JOPLIN, MO. – The defending MIAA champions got a career night from center Keane Thomann and the Missouri Southern State University Lions defeated the Truman Bulldogs 89-43 in the conference opener on Wednesday night. Thomann scored 31 points to pace the Lions while the Bulldogs were led by Seth Jackson's 11.

With the score knotted at eight apiece, the second ranked team in Division II threw on a press and quickly went on a 9-0 run. They would go on a 15-0 run later in the period to break the game wide open and led at the half 50-21.

Thomann scored 21 in the first half and then 10 points in the first four minutes of the second before coming out of the game with 31 points and eight rebounds in 22 minutes of work. Southern's All-American candidate Jason Adams finished with just 10 points but had a career high 10 assists in 25 minutes.

Jackson (St. Louis, Mo., CBC) was 5-of-7 from the field to lead the 'Dogs with 11 while EJ Hicks (Davenport, Iowa, Davenport Central) added 10 with a pair of blocks.

With a three-pointer on the night, Tom Norton (Bloomington, Ill., Bloomington Catholic) eclipsed the 150 made threes for his Bulldog career and is now four away from eighth all-time in Bulldog history. Norton finished with seven points.

The Bulldogs will look to even their conference record with a home date against Pittsburg State (Kan.) on Saturday afternoon. Game time is slated for 3:00 p.m.