ROLLA, MO -- Missouri S&T defeated Harris-Stowe State University 89-43 in today's home opener, outscoring the Hornets by 37 points in the first half.
Alex Benassi (Lee's Summit, MO/Lee's Summit) set a new career-high for points scored in a game, scoring 24 and knocking down 4 threes.
Blaise Beauchamp (Minnetonka, MN/Hopkins) opened the scoring with a triple in the Miners' first possession of the game, sparking a quick 7-0 run for S&T. A three-pointer and a layup by
Andrew Young (Ballwin, MO/Marquette) a few Minutes later would push the Miners' lead to 16-7 and make Young the 29th Miner to surpass 1000 career points.
Darron Henry (Long Beach, CA/Long Beach Poly) hit a pair of shots, including a three-pointer, in a 10-2 run to give the Miners a 28-12 lead. Benassi would score thirteen points in a three minute stretch, knocking down a trio of three-pointers and leading the Miners to a 57-20 advantage at halftime.
Benassi continued his career night in the second half, knocking down another three and making a layup early to start a 9-0 run that put S&T up 66-20. Stovall would add a tipin layup and a three-pointer in the opening minutes as well. Both teams would go quiet for several minutes, but the Miners never let their lead slip below 42 points. A three by
Tucker Morris (Broken Arrow, OK/Summit Christian Academy) at 5:01 helped get the Miners scoring again, with
Jack Zarr (St. Louis, MO/Oakville),
Michael Onunkwor (Jefferson City, MO/Jefferson City), and
DJ Johnson Jr. (St. Louis, MO/John Burroughs) all scoring in the final minutes to seal the 89-43 victory.
Benassi was not the only Miner to hit a career high on the night, as Beauchamp recorded a personal-best seven assists.
Zac Brown (Collinsville, OK/Collinsville) also matched his career best with three blocks. The Miner defense proved too much for the Hornets, piling up 21 steals—the program's most in a single game since 2014.
What's Next
The Miners host Ecclesia College on Wednesday the 26th before entering Great Lakes Valley Conference competition with opening week on the road at Lincoln, Quincy, and Upper Iowa.
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