ST. JOSEPH, Mo. - Senior Julius Dixon reached the 1000-point milestone in the Griffons (16-10, 7-8 MIAA) 79-67 bounce back victory over Missouri Southern on Saturday night at the MWSU Fieldhouse. With the win, MWSU snapped a three-game losing skid.
 
The first half of the game was closely contested, showcasing four ties and three changes in the lead. Dixon topped both teams with 15 points on 6-of-11 shooting and collected his 1000th point with a made three at the 14:43 mark. Despite his strong performance, Missouri Southern (11-13, 6-9 MIAA) carried a 35-32 advantage into the intermission.
 
In the opening minute of the second half, senior Zane Nelson sparked an 11-2 run with an and-one to tie the game and shift the momentum strongly in favor of the Griffs. Western did not trail for the remainder of the game and extended its advantage to as much as 21 points to secure the 12-point victory.
 
As a team, Missouri Western shot 26-for-53 (49%) from the field, including 9-for-19 (47%) from three-point range. They also won the rebounding battle 34-26 and converted on 18 of 21 (86%) free throw attempts.
 
Four Griffons scored in double figures against the Lions. Nelson led the team with an 18-point, 10-assist double-double. Dixon contributed 17 points and narrowly missed a double-double, finishing just one rebound shy with nine. In addition, senior Zion Swader added 14 points and senior Ethan Kilgore added 12 points.
 
Jaden Taylor stood out as the top performer for Southern, scoring 19 points on 8-of-15 shooting. Martin Macenis also contributed 13 points, while Justin Duff added 11 points.
 
The Griffons will be back in action next Thursday, facing MIAA newcomer Arkansas-Fort Smith. The game will take place at the Stubblefield Center in Fort Smith, with tip-off set for 7:30 p.m. Fans can listen to the broadcast on the Griffon Sports Network, available through the Varsity Network App and at GoGriffons.com/listen.