By Jim Henry

jhenry@joplinglobe.com

Coming off Christmas break, there’s been nothing in common between Missouri Southern and Pittsburg State’s two basketball games this week.

The No. 10-ranked Lions have found themselves on the opposite side of two blowouts, losing 105-65 at Southwest Baptist before winning 81-58 at home over Missouri Western.

The Gorillas, meanwhile, lost a game they should have won, then won a game they should have lost. PSU saw a five-point lead disappear in the last 23 seconds of regulation before losing 79-72 in overtime at Central Missouri on Monday night. Two days later, the Gorillas overcame a 14-point, second-half deficit to nip visiting Northwest Missouri State 63-61.

“They’ve been in two games were every possession in the last few minutes was crucial,” Missouri Southern head coach Robert Corn said. “In our games the last few minutes didn’t mean a lot other than determining the final score.”

“It’s pretty tough to set a school record in rebounding (59) and a school record in offensive rebounds (28) in the same game and lose it, but we managed to do it,” Gorillas head coach Gene Iba said. “We had 27 turnovers and shot 47 percent from the free-throw line and still should have won the game.

“We played well for about five minutes in the Northwest game. It was the right five minutes. We got a few breaks. We did several things late that helped us. We got a steal when we needed it, and we shot some shots in we had to have. I’ve been involved in games with unusual finishes before but not in back-to-back games.”

Tonight’s game marks the third straight time the Lion defense faces one of the MIAA’s top scorers. PSU senior guard Carlos Taylor tallied 29 points against Central Missouri and 19 against Northwest Missouri — including the go-ahead 3-pointer in the final minute — to raise his season average to 17.1.

“Carlos is acting like a senior,” Iba said. “There’s a lot more urgency in his game now. He never comes into the game not prepared and not mentally prepared to play. That’s something a lot of players don’t do.”

“Carlos and Spencer (Magana) are having really good years,” Corn said. “Those guys are averaging over 30 together, but both of them are capable of having 30 on any given night individually. Their guards are very good.”

The Gorillas are also strong on the boards, outrebounding their opponents by 5.5 per game. In Monday’s school-record effort at Central Missouri, three players logged double-figure rebounds — T.J. Stukes with 16, Ivan Evans with 12 and Taylor with 10.

“We have to match their physical play on the inside,” Corn said. “Gene’s teams have always been well-coached on the defensive end, and teams are shooting less than 40 percent against them this year.

“They are on the verge of becoming a very good basketball team in my opinion. They had so many new players this year, it’s taken them time to find their identity, and I feel they are starting to find it.”

The Lions followed their worst game of the season with their best, hitting 53 percent from the floor while holding Missouri Western to 35 percent.