ST. JOSEPH, Mo. - Big nights from seniors Zane Nelson and Julius Dixon help Missouri Western men's basketball (5-1) pick up the 73-59 win over Rockhurst (2-2) on Tuesday night at the Tom Smith Court.
 
The Griffons controlled the game right from the start after Nelson initiated a 15-2 run with the game's first point. They managed to extend their lead to as much as 22 points, following a steal and fast break layup by Zion Swader that brought the score to 36-14. By the end of the half, they held a commanding advantage of 38-19 heading into the half.

Despite the Hawks experiencing brief moments of success in the second half and narrowing the deficit to 13 points at multiple points, the Griffons responded efficiently to each run to secure the win. The second-half scoring was highlighted by Dixon's first dunk of the season, which occurred with under two minutes remaining in the game to help MWSU to the 14-point victory.
 
Missouri Western maintained a steady shooting performance, finishing the game 27-of-55 (49.1%) from the field, including five three-pointers. The Griffons dominated the Hawks in the paint, scoring 42 points to their 20, and took advantage of RU's turnovers, adding 20 points as a result.
 
Nelson achieved his fifth double-digit scoring performance of the season, leading the game with 19 points. Dixon finished just one point behind, shooting 6-of-12 from the field and contributing five assists, while Justin Bubak added 11 points.
 
The Griffons will travel this Friday to face Arkansas Tech (3-1) from the Great American Conference in Russellville, Arkansas. Tip-off at Tucker Coliseum is scheduled to begin at 7:00 p.m.