JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. — The Pittsburg State University men's basketball team twice built leads of 12 points against Lincoln University, but the Blue Tigers rallied down the stretch for a 71-65 victory over the Gorillas Saturday (Dec. 10) at Jason Gym.

LU (7-3, 1-1 MIAA) handed Pitt State (1-10, 0-4) its eighth straight loss with the decision – the Gorillas' final game of 2016.

The Gorillas led 49-37 with 14:09 to play in the game, but the Blue Tigers used a 14-3 run to narrow the gap to 52-51 with 8:27 remaining. After Pitt State's Brandon Clifford hit a 3-pointer to extend the cusion to 55-51, LU rattled off the next eight points to take a 59-55 advantage.

The Gorillas could get no closer than two points of the Blue Tigers – 62-60 on R.J. Pair's 3-pointer with 4:39 to go – down the stretch.

Clifford and Creighton Brinker paced Pitt State with 10 points apiece, while Isaiah Hicks added nine points and Jaxon Holden chipped in with eight.

Virdue led all scorers with 29 points for the Blue Tigers. LU shot just 37.3 percent from the field in the game, making 19 of 51 shots, but the Blue Tigers outscored the Gorillas, 28-10, at the free throw line.