ROLLA, Mo. – Missouri S&T's men's basketball team wants to put a disappointing 2017-18 campaign behind it as quickly as possible and took the first step in that direction Saturday night with a 111-65 season opening victory over Blackburn at Gibson Arena.

The Miners, who suffered a loss to Blackburn to open last year's schedule, never trailed Saturday and used a 17-2 spurt midway through the first half to take an 18-point lead and never looked back.  S&T led by 25 at the half and blew the game open after the intermission by shooting 63.6 percent in the second half.

After Blackburn tied the score at two on its first trip down the floor, the Miners scored the next six points to take the lead for good.  The Beavers – who were playing the contest as a discretionary exhibition contest – drew to within three on a Chanz Aldridge jumper at the 13:13 mark, but a second chance three-pointer by Jordan Newt (San Francisco, CA/Malibu) sparked the Miners' run that pushed the lead to 18 over the next four minutes.

Dulan Scott (Chicago, IL/Farragut Academy) scored nine straight points for the Miners after Newt's basket, before the run was closed by a three-pointer by Jalen Myers (Shorewood, IL/Minooka) to give S&T a 29-11 advantage.

Scott had 17 of his game-high 21 points in the first half as the Miners led 47-22 at the break, then S&T extended its lead to over 30 points in the first three minutes of the second half as every Miner got into the scoring column.

S&T had four players in double figures in the game, as Romain Louiserre (La Ferte Alais, France/Fredrick Fays) and freshman Kyle Bushman (Mount Vernon, MO/Mount Vernon) had 11 points apiece and fellow freshman Yahmir Muhammad (Rockford, IL/Auburn) finished with 10.  The Miners forced 20 turnovers in the game, as Juwan Miller (Kitchener, Ont./Huron Heights) – who, like Myers, returned to the lineup after missing all of last season due to injuries – had five steals.

The Miners reached the century mark for the first time since a 102-88 win over McKendree in February 2017 and the 111 points were the most by an S&T team since it beat Saint Joseph's 111-99 on Jan. 2, 2015.  S&T's 111 points were also the third-most ever scored by the Miners in a season opener.

Blackburn had three players in double figures, led by Karson Hayes with 19 points.

Missouri S&T returns to the floor Tuesday when it hosts Central Christian at 7 p.m. at Gibson Arena.