ROLLA, Mo. – Despite hitting just under a third of its shots from the floor, Missouri S&T got some clutch baskets in the second half and held off Missouri Baptist 76-73 Tuesday night at Billy Key to secure its first win of the 2015-16 season.

The Miners (1-2) took the lead for good with 7:04 to play on a lay-in by B.J. McLaughlin (Florissant, Mo./Hazelwood Central), but had to withstand MBU's rally efforts in the final minutes.  Twice, the Spartans (2-1) were able to draw to within a point, but the Miners were able to answer to keep them at bay.

Chris Buzzell hit two free throws for the Spartans with 2:18 to go to make it 69-68 in the Miners' favor, but McLaughlin got to the free throw line himself moments later and hit both to make it a three-point game again.  After Stephen Buckner cut through the lane and scored at the 1:46 mark, McLaughlin drained a 17-foot jumper to give S&T a 73-70 lead.

Juwan Miller (Kitchener, Ont./Huron Heights) hit two free throws with 29 seconds to go and then the second of two at the line 10 seconds later to give the Miners a six-point advantage.  MBU's Luke Call hit a three-pointer to cut the lead in half, then the Spartans forced a turnover on the inbounds pass and got a chance to tie it, but Buzzell was off the mark on a trey and the rebound was knocked down the floor to prevent MBU from getting a second opportunity.

S&T trailed by as many as eight in the first half, but worked its way back into the game behind the long-range shooting of freshman Telloy Simon (Kitchener, Ont./St. Mary's).  He drilled a three-pointer at the 3:53 mark to cut the Spartan lead to three, then hit another one 53 seconds later to put the Miners down by two and scored on a lay-up with 1:36 left to tie the game at 31.

The Miners would take a 34-33 lead into halftime, then were in a seesaw affair during the opening minutes of the second half as the lead changed hands six times.  Desmond Buerge (Carthage, Mo./Carthage)'s three-pointer gave S&T a 41-39 lead, but the Spartans regained the advantage and held it until the 13:51 mark when a turnover led to a fast break dunk by Ervin Sarajlic (St. Louis, Mo./Oakville).

MBU took its final lead of the game at 48-47 on a lay-in by seven-foot center Isaiah Cotton, but another three-pointer by Simon put S&T back in front at the 12:30 mark.  The Miners' lead grew to as much as six before the Spartans rallied back to knot the score at 59 on a lay-up by Will Harrington before McLaughlin's go-ahead basket.

McLaughlin recorded his first double-double with career highs in points with 21 and rebounds with 15.  S&T also got 15 points from Buerge and 14 from Simon; 11 of Simon's points came during the first half.  Rokas Paulauskas also reached double figures in rebounds with 10 as S&T outrebounded the Spartans – who went to overtime with Great Lakes Valley Conference West Division favorite Drury 11 days earlier -- 51-46.

The Miners got 25 of those boards on the offensive end, leading to 17 second chance points.

Missouri S&T will return to action Saturday when it hosts Central Missouri at 7 p.m. at Billy Key Court.