Lions Kick Mules

Lions upset No. 15 Central Missouri State, 88-72 Box Score JOPLIN -- Missouri Southern senior Hiram Ocasio collected his 1,000th career point in the first half, and in the second, he helped lead the Lions to an upset of a nationally-ranked foe. Ocasio scored 13 points in the second half as Missouri Southern won for the fifth time in seven starts, stunning No. 15 Central Missouri State, 88-72, on Wednesday. The Lions (7-9, 3-2 MIAA) outscored Central 25-8 over the final eight minutes of the game after the Mules had led by as many as seven. Missouri Southern started the game by outscoring Central 13-4 over the first four-plus minutes, but CMSU junior Michael Hicks kept the Mules in it early, scoring 12 of his team`s first 16 points. However, backed by 14 points from Wilson/MIAA Player of the Week Orestus Cavness, the Lions still held a 31-20 cushion with 11:37 gone in the game. From there, Central used an 11-0 run to erase the deficit, on its way to a 43-42 edge at the half. Back-to-back jumpers from Hicks early in the second half made it a 53-47 Mules lead with just over three minutes gone after intermission. Central led 55-50 with 15 minutes left, when junior Jeremie Bond sparked a 13-2 Southern rally with a layup off an assist from junior Quentin Edwards. Ocasio scored eight points during the run, knocking down two three-pointers. The Mules would reclaim the lead once more, on a three-pointer from senior Mike Suggs, with 8:27 left. Junior Jeremy McCadney`s second three-pointer of the season ignited a 17-5 run over the next 4:35 for the Lions. Cavness, coming off back-to-back 30-point games, ended with 28 points for the Lions, while Ocasio finished with 18 points and shared game-high rebounding honors with backcourt teammate Edwards, who had 10 points and five assists. Bond added 13 points, 11 in the second half, to go with five rebounds as MSSU outrebounded Central 38-28. Hicks scored 21 points, on 8-of-16 shooting, including 4-of-9 from three-point range, to lead the Mules. Senior Derek Weber added 12 points, Suggs 11 and junior Corey Brown 10 points and six assists.