Saturday, November 29, 2014
MSSU men defeat Midwestern State 77-71
The Missouri Southern basketball team used a 14-7 run to end the game and the Lions took out Midwestern State 77-71 today in the St. Mary's Thanksgiving Classic.
Southern (5-3) was led offensively Lane Barlow who scored a career-high 29 points on the afternoon. Barlow went 9-16 from the field and 2-5 from long-range, while going 9-10 from the free-throw line. Cameron Cornelius scored 12 points, while Taylor Luster added 11.
Midwestern State (4-2) was led offensively by 18 points from Adiodun Adegoke, while Devante Pullum had 14 and Xavier Blackburn scored 13.
Both teams traded leads early, but back-to-back jumpers from Taevaunn Prince gave the Lions a 10-6 lead with 15:45 to go in the first half. A jumper from Cornelius with 11:34 to go in the half gave the Lions a 18-14 lead and the score was 23-14 after a jumper and a three from Barlow with 10:48 to go in the half.
Midwestern took a 28-27 lead after a pair of freebies from Pullum with 7:19 to go in the half, and led 33-27 with 4:05 to go. The Mustangs took a 36-33 lead into the locker room at the break.
Cornelius tied the game at 38 with a free-throw with 16:39 to go in the second half and a free-throw from Brandon Pines made the score 39-38 Lions with Lions, but a three from the Mustangs' Derrell Gibbs made the score 43-41 MSU with 14:56 left to go in the game.
Both teams traded leads for the next five minutes and the Mustangs led 53-47 with 10:48 left in the game, but the Lions went on a 12-4 run and a three from Luster with 6:36 left gave Southern a 59-57 lead. The Lions led from then on out and despite Midwestern State getting to within three on multiple occasions, Southern made clutch free-throws down the stretch to seal the win.
The Lions shot 42 percent from the field and 81 percent from the free-throw line. Southern had a 13-11 advantage in points off of 14 MSU turnovers, while posting a 13-12 advantage in second-chance points.
Southern will be back in action on Thursday, Dec. 4 when the Lions travel to Nebraska-Kearney for a matchup with the Lopers. Tipoff from Kearney is slated for 7:30 pm.
MSSU men slip past St. Mary's 69-67
Taevaunn Prince went 6-6 from the field and a 12-2 run for the Missouri Southern basketball team down the stretch helped the Lions to a 69-67 win over St. Mary's at the St. Mary's Thanksgiving Classic Friday.
Southern (4-3) was led by Prince's 16 points as the junior had a perfect day shooting, going 6-6 from the field and 4-4 from the free-throw line. He added five rebounds an assist and a steal. Austin Wright scored 13 points, whileCameron Cornelius added 13 of his own. Bruce Marshall had four points and five rebounds off the bench.
St. Mary's (1-3) was led by 21 points from Justin Alexander, while Marvin Whitt and Marvin Binney scored 14 and 12 points, respectively.
The Lions scored first on a jumper from Prince on their first possession, and Southern opened up a 6-2 lead after another jumper from Prince with 16:15 left in the first.
St. Mary's kept a slim lead early on in the half, however, but a jumper from Marshall off of an assist from Prince tied the game at 17 with 9:45 left in the half. A pair of freebies from Cornelius with just over nine minutes left gave the Lions a 19-18 lead and the two teams traded baskets before a steal and a bucket from Cornelius with 3:58 left gave the Lions a 26-24 lead. Southern held the lead through the final three minutes and a pair of free-throws from Taylor Luster with four seconds left gave the Lions a 31-28 lead going into the locker room.
Both teams traded baskets to start the second half, but after a technical foul on St. Mary's, Luster made a pair of free-throws to put the Lions up 43-40 with 13:25 to go. A three from Wright with 8:46 left gave the Lions a 50-48 lead, but St. Mary's scored four in a row to go back up 52-50 with just over eight minutes to go.
A three from Wright with just over six minutes to go put the Lions up 56-54 and a three from Blaine Miller the next trip down the court put the Lions up 59-54 with 5:15 left in the game. A layup from Luster with 3:43 left pushed the Lions' run to 12-2 and forced a St. Mary's timeout with 3:43 left in the game, Southern leading 63-56.
St. Mary's worked the Lions' lead down to three (63-60) but a bucket from Prince from Luster pushed the Southern lead back to five (65-60) with 2:37 to go. The Ratlers hit a big three the next trip down to make the score 65-63, but two clutch freebies from Prince gave the Lions a 67-63 lead with 45 seconds to go. After a St. Mary's bucket on the other end, Wright hit one of two free-throws to make the score 68-65, but another bucket from the Ratlers cut the lead to one (68-67) with ten seconds to go. Lane Barlow was fouled with 4.2 seconds left and went to the line. He missed the first, but made the second and a last-second attempt was no good, giving the Lions the win.
The Lions shot 50 percent from the field and 70 percent from the free-throw line. They held the lead for ten more minutes than St. Mary's and scored 18 points off of 14 Ratlers' turnovers.
Southern will be back in action Saturday afternoon when the Lions hook up with Midwestern State at 3 pm inside of Bill Greehey Arena.
MSSU women race past NW Oklahoma State 77-33
The Missouri Southern women's basketball team held visiting Northwestern Oklahoma State to under 20 points in each half and took out the Rangers 77-33 on Robert Corn Court inside the Leggett & Platt Athletic Center Saturday afternoon.
Southern (6-0) was led offensively by Shawnee Phillips and Sharese Jones with identical 13 point, seven rebound performances. Phllips was 4-5 from the field, 2-3 from long-range and 3-4 from the free-throw line. Camila Lacerdascored 12 points, while Nicole Hartzog had nine points on 4-8 shooting.
NWOSU (1-4) was led offensively by eight points from Micaela Yu.
