ROLLA, Mo. – Freshman Bryce Foster (Florissant, Mo./Hazelwood Central) and senior A.J. Mandani (Brampton, Ontario/) each reached career highs in the scoring column Saturday to lead Missouri S&T's men's basketball team past Lincoln 88-77 at the Bullman Multi-Purpose Building.

 

Foster recorded 25 points and Mandani finished with 20 to help the Miners snap a two-game losing streak in their final game before the holiday break. S&T improved to 3-5 with the victory and won for the third straight time on its home court.

 

The Miners jumped out to a quick 8-0 lead, in part due to a pair of three-pointers from Foster, but the Blue Tigers rallied to knot the score by the 14:10 mark and took their first lead at 17-15 on Davey Fall's basket with 13:13 to play in the opening half.

 

The teams went back and forth with the lead over the next 10 minutes before S&T moved back in front after a layup by Adam Knollmeyer (Linn, Mo./Linn) with 3:22 to play. Knollmeyer's basket started an 11-4 run by the Miners to end the half, which ended with a layup by Mandani to give S&T a 41-35 lead at the intermission.

 

S&T never trailed in the second half, although the Blue Tigers were able to stay within striking distance for while. Lincoln closed a seven-point Miner lead down to one at the 13:16 mark on a basket by Anthony Welch, but Foster answered with a three-pointer on S&T's next trip down the floor to make the lead four.

 

A three-pointer by Lincoln's Miguel Felipe drew the Blue Tigers to within three a little over three minutes later, but the Miners got another three from Foster to spark a 13-2 run that gave S&T its largest lead of the game of 14 at 72-58 with 7:06 to play. Lincoln got no closer than eight for the rest of the contest.

 

Foster connected five times from long range en route to his 25-point performance, while Mandani matched his career high – which was recorded 364 days earlier against the Blue Tigers – with his 20 points. S&T also got 15 points from Knollmeyer, 11 of them coming in the second half, and 12 from Casey Noll (St. Louis, Mo./Oakville).

 

S&T shot 46.4 percent on the day and outrebounded the Blue Tigers 37-33 on the day.

 

Lincoln had three players in double figures, led by Welch with 17 and Lionel Booker with 16.

 

The Miners return to game action Dec. 29 when they face Central Oklahoma in Austin, Texas; they will also take on Southeastern Oklahoma State the following day during the trip to Texas.