The Missouri Southern men’s basketball team closed out its season with a tough loss in overtime, 77-76, to Central Missouri in the MIAA postseason tournament.

Southern finished the 2008-2009 year with 19-12 record overall and went 9-11 in the MIAA.

Among the highlights of the season was winning the championship of the Puerto Rico Tournament in December and going 2-0 in the Freeman Sports Medicine/Chris Tucker Memorial Classic in November.

Southern was also nationally ranked during the middle of the season.

The Lions earned the eighth and final spot to Kansas City for the MIAA postseason tournament on March 5 where they beat the Mules and nearly upset the No. 8 ranked team in the Division II polls.

“I was extremely proud of the way our guys competed at the tournament,” Missouri Southern Men’s Head Coach Robert Corn said. “The only thing a coach can ask for his team is to leave everything on the court and I felt our young men did that.”

With the loss, though, came the close of the careers of Matt Monroe and Vincent Ateba, two of the remaining seniors on the club. A third senior, Tony Webb, left the program at the beginning of the semester.

Monroe and Ateba both transferred to MSSU from junior colleges.

Monroe came from Northern Oklahoma and Ateba came from John A. Logan, but both played big roles for the team.

Ateba, a native of Orleans, France, was second on the team in scoring with 12.6 points per game this year.

Monroe, a 6-foot-6 forward from Little Rock, led the team with 106 defensive rebounds this year.

“Matt and Vincent have been very important to our basketball program,” Corn said. “They have conducted themselves with class on and off the court.  They will both be very productive in life.”

Losing only two seniors, the Lions should have the 11 remaining players on the roster back for next year.

Headlining that list is sophomore guard Skylar Bowlin, an All-MIAA player this year. Bowlin led the team with 14.4 points per game this year and 16.4 points per game in conference games.

Along with Bowlin, four of the top five scorers this past season will return.

Also back is MIAA Freshman of the Year, Jason Adams, guard Mariun Price and forward DaRell Crittendon.

Adams averaged 10.5 points per game.

“We have a very good nucleus returning, and if our guys work extremely hard in the off season to improve their individual games then it will make us a better team when we begin practice in October,” Corn said. “I am looking forward to working with these guys.”

Southern didn’t sign anyone during the early signing period, so Corn and his assistant coaches are out looking at high school and junior college players.

“We are looking at bringing in two or three players for next year,” Corn said. “We want to bring in young men who will fit into our returning players.”