The Lions opened up a 19-4 lead early on after a fast-break layup from Hartzog with 9:50 to go in the first half. The lead was 17 (24-7) after a free-throw from Jones with 7:56 to go and it was 19 (28-9) after a fast-break layup from Jones with just under seven to go.
The Southern lead reached 23 (33-10) and increased the Lions' run to 26-4 after a three from Hartzog with 4:34 to go in the half and the Lions closed the half on a 7-5 run, leading 40-15 at the break.
Jones led all scorers at the half with 11 points. The Lions shot 52 percent from the field, 50 percent from long-range and 83 percent from the field. Southern held a 14-8 advantage in the paint, 11-2 off of turnovers and 8-0 on fast-break scores.
Southern started the second half on a 14-3 run capped off by a layup from Jenson Maydew to make the score 54-18 with 14:28 left to go in the game. A three from Lacerda with nine minutes to go gave Southern a 36 point lead (59-23), while a pair of freebies from Jones put the Lions up 40 (63-23) with just under eight minutes to go. The Lions' lead was 70-28 at the final media timeout. The lead reached its highest (45) after a layup from Lacerda with 47 seconds left made the score 77-32, Lions.
The 33 points allowed by the Lions are the fewest since Southern held Saint Mary (Kan.) to 29 points in a 66-29 win on November 23, 2007. The 33 points are the fewest points allowed ever to a Division II opponent in the D-II era for the Lions and the fewest allowed to a D-II opponent since the Lions won 72-40 against Nebraska-Omaha in 2009.
Southern shot 48 percent from the field and 86 percent from the free-throw line in the game. The Lions had a 28-10 advantage in the paint, 17-9 off of turnovers, 15-4 on second chance and 16-0 in fast break scores.
The Lions will be back in action next week when the Lions head to Nebraska-Kearney for a 5:30 pm game on Thursday evening.
Wednesday, November 26, 2014
MSSU men to play in weekend tournament at San Antonio
The Missouri Southern men's basketball team will head to San Antonio this weekend as the Lions will compete in the St. Mary's Thanksgiving Classic on November 28 and 29. Tipoff on both days is slated for 3 pm.
Game Information
Teams: Missouri Southern (3-3) vs. St. Mary's (1-2)/Midwestern State (4-1)
Date: Fri./Sat. 11-28/29
Tip-Off: 3 pm each day
Location: San Antonio, Texas
Site: Bill Greehey Arena (3,800)
Series Record: Lions lead SMU 2-1/Lions lead MSU 7-3
Coaches: Jeff Boschee (3-3 overall/at MSSU). Jim Zeleznak (161-100 overall/at SMU - Nelson Haggerty (72-51 overall/at MSU)
Tip-Off: 3 pm each day
Location: San Antonio, Texas
Site: Bill Greehey Arena (3,800)
Series Record: Lions lead SMU 2-1/Lions lead MSU 7-3
Coaches: Jeff Boschee (3-3 overall/at MSSU). Jim Zeleznak (161-100 overall/at SMU - Nelson Haggerty (72-51 overall/at MSU)
Media Coverage
MSSU Radio: FM 99.7 KBTN - Mike McClure - Play-by-play
Internet Audio: www.mssulions.com
Webcast: www.mssulions.com
Live Stats: www.mssulions.com
Lions on Facebook: Facebook.com/missourisouthernlions
Lions on Twitter: @mososports; @mssumensbball
MSSU Radio: FM 99.7 KBTN - Mike McClure - Play-by-play
Internet Audio: www.mssulions.com
Webcast: www.mssulions.com
Live Stats: www.mssulions.com
Lions on Facebook: Facebook.com/missourisouthernlions
Lions on Twitter: @mososports; @mssumensbball
A look at the coaches: Jeff Boschee, MSSU - Jeff Boschee is in his first season as the head coach of the Missouri Southern basketball program after serving four seasons as an assistant and associate head coach. He was named the head coach of the Lions on July 1, 2014. Since Boschee has arrived at Southern, the Lions have went 86-33, made four consecutive MIAA tournaments and had trips to three of the last four NCAA Division II postseason tournaments, while claiming the 2010-11 MIAA regular season championship, and the 2013-14 post-season tournament championship. The 2010-11 team set the MIAA record for conference wins in a season with 19. Under Boschee's leadership, former Lion Skyler Bowlin was the MIAA's Player and Defender of the Year in 2011. He was a first-team All-MIAA, All-Region and All-American selection, being named to three different All-America teams. He was also the Region Player of the Year and a finalist for the National Player of the Year. Bowlin signed a professional contract to play basketball in the German Pro League after completing his eligibility and has since moved on to playing in Denmark.
Jim Zeleznak - St. Mary's - Since taking over the St. Mary's Men's Basketball program in 2005, Zeleznak has continued St. Mary's winning traditions while also managing to lead the storied program to unprecedented success as an NCAA Division II member. His Rattlers have earned three straight national-tournament appearances — including their first-ever NCAA Sweet 16 bid in 2013 — and they cut down the nets following Heartland Conference Tournament championships in 2012 and 2013. Now in his 10th season at the helm, Zeleznak has become the program's third-most winningest coach with a career record of 160-98 (61-percent winning percentage).
Nelson Haggerty - Midwestern State enters his fourth season at the helm at Midwestern State after he was tabbed as the program's 14th head coach in April of 2011. And he has done nothing but proven his stance as one of the finest young mentors in the game posting a 75-21 mark (.781) in his first three seasons. Haggerty led the Mustangs to a 29-4 record while advancing to the NCAA Division II Elite Eight in 2011-12 claiming NABC South Central Region and Lone Star Conference Coach of the Year honors in his first season in the lead chair.
New Head Coach - Southern will be under a new head coach for the first time in 25 years this season as first-year head coach Jeff Boschee will taking the reigns from Hall of Fame coach Robert Corn.
