ROLLA, Mo. – Missouri S&T's men's basketball discovered the mark again from three-point range Thursday night, but wasn't quite able to parlay that into a victory as Lewis – a team that has played close games with regularity this season – came away with a 74-69 win over the Miners at Billy Key Court.

 

After going just 2-of-22 from three-point range over the last two games, the Miners connected eight times from beyond the arc Thursday. The last of the eight, a trey by freshman Bryce Foster (Florissant, Mo./Hazelwood Central) with 6:32 to go, gave the Miners a 63-61 lead.

 

However, S&T would lose that advantage a little over a minute later and would never lead again as it fell for the sixth consecutive game.

 

The Miners led for much of the first half, leading by as many as seven in the early going. Lewis was able to stay in the game at the free throw line, which is where it got the lead when Chris McClellan completed a three-point play at the 5:22 mark to give the Flyers a 29-28 lead.

 

The three-point play started a 12-0 run by Lewis as it built a 10-point lead with under three minutes to go in the half, but the Miners scored the final seven points of the period to carry a three-point deficit of 38-35 to the intermission.

 

S&T took the lead back momentarily at 45-44 after a lay-in by Foster four minutes into the second half, then fell behind again for the next 10 minutes before regaining the lead on the Foster three-pointer at the 6:32 mark.

 

The Flyers cut the lead to one on a free throw by Marty Strus, then took the lead back on a three-point play by David Bryant with 5:22 left. As the Miners were in a stretch where they failed to score on six consecutive possessions, Lewis was able to extend its lead to six by the 3:02 mark when Dennis Thomas, Jr., scored on a drive to the basket.

 

A.J. Mandani (Brampton, Ontario/) scored to break the Flyers' 8-0 run, then Foster scored on another lay-in with 48 seconds to go to bring the margin down to two. However, McClellan came right back down the floor and scored at the basket to extend the lead back to four again; the Flyers would then wrap up the game at the free throw line.

 

Foster led the Miners with 19 points, while Mandani had 14 and Byron Bundy (Columbia, Mo./Hickman) 13. The Miners shot 47.5 percent from the floor, made 8-of-21 from three-point range and enjoyed their best rebounding advantage of the season of 35-26. 

 

The difference came at the free throw line, where the Flyers outscored the Miners 22-3.

 

McClellan led all scorers with a career-high 26 for Lewis (12-6, 4-5 GLVC), which played in its seventh straight game that was decided by six points or less. Donald Rowe added 17 points for the Flyers.

 

The Miners (5-13, 1-9 GLVC) will host Wisconsin-Parkside Saturday at 3 p.m. on Fort Leonard Wood Appreciation Day at Billy Key Court.