Friday, November 29, 2013

MSSU women to play Rockhurst Saturday

(From MSSU Lions Sports News)

Coming off a 30-point win on the road at Northwestern Oklahoma State Tuesday, the Missouri Southern women's basketball team wraps up their two-game non-conference road swing Saturday afternoon when they travel to Kansas City, Mo. to face the Rockhurst Hawks at 4 p.m. at Mason-Halpin Field House.
The Lions last time out (4-1): Behind another pair of stellar performances from Dominique Mosley andSharese Jones, the Missouri Southern women's basketball team cruised past Northwestern Oklahoma State 84-54 Tuesday (Nov. 26) afternoon at Percefull Fieldhouse in Alva, Oklahoma.
The Lions (4-1) were led in scoring by Mosley as she dropped 24 points on 11-of-15 shooting on the day. Jones, coming into the game averaging 16 points per game, was right on her average as she added 16 points, including connecting on 8-of-9 from the free-throw line. Nicole Hartzog chipped in 12 points, going a perfect 8-for-8 at the free-throw line, as all 10 Lions who played scored at least two points. Mosley and Samantha Soyezgrabbed a team-high seven rebounds while Soyez, who leads the MIAA in assists per game, dished out seven helpers.
Nearly leading from start to finish, Northwestern got on the scoreboard first, but Southern responded right away as Hartzog hit a pair of free throws and Mosley hit a jumper to take a 4-2 lead. The Lions would not trail for the rest of the game, but the Rangers did hang around for a while in the first half getting within six (24-18) after a pair of free throws with 6:09 to play in the first half. Southern ended the half on a 11-5 run as Mosley hit a pair of jumpers, Alexis Fitzpatrick nailed a three-pointer and Jones and Shonte Clay each hit a jumper to take a 35-23 lead into halftime.
The Lions got off to a fast start in the second half scoring the first seven points out of the locker room getting four more points from Mosley and three from Jones to open up a 42-23 lead. It was off to the races from their as the Rangers were unable to get any closer than 16 the rest of the way. A jumper from freshman centerConnor Shriver, her first collegiate basket, gave Southern their largest of the game at 30 as they would win by that final 84-54.
The Hawks last time out (4-2): Four players scored in double figures to lead Rockhurst to an 85-78 victory over Baker Tuesday night (Nov. 26) at RU's Mason-Halpin Field House. The win moves the Hawks' record to 4-2. Kendall Hart led the Hawks with 21 points as she made five-of-seven three-point shots. Rockhurst shot 40 percent on three-point field goals (8 of 20).
Shavonne Brewer scored 20 points behind 10-of-13 free throw shooting, Mary Dineen made all eight of her free throws to finish with 18 points. The Hawks made 70 percent of their free throws (21 of 30). Dineen also finished with six rebounds and four assists. Lauren Meyers added 12 points and seven rebounds. Taylor Skala made five steals in her first game of the season.
The Coaches: Ronda Hubbard (4-1) is in her 13th year on the staff at Missouri Southern and was promoted to the position of Interim Head Coach on July 2, 2013 after the retirement of Maryann Mitts. During her 12 years with the Lions, she has helped the team to a 189-145 record, including winning marks and a trip to the MIAA post season tournament in all by one of those 12 seasons. In 2000-01, Hubbard helped the University of Texas-Pan American post its most wins in a season since becoming an NCAA Division I institution in 1985, and the second most victories in school history. Prior to her stint at Texas-Pan American, she served on current Lions head coach Maryann Mitts' staff as an assistant at Rockhurst University from 1996-2000. There, she helped the Lady Hawks post a 68-45 record and advance to the 1997-98 Sweet 16.
Larry Park (29-82) is in his fifth season as the head coach of the women's basketball program. Park has coached for the past 29 seasons on the collegiate level. He has been an assistant coach for the Rockhurst men's program since 1996. Park played an important role in Rockhurst's successful conversion from an NAIA Division I affiliate to an NCAA Division II member in 1998. Prior to joining the Rockhurst men's staff in 1996, Park spent five seasons as an assistant men's coach at Avila University in Kansas City, Mo. He also was an assistant men's coach at Ottawa University (1986-89) and UMKC (1982-85).
The series between the two schools: Rockhurst leads the overall series with the Lions 10-7, but Southern did win the most recent matchup in the series, nearly 10 years ago, at home on January 12, 2004 85-54. The Lions are 5-2 against the Hawks at home, but are only 2-7on the road in Kansas City, while falling in their only neutral site meeting at the Pittsburg State Thanksgiving Tournament in 1997.

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