New Coaches - Boschee returns assistant coach Nick Bradford who was on the staff last season and brings in former Missouri State coach Sam McMahon, as well as former Baker University guard Todd Johnston to round out the coaching staff.
Defending Champs - The Lions won the 2014 MIAA Basketball Tournament in Kansas City last year, defeating Nebraska-Kearney in the opener. The Lions beat Northwest Missouri in game two and won against Central Oklahoma in the Tournament Championship.
Regional Appearance - The Lions made the program's fifth-ever appearance in the NCAA tournament last season when the team went to Mankato, Minn. and lost to eventual National Champion Central Missouri in the round of 32. The Lions have been to the NCAA Tournament in three of the last four seasons.
Regional Appearance - The Lions made the program's fifth-ever appearance in the NCAA tournament last season when the team went to Mankato, Minn. and lost to eventual National Champion Central Missouri in the round of 32. The Lions have been to the NCAA Tournament in three of the last four seasons.
MIAA Preseason Poll - Southern was picked to finish fifth in the MIAA pre-season coaches poll. Defending national and league champion Central Missouri was picked to repeat and received ten first-place votes. Fort Hays State was picked second with two first-place votes, while Washburn and Northwest Missouri were picked third and fourth, each receiving a first-place vote. Southern was fifth, followed by Central Oklahoma, Nebraska-Kearney, Emporia State, Lindenwood and Pittsburg State to round out the top ten. Missouri Western, Northeastern State, Southwest Baptist, and Lincoln round out the poll.
Record Breakers - Junior shooting guard Austin Wright set two records for the Lions last year, breaking the single-season three point percentage mark (.493) and he also is the current career-leader in that category (.443).
Tough Schedule - Missouri Southern plays a tough non-conference schedule this season participating in two regional tournaments. The Lions will face-off with a pair of NSIC teams in the Sanford Pentagon Tipoff to start the season and the team will travel to San Antonio, Texas to take on St. Mary's and Midwestern State, both of whom are receiving votes in the preseason national poll. The Lions have five teams on their schedule this year that are receiving votes in the preseason poll.
Three Point Streak - The Lions failed to make a three-pointer at Arkansas Tech in their match-up in 2012-13. It was the first time in 403 games that Southern had failed to hit a three pointer, dating back to Jan. 20, 1999 against Missouri S&T. The Lions have had a three in 59-straight games since Arkansas Tech in 2012-13.
Welcome Back - Cameron Cornelius, Lane Barlow and Greg Renfroe return to the starting lineup for the Lions, as Southern returns nine players overall from 2013-14. The Lions will also have the help of three players that practiced with the team last season, but redshirted.
Fresh Faces - The Lions have five new players on the roster this year and two more that redshirted last season for the team. Charlie Brown, Terrence Pierce and Andrew Ballock are true freshmen, while Taylor Luster, Bruce Marshall and Taevaunn Prince transfer in from either junior college or four-year institutions. Both Prince and Brandon Pines practiced with Missouri Southern last year, but redshirted.
Halftime leads - The Lions had identical 37-36 leads at the break of each of their first two games against Northern State and Sioux Falls, but couldn't retain the lead in the second half. However, the Lions did hold on to the halftime lead against Arkansas-Fort Smith, Saint Mary and Benedictine.
Bench Scoring - The Lions' bench has outscored every opponent's bench this season. Overall, Southern's bench has outscored the opponents 193-116.
Outshoot The Opponent - One thing that has been consistent this season is that when the Lions outshoot their opponents, they win, going 3-0 in games where that happens. They have, however, gone 0-3 when they are outshot.
NCAA Stat Leaders - The Lions, as a team, rank eighth in Division II in free-throws made and ninth in free-throw attempts, while ranking 43rd in total blocks and 46th in total rebounds. Individually Taevaunn Prince ranks sixth in both free-throw attempts and free-throws made.
MIAA Stat Leaders - The Lions, as a team, lead the MIAA in both free-throw attempts and free-throws made, while ranking second in field-goal percentage and total blocks and ranking third in total rebounds. Individually, Taevaunn Prince leads the MIAA in both free-throw attempts and free-throws made, while Austin Wright leads the league in three's per game and both Bruce Marshall and Greg Renfroe lead the league in total blocks. Prince ranks second in total points, while Wright ranks fourth in three-point percentage and three's per game, while Barlow is fourth in assists.
Up Next - Southern will open up MIAA play with a road trip to Neb.-Kearney and Washburn on Dec. 4 and 6.
Tuesday, November 25, 2014
MSSU men defeat Benedictine 63-48
A 25-13 run during the second half pushed the Missouri Southern basketball team over visiting Benedictine 63-48 tonight on Robert Corn Court inside the Leggett & Platt Athletic Center.
Southern (3-3) was led by Blaine Miller's 18 points as he went 5-6 from the field, 4-5 from long-range and 4-4 from the free-throw line, while pulling down six boards. Cameron Cornelius scored 12 points, while Greg Renfroeadded seven points and a game-high nine rebounds.
Benedictine (7-1) had a pair of players with 12 points each in Jonathan Anaekwe and Jake Schannuth.
Both teams traded baskets early on in the game, but a three from Taylor Lustor tied the game at ten with 10:19 left in the half, and the Lions went on to go on a 13-1 run to take a 20-11 lead after a three from Cornelius with 6:28 to go in the half.
The Ravens, however, answered back and went ahead 21-20 after a three from Jake Schannuth with 4:38 to go. The game was tied at 21 and 23, but a three from Blaine Miller with 1:26 to go put the Lions up 26-23 and Southern took a 26-25 lead into the locker room.
A three from Miller with just under 14 minutes to go in the second half gave the Lions a 33-31 lead and a fast-break layup from Cornelius off a full-court pass from Luster put Southern up 35-32 a minute later. A three from Miller the next trip down pushed the lead to six (38-32) and a bucket from Miller with 9:50 to go made the score 42-34.
