ST. JOSEPH – It took five extra minutes of basketball, but Missouri Western (10-12, 4-7 MIAA) picked up one of its best wins of the season on Saturday, outlasting Pittsburg State (14-7, 7-5 MIAA) for a 95-87 overtime win.

NOTABLES

• Neither team could pull away in a back-and-forth first 11 minutes that featured seven lead changes.
• Alex Martin’s put-back dunk sparked a 24-9 run that gave the Griffons their largest lead of the game at 14 points with 1:28 to play in the first half.
• The Griffons held a 43-35 lead going into the intermission, limiting one of the top offenses in the MIAA to just 39 percent shooting.
• Lavon Hightower had 16 points in the first half.
• Tyrell Carroll knocked down a pair of free throws to extend the Missouri Western lead to six points with 2:17 remaining in the second half.
• Tyus Millhollin’s three point attempt was no good on the Griffons’ final possession of regulation, giving the Gorillas the final possession with 23 seconds remaining.
• Grant Lozoya, the MIAA’s leading scorer, missed the potential game-winner before the Gorillas’ tip-in layup rattled out, sending the game into overtime.
• With 1:38 remaining in overtime, Hightower found Millhollin in the left corner for a game-sealing three.
• The Griffons shot 11-of-14 from the free-line in overtime.
• The 95 points scored by the Griffons is the programs’ most since a 97-57 win over Baptist Bible College on Dec. 14, 2014.
• Saturday’s win gives Missouri Western its first MIAA home win.

LEADERS

• Hightower set a new career-high with 33 points. His team-high 11 rebounds also gives Hightower his seventh double-double of the season.
• Bryan Hudson scored 21 points, marking the ninth time in the last 10 games he has scored double-figures.
• Millhollin and Carroll each added 14 points.
• Lozoya finished with a game-high 35 points for Pittsburg State.

UP NEXT

• The Griffons will travel to Lincoln (15-5, 8-3 MIAA) on Feb. 7.
• Lincoln topped the Griffons 79-68 in the teams’ first meeting on Dec. 8.

— MWSU Athletics —