MSSU women to play host to Central Missouri Saturday

(From MSSU Lions Athletic News)

After a week off of play, the Missouri Southern Lions women's basketball team will resume MIAA action on Saturday when they host the #13 Central Missouri Jennies at 1 p.m. at the Leggett & Platt Athletic Center. This will be the Lions and Jennies second matchup in eight days as Central Missouri defeated the Lions 70-61 on February 1 in Warrensburg, Mo.

Game Information

Teams: (RV) Missouri Southern (14-5, 8-4 MIAA) vs. #13 Central Missouri (17-3, 11-2)
Date:Saturday, Feb. 8, 2014
Tip-Off: 1:00 p.m., CT
Location:Joplin, Mo.
Site: Leggett & Platt Athletic Center (3,240)
Series Record: UCM leads 34-20 (Home: 13-13, Away: 6-19, Neutral: 1-2)
Coaches: Ronda Hubbard (14-5 at MSSU, overall). Dave Silfer (186-100 at UCM, 570-199 overall).

Media Coverage

MSSU Radio: KZYM-AM 1230 The Talker, Mike McClure, Play-by-Play
Live Stats: http://livestats.prestosports.com/mssu
Live Video: http://www.americaonesports.com/partner_members.asp?id=293
Lions on Facebook: Facebook.com/missourisouthernlions
Lions on Twitter: @mososports

Last time out for the Lions (14-5, 8-4 MIAA): Despite a double-double from senior forward Dominique Mosley, the Missouri Southern Lions women's basketball team was unable to overcome the powerful duo of Keuna Flax and BreAnna Lewis as they fell 70-61 this afternoon to the #12 Central Missouri Jennies at the UCM Multipurpose Building.

Mosley went 7-of-12 from the field, while hitting 8-of-10 from the free-throw line on the afternoon. She added 11 rebounds for her fourth double-double of the season. In addition to Mosley's great outing, Southern (14-5, 8-4 MIAA) also had Tee Singleton tie a career-high with 13 points to go along with six boards and Shonte Claychipped in nine points and four boards. The Lions shot 20-of-47 (.426) from the field while hitting 18-of-25 (.720) from the free-throw line 

With the Jennies taking a 40-29 lead into the halftime break, Singleton scored the first five points of the second half for Southern and along with layups from Sharese Jones and Mosley cut Central's lead to six (44-38) in the first four minutes of play. After a layup from Jones cut the lead to four with 12:28 to play, Central all but ended Southern's threat answering with a 9-0 run over the next 5:19 before Southern finally got back on the board as Clay hit a free-throw. Southern was unable to get any closer than seven the remainder of the game as they won by a final of 70-61.

Last time out for the #13 Jennies (17-3, 11-2): The No. 13 Jennies basketball team moved back into a first-place tie in the MIAA standings, clipping Southwest Baptist, 67-64 at the Multipurpose Building on Thursday night.

The Jennies were up 36-27 at halftime, but the Bearcats kept it close it throughout the second half as the Bearcats tied up the game at 54 apiece with 6:46 remaining in the game. The two teams exchanged leads over the next seven posessions. With 25 seconds left and the Jennies clinging to a 63-61 lead, Flax drew a foul from Zelenka and hit both free throws to give the Jennies a four-point cushion. On the next SBU possession, Flax came up with a crucial steal and was fouled by Alex Botkin with 11 seconds left. Flax would split the pair to make it a 66-61 game. Duncan kept the Bearcats alive on the next possession, hitting a three with two seconds left to make it a one-possession game at 66-64. Flax helped secure the victory, making one of two shots from the charity stripe after drawing another foul, providing UCM with their 10th win in the last 11 games against SBU.

Flax led the Jennies with 16 points, while adding seven rebounds. BreAnna Lewis tallied two three-pointers, moving past Ashley Millham into seventh-place on the Jennies' all time three-point field goals made list with 129. Twine added 14 points, tying her season high.

The Coaches: Ronda Hubbard (14-5) 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 but 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.

Dave Slifer (570-199) is in his 10th season at the helm of the Jennies, compiling a 186-100 (.650) record at UCM. He was named the WBCA Central Region Coach of the Year following the 2012-13 season after leading the Jennies to a 24-6 record and their third NCAA Tournament appearance in the past four seasons. Slifer picked up his 500th career victory in 2010-11, in a narrow 56-53 win at Missouri Western. He is the sixth-winningest active coach in NCAA Division II women's basketball with a 570-199 (.741) overall record.

The series between the two schools: Central Missouri leads the overall series with the Lions 34-20, winning five in a row. The teams are 13-13 all-time in Joplin with Southern's last win at home coming on December 4, 2010 as they won 74-62 at L&P.

Scouting Central Missouri: The Jennies rank 2nd in the MIAA in scoring offense (76.2) and 5th in both field goal percentage (.431) and rebounds (40.8). They are led in scoring by MIAA leading scorer Keuna Flax who averages a league-high 20.7 ppg and leads the conference in field goal percentage shooting 59.1% from the field. Guards BreAnna Lewis and Shelby Winkelmann also are in the top 25 in the MIAA in scoring while forward Revonnia Howard is third in the MIAA in rebounds averagins 8.7 boards per game.

Lions receiving votes in the WBCA Women's Poll: For the fifth consecutive week, Southern received votes in the USA Today WBCA Women's basketball poll garnering 5 votes, a fall from 41 last week. They are joined in the poll by MIAA members Emporia State at #7, UCM at #13, Fort Hays State at #25 and Pittsburg State, who is also receiving votes.

MIAA Team Rankings: The Lions rank 1st in the MIAA in FG percentage (.468), 2nd in free-throw percentage (.746), & rebounding defense (33.2 rpg), 3rd in steals (9.2 spg), 4th in 3-pt. percentage (.330), 5th in scoring margin (+8.0) & scoring offense (74.2) and tied for 6th in scoring defense (66.2 ppg).

MIAA Individual Rankings: Shonte Clay is third in the MIAA in FG percentage as she is shooting 56.4% from the field hitting 93-165. Sharese Jones is 5th at 55.5% (81-146). Dominique Mosley ranks 8th hitting 51.6% (114-221).

Samantha Soyez is 3rd in the MIAA in assists averaging 4.3 apg as she has dished 77 helpers in 18 games.Alexis Fitzpatrick is 5th averaging 3.8 apg.                    

Jones ranks 5th in the MIAA in FT percentage at 80.0% (100-125). Hartzog is 7th at 77.4% (48-62). Clay is 8th (76.6%) and Mosley is 13th (74.1%).

Fitzpartick leads the MIAA in steals averaging 2.6 swipes per game. She is 7th in the MIAA in minutes played averging 31.1 mpg. Hartzog is 2nd in steals with 2.2 spg.

Mosley ranks 6th in the MIAA in scoring averaging 15.3 ppg.  Jones is 10th at 14.3 ppg. Clay is 16th with 12.9 ppg.

Jones is 11th in boards grabbing 7.1 rpg. Mosley is 15th with 6.7 rpg.