A three-pointer from Charlie Brown with 7:51 to go pushed the Lions' lead to 47-36 and a three from Miller with just under four to go gave the Lions a 52-44 lead. A fast-break layup from Cornelius off an assist from Luster gave the Lions a 13 point lead (57-44) 2:37 to go and a layup from Renfroe mixed with a freebie from Renfroe with just under two to go put the Lions' lead at 60-46.
The Lions scored 22 points off of 16 Ravens' turnovers, and the Southern bench out scored Benedictine 30-10. Southern out rebounded Benedictine 39-29 and the Lions shot 42 percent from the field, while hitting 44 percent of their three-pointers and 71 percent of their free-throws.
Southern will be back in action this weekend as the Lions will travel to San Antonio for the St. Mary's Classic. The Lions will take on St. Mary's at 3 pm on Friday afternoon and face-off with Midwestern State at 3 pm on Saturday.
***
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Missouri Southern volleyball lands four on MIAA Academic Honor Roll
(From MSSU Lions Athletic News)
The Missouri Southern volleyball program has had four student-athletes named to the MIAA Academic Honor Roll the league has announced.
In addition to the honor roll, both Katie Politte and Callie Whetstone were named MIAA Scholar Athletes.
To be eligible for the honor roll, a student athlete must have a cumulative grade point average of at least a 3.0 and have at least two terms of attendance at the school. To be named a scholar athlete, a student-athlete must maintain a minimum of a 3.5 GPA and be named All-MIAA athletically.
Joining Politte and Whetstone on the honor roll were setter Abby Finder and middle hitter Monica White. Below are the student-athletes grade point averages and majors.
| Finder, Abby | 3.89 | Nursing |
| Politte, Katie | 3.53 | Health Promotion and Wellness |
| Whetstone, Callie | 3.83 | Biology |
| White, Monica | 3.62 | Education |
MSSU women set record for assists in 101-46 win
The Missouri Southern women's basketball team set a new single-game school record tonight with 33 assists as the Lions dispatched of visiting Central Christian, 101-46 on Robert Corn Court inside the Leggett and Platt Athletic Center.
Southern (5-0) had five players score in double-figures, led by 17 from Nicole Hartzog. The senior shot 5-8 from the field, 3-4 from long range and 4-4 from the free-throw line, while grabbing five boards, as well. Sharese Jones had 15 points on 5-5 shooting, while Jordan Dinyer had 14 points, going 5-7 from the field and 2-2 from both long-range and the free-throw line. Tami Morice scored 13 and pulled down seven rebounds, while Jolee Sharp scored 11 and had seven boards of her own. Jenson Maydew had a game-high eight rebounds.
Central Christian (3-7)was led in scoring by 18 points from Kelly Smit.
Both teams traded basketball the first few trips down the court and a bucket from CC's Ciara Costello with 16:30 to go cut the Lions' lead to 9-8, but that's when Southern went on a roll. The Lions ripped off eight-straight points, capped by a three from Jones with 14:51 left to go to make the lead 17-8.
The Southern lead was 15 (27-12) after a fast-break layup from Shawnee Phillips and the Lions led 42-17 after a three from Dru Clark with 6:10 to go in the half. A three from Sharp made the score 52-18 with just over three minutes to play in the half and another jumper from Sharp provided the Lions a 59-19 lead going into the locker room.
The Lions shot 65 percent from the field in the half and 44 percent from long-range. Hartzog had 15 points and Jones had 12 at the half with the pair going a collective 10-11 from the field.
Southern started with five freshman on the floor to begin the second half and back-to-back threes from Jordan Dinyer made the Lions' lead 43 (65-22) with 17:04 to go. A layup from Tami Morice the next trip down made the score 67-22 and a layup from Morice off an assist from Lacerda made the score 81-30 with just under ten minutes to go. A layup from Sharp made the score 96-41, Lions with 2:30 to go in the game. A three from Clark with 41 seconds left pushed the Lions over the century mark and made the final score 101-46.
The 33 assists (on 39 made baskets) is one more than the previous record of 32 which was set in 1991 against College of the Ozarks. Southern out rebounded CCC 53-33 and had a 48-12 advantage in the paint. The Lions scored 23 points off of 29 CCC turnovers, while putting in 17 second-chance points off of 19 offensive rebounds.
The Lions will be back in action this Saturday afternoon, playing host to Northwestern Oklahoma at 1 pm.
MSSU signs Murray State golfer
Missouri Southern Golf Coach Mike Wheeler announced his final signee of the early period today in Cameron Hamilton.
Hamilton comes to the Lions from Murray State College in Tishomingo, Oklahoma where he finished the 2013-14 season ranked 22nd in the NJCAA D2 with a 74 stroke average. He finished sixth in the NJCAA D2 Region 2 tournament with a two round 157.
"Cameron will come to Southern after 2 years of quality competition at the College level. He has played every event as the 1 or 2 bag at Murray State, playing many of the same courses that we play annually. His scoring average and work ethic are exceptional and we are grateful he has chosen Missouri Southern for his academic and athletic future," said Coach Wheeler.
A native of Broken Arrow, Okla., Cameron was a four year letter winner for the Tigers of Broken Arrow HS and Coach Bo Belcher. Hamilton was a part of two team regional championships as the Tigers took the Oklahoma Secondary School Activities Association (OSSAA) Class 6A regional titles during his sophomore and senior seasons. In 2012, Cameron won the Union Invitational and the BA Maxwell. He earned 6A All-Conference and Frontier Valley Academic All-Conference honors both his junior and senior seasons.
While at BAHS Cameron also started four years at center for the hockey team where he was the leader in points, goals, assists, and penalty minutes during his senior campaign while serving at team captain.
Hamilton is the son of Brian and Ryann McClelland and has one younger brother, Brody. While attending Southern Cameron plans to major in business.
