With the Lions’ (19-5, 13-4, MIAA) regular season coming to a close on the road tomorrow against Lincoln (3-23, 1-17 MIAA), Southern moves into post season play flying high. Victories down the stretch in the MIAA have catapulted the team back into the top three of a conference filled to the brim with talent.

“The MIAA is a tough conference to play in … there are really no games that we can take off,” said senior Jordan Talbert.  “The competition makes us give consistent effort each game that we will need in March.”  

After victories last week over Southwest Baptist and rival Pittsburg State in the final two home games, one Lion, a senior who had just played his final game on the hardwood of the Leggett & Platt Athletic Center, was honored as the MIAA Men’s Basketball Player of the Week.  

That player was the man wearing number 34 in the green and gold across his chest, Marquis Addison. After performances of 33 points against SBU and 17 points with 9 boards versus Pitt, it would seem only appropriate.

The final home game against Pitt was a landmark event for the Missouri Southern basketball program, as it marked the end of an era with the Lions set to lose Head Coach Robert Corn, who has been the rock of their program for what seems like an eternity.  But as one chapter ends another begins, and the Lions who remain are ready for what the future will hold.

“We’ll all obviously going to miss coach Corn, but the foundation he has laid down will be carried on for year,” said junior Morgan Smith. “Boschee being the new coach has us excited to see how he will run the team.”

In the contest against Pitt, Southern put the pedal to the metal. In a senior day contest against the team’s biggest rival you would expect nothing less, but after a first half that saw the lead move back and forth between the teams, it became a necessity.

Southern responded with two key runs, one at the end of the first half (9-2) to go into the break ahead at 46-39, and a second to open the second half (15-2) that pushed the advantage to 20, putting the proverbial hammer down in the final 20 minutes. The key was the defensive intensity and a 10-point advantage in the paint that came exclusively from the endless “thunder-dunks” the Lions threw down throughout the contest on the way to a dominant 110-90 victory.

Tomorrow looks like a must-win game as the Lions continue their journey toward Kansas City and the MIAA Tournament. Being the last game of the year for a team on a roll, the last thing the Lions need is a slip-up against a team nowhere near the same quality. But the Lions know who they can count on.

March 1, 3:30 p.m., marks the end of a season and a coaching legacy at Lincoln for Southern, but for a team playing with the heart of a Lion it may only be the beginning to a magical postseason run.