By Jim Henry

jhenry@joplinglobe.com

At 17-11, Missouri Southern’s men’s basketball team posted its first winning record in five seasons.

The Lions had their most victories since going 19-10 in 2002-03, and with an 11-7 MIAA record, it’s the most conference wins since the Lions were 12-6 in 2002.

Picked dead last in the coaches’ preseason poll, the Lions spent most of the conference season in first or second place. But they lost four of their last five league games and wound up in a third-place tie with Central Missouri, the Lions’ best league finish since they tied Washburn for third in 2002.

The Lions’ season ended Friday afternoon with a 68-59 loss to Fort Hays State in the first round of the MIAA Basketball Championships at Municipal Auditorium in Kansas City, Mo. The Lions rallied within two points in the closing minutes, but a 14-point halftime deficit proved too much to overcome.

“To come here and not play your best, it’s disappointing,” head coach Robert Corn said. “But by the same token, there is a lot to be proud of and a lot to look back on. Our kids accomplished a lot.

“It’s been a good year. Obviously you want to continue playing. When you put yourself in a position to do some really special things, you want to take advantage of it. That’s the disappointing thing because we put ourselves in position, tied (for the conference lead) with three weeks to go.”

Corn praised the four seniors — Tyler Ryerson, T.J. Britton, Octavius Hawkins and Joey Savage — for their leadership in what he hopes was a foundation season.

“I told the four seniors we’ve made a big step forward with this program this year,” Corn said. “If we have any success in the next two or three years, it’s a direct result of what they’ve accomplished this year. The work ethic and just the base of the toughness that they have helped establish this year, if we’re fortunate to win any type of conference championship, they are going to share in it.”

Upset Friday

The fourth-seeded Lions weren’t the only upset victims in Friday’s quarterfinal sessions.

Emporia State knocked off regular-season champion Southwest Baptist 83-79, and Washburn gunned down third-seeded Central Missouri 79-68. This is the first year that only one seeded team — No. 2 Northwest Missouri State — reached the semifinals since the conference postseason tournament went to eight teams in 1991.