Sunday, November 23, 2014
MSSU men fall in tournament finale
The Missouri Southern men's basketball team ran into a hot-shooting Mid-America Christian team tonight and MACU led for all but 45 seconds as the Lions fell 84-78 in the finale of the Freeman Sports Medicine/Chris Tucker Memorial Classic.
Southern (2-3) was led offensively by Taevaunn Prince who scored 19 points on 4-9 shooting and 11-14 from the free-throw line. He added six rebounds. Cameron Cornelius scored 15 points, while Greg Renfroe added 14 and pulled down eight boards, going 7-9 from the field. Charlie Brown scored ten, while Blaine Miller andAustin Wright added nine each.
MACU (5-1) shot 57 percent from the field and 73 percent from long-range, led by 21 points from Semar Farris.
The Evangels scored the first six points of the game and led by ten (15-5) at the 14 minute mark. Southern cut the lead to one (18-17) after a 10-0 run was capped off by a three from Brown with just under ten minutes to go in the half.
MACU pushed its lead back up to 16 (42-26) with 3:21 to go and a dunk from Renfroe as the half expired gave the Evangels a 44-36 lead at the break.
The Lions got the lead down to two twice, the last being 56-54 after a dunk from Renfroe with 14:42 left to go in the game. The Evangels' lead reached 12 (73-61) with just over five to play and the Lions got to within six on multiple occasions, but couldn't get any closer.
Southern shot 47 percent from the field and 83 percent from the free-throw line. The Lions had a 16-11 advantage on the offensive boards and had a 17-10 advantage in second-chance points. The Southern bench outscored MACU 33-19.
The Lions will be back in action on Tuesday evening when Southern plays host to Benedictine. Tipoff from Robert Corn Court inside the Leggett & Platt Athletic Center is slated for 7:30 pm.
Saturday, November 22, 2014
MSSU women's cross country takes third, qualifies for nationals
The Missouri Southern women's cross country team placed third and is heading to the Division II National Championships after a strong performance today at the NCAA Division II Central Regional Meet in Wayne, Neb.
Two Lions earned All-Region honors as Dora Eastin placed 19th with a time of 22:31.15 over the 6k course, while Emily Harris was 23rd in a time of 22:33.59.
Kaitlyn Belisle was 35th in a time of 23:01.96, while Dana Roberson placed 37th in a time of 23:03.62. Kindra Emberton placed 39th in a time of 23:03.62, while Addie Mengwasser was 62nd in a time of 23:45.74 andSierra Gray placed 66th in a time of 23:49.91.
The Lions placed third with 150 points. Minnesota-Duluth took home the team title with a total of 40 points, while Augustana placed second with 59 points. Winona State was fourth with 151 and all four teams qualify for the Division II National meet.
That meet will be run on December 6 in Louisville, Ky. as part of the Division II Sports Festival.
MSSU men's cross country headed to nationals
The Missouri Southern men's cross country team is headed back to the D-II National Meet after the Lions placed third today at the NCAA Division II Central Regional Meet in Wayne, Neb.
The Lions had three runners named All-Region, led by a second-place finish from Eric Schott. Schott traversed the 10k course in a time of 30:43.70, just seven seconds off of the lead pace. Andrew Webster was sixth in a time of 31:21.10, while Adrian Todd placed 21st in a time of 32:24.40. All earned All-Region honors for their efforts.
Colton Wooldridge placed 28th with a time of 32:35.80, while Tyler Rush placed 36th in a time of 32:55.20.Alex Mason was 53rd in a time of 33:30.10, while Nathan Henry placed 81st in a time of 34:02.40.
The Lions had two runners in the top six and all five scoring runners place in the top 36 to score 93 points as a team. Augustana took the team title with 28 points, while Sioux Falls placed second with 82 points. Minnesota State-Moorhead placed fourth with 151 points. All four teams qualify for nationals.
Southern will be back in action on Dec. 6 when the Lions travel to Louisville, Ky. to take place in the NCAA Division II National Meet which will take place as part of the Division II Fall Sports Festival.
MSSU women improve to 4-0 with 56-49 win over Quincy
The Missouri Southern Lions (4-0) used a double-digit scoring effort from a trio of Lions to defeat visiting Quincy (2-1) Saturday afternoon inside The Leggett & Platt Athletic Center on Robert Corn Court.
The first half went back and forth as the Lions and Quincy traded buckets until a layup from Sharese Jones at the 7:02 mark to give Southern a 16-15 lead. The Lions would expand on that lead to 25-17 at teh 2:34 mark on a three pointer from Jordan Dinyer and take a 25-21 lead into the locker room.
The second half started out with a 10-2 run by Quincy before the Lions started to chip away with a pair of free throws from Nic Hartzog and a fast break layup from Hartzog gave Southern a 31-30 lead with 14:15 to play. The Hawks would answer with a jumper from Nikia Edom to take their last lead at 32-31 with 11:21 to play. The Lions would go on a 6-0 run to take the lead for good as Dinyer connected on a jumper in the paint, Jones completed a three point play, and Hartzog added a pair of free throws. Southern would push the lead to nine, 55-46, on a free throw by Shawnee Phillips with just under 1:30 to play. Quincy would answer with a three pointer from Carly Bettencourt before a foul on teammate Maggie Cunningham would send Hartzog to the line with 44 seconds remaining and seal the 56-49 win for the Lions.
For the game Southern shot 33.3 percent from the field (20-of-60) and 35.7 percent from long range (5-of-14) while holding Quincy to just 26.7 percent (4-of-15) from downtown. The Hawks came into the matchup shooting 47.2 percent from three point range (17-of-36) on the season.
Hartzog finished with 17 points, Jones with 14, and Phillips added 10. Jones added her second double-double of the season with 10 rebounds while Hartzog pulled down seven.
Up next for the Lions is a Tuesday night matchup with Central Christian College at Robert Corn Court inside The Leggett & Platt Athletic Center, and game time is scheduled for 5:30 pm.
