By Jim Henry

jhenry@joplinglobe.com

Every year this is Robert Corn’s favorite weekend of the nonconference basketball season.

Missouri Southern is the host for the Freeman Sports Medicine/Chris Tucker Memorial Classic, slated tonight and Saturday night at the Leggett & Platt Athletic Center.

“Mr. (Harvey) Tucker is coming back, and a lot of the Tucker family will be here,” said Corn, the Lions’ head coach. “It’s always been a very special event, and no matter how many years we continue doing it, it will be a special event. It brings back a lot of great memories.”

Chris Tucker, a 6-foot-9 center, played for the Lions from 1990-94 and earned first team all-conference honors as a junior and senior and second team All-America honors his final season.

He still holds the Lions’ records for blocked shots in a game (9) and career (179). He ranks fourth in MSSU history in career points (1,520) and second in career rebounds (952).

After his senior season, Tucker stayed in Joplin to attend summer school and complete the final six hours to earn his degree. But on July 8, 1994 — just a few days after signing a professional contract to play in a European league — Tucker was killed in an automobile accident in Joplin.

“The lives he touched are better because of our association with Chris,” Corn said. “I remember a proud parent showing me a drawing of Chris playing basketball that his grade school daughter had done one day at school. A grade school teacher told my wife that Chris had been to her class a couple of times. ... The class worked on reading assignments by following Chris in the newspaper.”

The Lions play Mid-America Christian tonight at 8 and Southwestern (Kan.) on Saturday night in the classic. Pittsburg State plays the opening game both nights at 6.

MSSU is off to a 3-0 start after Tuesday night’s 72-51 victory over Central Bible College. A balanced scoring attack has nine players averaging at least four points, led by forwards Jason Adams (15.0) and DaRell Crittendon (14.3) and guards Mariun Price (13.0) and Skyler Bowlin (12.7).

Mid-America Christian, in its third year as a member of the Sooner Athletic Conference, is 4-2. A 71-68 decision over Sterling is the Evangels’ only victory by less than 17 points, and both losses have come against bigger schools on the road — 74-69 to Division I TCU and 94-72 Tuesday night to Drury. Charlie Shorter, 6-0 sophomore guard, had 20 points against the Panthers.

Southwestern is 3-4, including a season-opening 84-57 loss to Mid-America Christian. Marcus Batiste, 6-6 senior forward, leads the Moundbuilders at 15.6 points and 5.9 rebounds per game.

Seniors Spencer Magana and Rodney Grace are the top two scorers for Pittsburg State (3-1). The Gorillas are coming off a 68-46 loss Tuesday night at Newman — a game that saw the Gorillas lead 20-12 before going scoreless for 19 straight possessions during the final 9:58 of the first half and the first 3:18 of the second half. Newman, meanwhile turned the eight-point deficit into a 20-point lead.