Watkins came off the bench to score 25 points, including 16 in the second half, while Hightower finished with 13 points, 11 of which came in the final 3:31.
Leading 54-50, Lake Superior State was able to score seven straight, taking a 61-50 lead with 3:49 to play, but the Tritons wouldn't go away and slowly chipped at the deficit. Watkins grabbed his own missed three-pointer, putting it back for two points, pulling UMSL within 70-67 with 18 seconds to play. Hightower then netted four straight for UMSL, including a pair of free throws with four ticks on the clock making it 72-71. The Lakers' Kyle Hunt, who finished with a game-best 26 points, sealed the game with a pair of charity shots in the closing seconds.
UMSL slips to 1-1, while the Lakers improve to 1-1 after suffering a one-point loss on a last second shot last night to the tournament hosts.
Watkins connected on 10-of-15 from the field, while also pulling down eight rebounds, while Hightower was 9-of-9 at the free throw line and dished out a team-best six assists. As a team, the Tritons went 8-of-8 at the free-throw line in the final two minutes of the game. Junior Gerald Ford added 12 points.
UMSL jumped out to an early 12-7 lead after Watkins took it to the hole for two with 13:36 on the clock, but the Lakers used eight unanswered points to ignite a 13-2 run over the next four minutes, taking a 20-14 lead mid-way through the first stanza. Back-to-back buckets by Ford and Watkins pulled UMSL back within two at the 8:24 mark, but another Lakers spurt pushed the LSSU lead back to 28-20 at the 5:37 mark before enjoying a 36-30 halftime advantage on 54.2 percent shooting. The Tritons connected on 38.2 percent in the first 20 minutes.
UMSL finished the game shooting 41.7 percent, while Lake Superior State connected on 45.5 percent from the floor. Both teams pulled down 32 rebounds.
The Tritons will open a five-game homestand next Monday (Nov. 22), hosting Victory University in their home opener at 7:30 p.m.
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