Friday, November 21, 2014
MSSU adds Arkansas golfer
Missouri Southern golf coach Mike Wheeler has announced the signing of a second golfer for the 2015-16 season.
Jake Badovinac comes to the Lions from Harrison, Arkansas where he was a four year letter winner at Harrison HS. During his four years he helped the Goblins extended their dominance in the Arkansas Activities Association (AAA) Class 5A West District to 10 straight titles.
During that time Badovinac and the Goblins won the AAA Class 5A team title in 2012, a third place finish in 2013, and a runner-up finish this fall. In 2013, Jake placed his personal best at the state tournament finishing tied for seventh with a round of 79.
"When I met Jake and watched him play golf, I knew he was an individual I wanted on our squad. He is just moving into his best golf. He has the length and the mind set to be a pace setter in the MIAA," said Coach Wheeler.
Jake is a three time All-District and All-State performer with a scoring average of 75.
Badovinac has one sister, Jennie, and is the son of Jim and Jan Badovinac. He plans to major in marketing while attending Southern.
MSSU women to play host to Quincy
(From MSSU Lions Athletic News)
Game Information
Date: Saturday November 22, 2014
Tip-Off: 1:00 pmLocation: Joplin, Mo.
Site: Leggett & Platt Athletic Center
Series Record: MSSU leads, 3-0
Date: Saturday November 22, 2014
Tip-Off: 1:00 pmLocation: Joplin, Mo.
Site: Leggett & Platt Athletic Center
Series Record: MSSU leads, 3-0
Coaches
Quincy: Jeni Garber, 61-28 (4th Season)
MSSU: Ronda Hubbard, 22-8 (2nd Season)
Quincy: Jeni Garber, 61-28 (4th Season)
MSSU: Ronda Hubbard, 22-8 (2nd Season)
Media Coverage
MSSU Radio: KBTN 99.7 FM, Mike McClure play-by-play
Internet Audio: mssulions.com
Webcast: none
Live Stats: livestats.prestosports.com/mssu
Lions on Facebook: Facebook.com/missourisouthernlions
Lions on Twitter: @mososports; @MOSO_Wmns_Bball
MSSU Radio: KBTN 99.7 FM, Mike McClure play-by-play
Internet Audio: mssulions.com
Webcast: none
Live Stats: livestats.prestosports.com/mssu
Lions on Facebook: Facebook.com/missourisouthernlions
Lions on Twitter: @mososports; @MOSO_Wmns_Bball
MIAA Team Rankings (LAST SEASON) - The Lions ranked 1st in the MIAA in rebounding defense (32.3 rpg.), 2nd in FG percentage (.456) & free-throw percentage (.746), 3rd in 3-point FG perc. (.334), 4th in steals (8.8), 5th in assists (14.7), scoring offense (72.2), reb. margin (+3.9), scoring margin (+7.1) and blocks (3.2) & 6th in scoring defense (65.2).
MIAA INDIVIDUAL RANKS (returners)- Sharese Jones was 4th in the MIAA in FG percentage as she shoot 54.6% from the field hitting 107-196. Jones ranked 4th in the MIAA in FT percentage at 80.4% (135-168) andNic Hartzog was 11th at 74.2% (72-97). Lex Fitzpatrick was 6th averaging 3.5 assists per game and Fitzpartick led the MIAA in steals averaging 2.5 swipes per game. She was 6th in the MIAA in minutes played averging 32.0 mpg. Hartzog was 2nd in steals with 2.0 spg.Jones ranked 11th in scoring at 13.9 ppg and was 15th in rebounding with 6.7 rpg.
Three Point Streak -The Lions have made a three pointer in 412 consecutive games. The last time Southern did not make a shot from downtown was in a 68-53 loss to Southern Arkansas on Nov. 20, 1999.
Defensive effort -The Lions have not allowed 100 points to an opponent since Emporia State defeated Southern 102-60 on Feb. 12, 2000. That is 392 straight games without allowing 100+ points.
Leading at the half - The Lions have led the game at the half in all three games this season and are 3-0. Southern is 15-4 when that happens under Coach Hubbard.
Outshoot the Opponents - Southern has out-shot their opponents in two out of three this season and are 18-3 when that happens under Coach Hubbard.
Dropping Dimes - The Lions dropped more dimes than their opponents in all three games this season and are 20-3 when that happens all time under Coach Hubbard
Glass Cleaners - The Lions, as a team out rebounded all three their opponents this season and are 20-4 when that happens under Coach Hubbard.
MSSU women's track adds distance runner
Missouri Southern women's track and field coach Patty Vavra has announced the addition of Sarah Usher to her recruiting class for 2015.
Usher, a 5-8 distance runner from Steelville, Mo., was a four-year varsity letter winner for coach Matt Hammonds. As a freshman, Usher was an All-Conference runner, winning her league title, while also being named All-District. As a sophomore, Usher won her conference meet, while placing second in the district races. She was an All-State selection, placing 19th at the state meet.
As a junior, Usher won both conference and district titles, while placing third at the state meet, again earning All-State honors. This past year as a senior, Usher again was an All-State selection, placing 11th in the state meet.
On the track, Usher was a three-time All-Conference pick, while being named All-District and All-Sectional twice. She holds her school's record in the cross country 5k (19:35).
A stellar student as welll, Usher carries a perfect 4.00 GPA and ranks seventh in her class, while being a member of the National Honor Society and Student Council.
The daughter of Jeff and Jeanne Usher, Sarah plans to major in health promotion and wellness at Southern.
MSSU cross country teams to compete at Regional
The Missouri Southern men's and women's cross country programs will head north to compete in the NCAA Division II Central Regional this Saturday in Wayne, Neb.
Both teams are coming off of MIAA Titles as the men went 1-2-3 in dramatic fashion, while the women finished 26 points in front of second place to give Southern a sweep of the titles for the third time since 2007.
