 50 percent from the field and behind the arc.

The Lions will be back in action tomorrow as Southern travels to Liberty, Mo. to face William Jewel. Tip-off slated for 5 p.m.