ROLLA, Mo. – Clutch three-point shooting – particularly late in the contest – and a couple of key plays in the final seconds by Juwan Miller (Kitchener, Ont./Huron Heights) propelled Missouri S&T to a big early season win Wednesday night as it knocked off Lincoln 91-88 at Billy Key Court.

The Miners connected 14 times from three-point range, the last coming from Telloy Simon (Kitchener, Ont./St. Mary's) with 1:17 to play to put S&T ahead for good.  Less than a minute prior to that, Jalen Myers (Shorewood, IL/Minooka) hit a three-pointer to tie the score, then after Lincoln got the lead back on a lay-in by Jaylon Smith before Simon got the lead back for S&T with his long range jumper.

S&T was able to hold off the Blue Tigers at the free throw line, making all six of its free throws in the final 28 seconds, before Miller made a steal of Richie Lewis' pass up the floor as Lincoln was trying to get a shot to tie the game in the last four seconds.

Wednesday's victory was the second in as many nights for the Miners, who are 2-0 to start a season for the first time since the 2010-11 campaign.  To earn the win, Missouri S&T had to overcome huge scoring nights by Lincoln guards Smith and Anthony Virdure, who combined for 61 of the Blue Tigers' 88 points.

The Miners led for much of the early stages of the game before the Lincoln duo started warming up.  Virdure, who had 26 points, gave Lincoln its first lead at 15-14 and the Blue Tigers maintained the advantage for most of the next 10 minutes.

Virdure and Smith, who had a game-high 35 points, scored the final 13 points of the first half, but the Miners used a 7-0 run to get the lead back, sparked by one of Myers' six three-pointers.  The Miners' seventh three-pointer of the half, this one by Simon with under a minute to play in the half, gave S&T a 43-42 halftime lead.

Lincoln made an early run in the second half, twice building its lead to seven after three-point baskets by Smith.  But again, S&T responded and drew even at 60 on a lay-in by Rokas Paulauskas (Talsiai, Lithuania/Hamilton Heights Acad.) for the ninth of 14 ties in the contest.  After the Paulauskas basket, neither team held more than a four-point lead for the rest of the night.

Simon made a pair at the line with 7:58 left to put S&T up 73-69, but a 6-0 burst by Lincoln as Virdure scored all six, got the lead back into Lincoln's hands.  The Miners tied it back up at 77 on a conventional three-point play by Paulauskas with 3:45 to go, then Lincoln got the lead back and held it until Myers drilled a three out of the corner with 1:56 remaining to knot the score at 82.

Following the basket by Smith to give LU the lead again, the Miners came out of a timeout and got the ball into the hands of Simon, who knocked down his fourth three-pointer of the night to shift the advantage to the Miners.

S&T got a defensive stop, but turned the ball over at the other end and Smith drove to the basket with a chance to put Lincoln back in front, but he was called for an offensive foul with 28 seconds to go.  Miller hit four free throws and Simon hit both of his – all in one-and-one situations – and the last two by Miller with four seconds left put the lead back to three.

As the Blue Tigers came up the floor, Lewis tried to throw a pass up the sideline that Miller leaped into the air to pick it off and dribbled out the clock.

Myers scored 26 to lead the Miners, while Simon recorded his second straight 20-point outing as the Miners had four players in double figures.  Miller finished with 14 to go along with seven assists, while Paulauskas added 12.

S&T shot 44.6 percent from the field while the Blue Tigers hit 55 percent overall – but just five-of-17 from three-point land.

Lincoln (2-1) is coming off its best season in 14 years and was picked to finish fourth in the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association this season.

Missouri S&T will host Calvary University in a 3 p.m. contest Saturday at Billy Key Court.