KIRKSVILLE, Mo. – The Truman State Men's Basketball team couldn't get over the hump as Casen Lawrence's game-tying three-point attempt rimmed off as the #20 Missouri S&T won 72-69 on Friday afternoon in Pershing Arena.
 
The Miners improve to 4-0 in the Great Lakes Valley Conference and 10-1 overall while Truman drops to 7-5, 1-3 in the league.
 
Truman State got off to a tough start as they made just two of their first 13 field goal attempts.
 
The Miners grabbed an 11-point lead with two minutes left in the first half but the Bulldogs were able to right the ship. They would trail by six at the break at 32-26.
 
Truman would briefly take a 38-37 lead five minutes into the second half but S&T used five three-pointers in the second half to go back on top.
 
Xavier Hall's triple with 1:30 left cut the lead down to three at 68-65 and Landon Eiland made a pair of free throws later to make it a one-point deficit with 48 seconds showing. 
 
Andrew Young got his own rebound and putback with a big hoop and following a Hall quick two-pointer, an offensive rebound following a miss on the front end of a one and one forced the Bulldogs to foul again. Ryan Sroka made both attempts to make it a three-point margin and setting up Truman's last effort with eight seconds left.
 
Lawrence was running off a screen and pushed up the tying attempt as the clock expired.
 
Hall led all scorers with 19 points with Kobi Williams adding 13 for the Bulldogs. After shooting only 32% in the first half, Truman State bounced back with 60% in the second half.
 
Truman will host Lincoln (Mo.) on Monday at 3:15 p.m. The game was rescheduled from Sunday's date due to impending winter weather.