Both teams are ranked nationally and regionally with the women ranked 10th nationally and third in the region, while the men are ranked 16th nationally and third in the region. Both teams are the top ranked MIAA team going into the event.
On the men's side Eric Schott won the individual men's title at the MIAA Championships and he has yet to be defeated by a Division II runner this season. He looks to be one of the favorites on the men's side with individual titles this year at the Southern Stampede, Southwest Baptist and Missouri S&T, while also finishing as the top non-D-1 athlete at the Arkansas Chili Pepper Invite.
The men won in dominant fashion at the MIAA Championships going 1-2-3 in the event and having all five scoring times in the top nine. The women had three runners in the top eight and all five scoring times in the top 15.
The Women have won four team titles in a row this season, winning the Chili Pepper Invite, as well as at SBU, Missouri S&T and the MIAA Championships. Emily
The men's 10k will begin at 10 am from the Wayne Country Club in Wayne, Neb. Wayne State College is serving as the host to the event. The Women's 6k will begin at 12:15. The top four teams in each gender, as well as the top two individuals not on an advancing team will advance to the NCAA Division II National Meet which will be run on Dec. 6 in Louisville.
The regional will consist of teams from the MIAA, the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference and the Great American Conference. The Southern women placed 12th at last year's regional, but sent Dora Eastin to the national meet. The men placed third and qualified the team for nationals, where they placed 19th.
Hot-shooting MSSU men drop Saint Mary 93-83
The Missouri Southern men's basketball team shot 56 percent from the field and 55 percent from long range and the Lions got 19 points from Austin Wright in a 93-83 win over Saint Mary in the 2014 Freeman Sports Medicine/Chris Tucker Memorial Classic.
Southern (2-2) shot lights-out in the first half, going 67 percent from the field and 73 percent from long-range. Wright led all scorers with 19 points on 6-9 shooting and 4-7 from long-range. Cameron Cornelius had 16 points on 5-8 shooting, while Taevaunn Prince scored 15 on a perfect 3-3 from three-point range. Lane Barlowscored 13, while Greg Renfroe added ten.
Saint Mary (4-3) had three score in double figures, led by 15 points from Jordan Thomas.
Both teams traded baskets for the first part of the opening frame, before a three from Bruce Marshall opened up a two-point lead for the Lions (20-18) with 12 minutes to go. A jumper from Wright with 10:51 left made the score 25-18, while a pair of free-throws from Charlie Brown with 9:09 left in the half gave the Lions a 29-18 lead.
The lead was 12 (32-20) after a three from Brown with 7:36 to go, and a dunk from Cornelius with five seconds to go in the half made the score 51-34 at the break.
Saint Mary clawed away at the Lions' lead in the second half, getting to within four (77-73) with 5:36 left in the game after a pair of free-throws from Thomas, and again at 87-83 after another free-throw from Thomas with just under a minute left in the game. But the Lions went on a 6-0 run to end the game on free-throws from Prince and Barlow.
The Lions will be back in action tomorrow evening when Southern plays host to Mid-America Christian. Tipoff from Robert Corn Court inside the Leggett & Platt Athletic Center is slated for 5 pm.
MSSU football places 11 on MIAA Academic Honor Roll
The Missouri Southern football team had 11 members named to the MIAA Academic Honor Roll as announced by the league office today.
Junior running back Giresse Forchu was also named a MIAA Scholar Athlete, as well. To be eligible for the honor roll, a student athlete must have a cumulative grade point average of at least a 3.0 and have at least two terms of attendance at the school. To be named a scholar athlete, a student-athlete must maintain a minimum of a 3.5 GPA and be named All-MIAA athletically. Forchu carries a 3.86 GPA in biology.
Players named to the Academic Honor Roll were: Caleb Domingue, Will Flores, Giresse Forchu, Marcos Guiterres, Austin Minor, Michael Nelson, Ricky Nicholls, Seth Peterson, Ryon Phillips, Justin Tomlinson and Austin Wolfe.
The complete list of the Lions and their GPA's are listed below.
| Domingue, Caleb | 3.5 | Criminal Justice |
| Flores, Will | 3.25 | Marketing/Management |
| Forchu, Giresse | 3.86 | Biology |
| Guiterres, Marcos | 3.42 | Education |
| Minor, Austin | 3.55 | General Studies |
| Nelson, Michael | 3.01 | Kinesiology |
| Nicholls, Ricky | 3.3 | Education |
| Phillips, Ryon | 3.76 | Marketing/Management |
| Peterson, Seth | 3.09 | Marketing/Management |
| Tomlinson, Justin | 3.72 | Biology |
| Wolfe, Austin | 3.22 | Marketing/Management |
Missouri Southern adds Murray State golfer
Missouri Southern Golf Coach Mike Wheeler announced his final signee of the early period today in Cameron Hamilton.
Hamilton comes to the Lions from Murray State College in Tishomingo, Oklahoma where he finished the 2013-14 season ranked 22nd in the NJCAA D2 with a 74 stroke average. He finished sixth in the NJCAA D2 Region 2 tournament with a two round 157.
"Cameron will come to Southern after 2 years of quality competition at the College level. He has played every event as the 1 or 2 bag at Murray State, playing many of the same courses that we play annually. His scoring average and work ethic are exceptional and we are grateful he has chosen Missouri Southern for his academic and athletic future," said Coach Wheeler.
A native of Broken Arrow, Okla., Cameron was a four year letter winner for the Tigers of Broken Arrow HS and Coach Bo Belcher. Hamilton was a part of two team regional championships as the Tigers took the Oklahoma Secondary School Activities Association (OSSAA) Class 6A regional titles during his sophomore and senior seasons. In 2012, Cameron won the Union Invitational and the BA Maxwell. He earned 6A All-Conference and Frontier Valley Academic All-Conference honors both his junior and senior seasons.
