ST. JOSEPH – The Missouri Western men’s basketball team (4-16, 2-112 MIAA) fell to Lincoln University (12-11) 81-72. Missouri Western hit a season-high 14 three-pointers in the game.

A 15-2 run gave Lincoln an early advantage in the first half. The Blue Tigers used the run to take a 39-30 halftime lead. MWSU battled in the second half with a 12-3 run to cut the Blue Tiger lead to one point with 14:29 left in the game. LU countered the run with a 15-2 stretch over seven minutes to pull away.

Lavon Hightower scored a season-high 24 points for MWSU. The Griffons shot just 38.6 percent from the field, the first time in four games they have been held under 40 percent. Lincoln shot 46.3 percent from the field and 46.2 percent from the three-point arc.

NOTABLES
– The two teams combined for 28 assists, Missouri Western’s 16 assists where the most since Nov. 24 against Southeastern Oklahoma State

– Cole Clearman and Trey Brown combined for 13 of MWSU’s 16 assists

– TJ Evans scored 17 points, his best performance since Jan. 20 at Nebraska Kearney

– Lincoln was 8-16 from the three-point arc in the first half, LU hit just four three’s in the second half

– Four different Blue Tigers scored 13 points or more in the game led by Terrance Smith’s 26 points

UP NEXT
Missouri Western travels to Washburn on Wednesday, Feb. 7 for a 7:30 p.m. tip-off in Topeka, Kansas.

— MWSU Athletics —