BOLIVAR, Mo. – The undefeated #3 SBU Bearcats confirmed their high ranking, with a resounding 105-65 victory over the previously unbeaten #10 Missouri Southern Lions Monday night at the Meyer Sports Center.

The Bearcats started off the game with 13 to 3 run. Missouri Southern would get as close as three points (23-20) before the Bearcats closed the first half on a 26 to 7 run to lead 49-27 at the break. The Bearcats opened the second half in the same fashion, putting together an impressive barrage of shots and pressure defense that pushed the lead up to 41 points with 8:45 left in the second half.

Johnnie Harris had an SBU career high 16 points and 9 rebounds. Matt Rogers had 14 points, while D'Ante Harris had 13 and Nick Kovacevich added 11 for SBU. It was the tenth game the Bearcats had at least four players in double figures. John Tiemeyer was the leading rebounder for the Bearcats, grabbing 10 rebounds. The 'Cats shot 57% for the game and hit 16 of 34 three pointers.

"It was a nice win for our team tonight," said head coach Jeff Guiot. "We had a nice spurt right before the half, which was the key for us. All of our guys have confidence. For us, it's all about effort. There are things you can't control in this game, but you can always control effort."

The Bearcats' dominant performance came in front of 2642 fans. "We had a nice crowd here tonight - just a great atmosphere for basketball. You had the #3 and #10 teams in the nation going head to head - the fans couldn't ask for much more than that," said Guiot.

SBU remains undefeated at 10-0 on the season and 3-0 in the MIAA. Missouri Southern drops to 12-1 overall and 2-1 in the MIAA. SBU hosts Truman State on Wednesday afternoon in 3:30 p.m. start. The Bearcats have now won 22 consecutive games at home.

Final Stats