While at BAHS Cameron also started four years at center for the hockey team where he was the leader in points, goals, assists, and penalty minutes during his senior campaign while serving at team captain.
Hamilton is the son of Brian and Ryann McClelland and has one younger brother, Brody. While attending Southern Cameron plans to major in business.
Thursday, November 20, 2014
MSSU men to hold tournament this weekend
The Missouri Southern men's basketball team will play host to the Freeman Sports Medicine/Chris Tucker Memorial Classic this Friday and Saturday. The Lions will hook up with the University of Saint Mary on Friday at 7:30 pm and with Mid-America Christian on Saturday at 5 pm.
Game Information
Teams: Missouri Southern (0-2) vs. Saint Mary (3-2)/Mid-America Christian (5-1)
Date: Fri./Sat. 11-21/22
Tip-Off: 7:30 pm Friday - 5 pm Saturday
Location: Joplin, Mo.
Site: Leggett & Platt Athletic Center (3,200)
Series Record: Southern leads 3-0 vs. MACU/0-0 vs. USM
Coaches: Jeff Boschee (1-2 overall/at MSSU). John Bishop (120-68 overall/at SMU). Willie Holley (793-517) at MACU/overall
Tip-Off: 7:30 pm Friday - 5 pm Saturday
Location: Joplin, Mo.
Site: Leggett & Platt Athletic Center (3,200)
Series Record: Southern leads 3-0 vs. MACU/0-0 vs. USM
Coaches: Jeff Boschee (1-2 overall/at MSSU). John Bishop (120-68 overall/at SMU). Willie Holley (793-517) at MACU/overall
Media Coverage
MSSU Radio: FM 99.7 KBTN - Mike McClure - Play-by-play
Internet Audio: www.mssulions.com
Webcast: none
Live Stats: www.mssulions.com
Lions on Facebook: Facebook.com/missourisouthernlions
Lions on Twitter: @mososports; @mssumensbball
MSSU Radio: FM 99.7 KBTN - Mike McClure - Play-by-play
Internet Audio: www.mssulions.com
Webcast: none
Live Stats: www.mssulions.com
Lions on Facebook: Facebook.com/missourisouthernlions
Lions on Twitter: @mososports; @mssumensbball
A look at the coaches: Jeff Boschee, MSSU - Jeff Boschee is in his first season as the head coach of the Missouri Southern basketball program after serving four seasons as an assistant and associate head coach. He was named the head coach of the Lions on July 1, 2014. Since Boschee has arrived at Southern, the Lions have went 86-33, made four consecutive MIAA tournaments and had trips to three of the last four NCAA Division II postseason tournaments, while claiming the 2010-11 MIAA regular season championship, and the 2013-14 post-season tournament championship. The 2010-11 team set the MIAA record for conference wins in a season with 19. Under Boschee's leadership, former Lion Skyler Bowlin was the MIAA's Player and Defender of the Year in 2011. He was a first-team All-MIAA, All-Region and All-American selection, being named to three different All-America teams. He was also the Region Player of the Year and a finalist for the National Player of the Year. Bowlin signed a professional contract to play basketball in the German Pro League after completing his eligibility and has since moved on to playing in Denmark.
John Bishop, Saint Mary -In April of 2008, Jon Bishop was named the head coach of the men's basketball program at the University of Saint Mary. Bishop was brought to Saint Mary to restore the excellence it achieved after winning the KCAC Championship and qualifying for the NAIA National Tournament in 2001. Seen as one of the best, young up-and-coming coaches in the college ranks, Bishop has done just that at the helm of the Spire program. In just year one, he directed one of the biggest turnarounds in all of college basketball as the Spires posted a 16-game increase in wins as they jumped from 3-26 to 19-11 and a second-place finish in the KCAC. That evolved into the 2011-12 season this year where Bishop guided the Spires to a school-record 25 wins, an appearance in the 2012 NAIA Division II National Tournament, and a final NAIA Division II national ranking of No. 22.
Willie Hollie, Mid-America Christian - Willie Holley is in his 42nd season as head coach at Mid-America Christian University and his 788 career victories rank first in school history and second all-time in the NAIA. Entering the 2014-15 season, Holley has announced that this year will be his last of a legendary tenure. He coached the Evangels to a tie for second place in the Sooner Athletic Conference with a 12-8 league record, their highest-finish as an NAIA school. He also led MACU to its first-ever SAC Tournament victory last season and had the program within one spot of qualifying for their initial NAIA National Tournament berth. After coming up just short for the NAIA Tournament, the Evangels qualified for their 23rd National Christian College Athletic Association (NCCAA) National Tournament appearance.
New Head Coach - Southern will be under a new head coach for the first time in 25 years this season as first-year head coach Jeff Boschee will taking the reigns from Hall of Fame coach Robert Corn.
New Coaches - Boschee returns assistant coach Nick Bradford who was on the staff last season and brings in former Missouri State coach Sam McMahon, as well as former Baker University guard Todd Johnston to round out the coaching staff.
Defending Champs - The Lions won the 2014 MIAA Basketball Tournament in Kansas City last year, defeating Nebraska-Kearney in the opener. The Lions beat Northwest Missouri in game two and won against Central Oklahoma in the Tournament Championship.
Regional Appearance - The Lions made the program's fifth-ever appearance in the NCAA tournament last season when the team went to Mankato, Minn. and lost to eventual National Champion Central Missouri in the round of 32. The Lions have been to the NCAA Tournament in three of the last four seasons.
Regional Appearance - The Lions made the program's fifth-ever appearance in the NCAA tournament last season when the team went to Mankato, Minn. and lost to eventual National Champion Central Missouri in the round of 32. The Lions have been to the NCAA Tournament in three of the last four seasons.
MIAA Preseason Poll - Southern was picked to finish fifth in the MIAA pre-season coaches poll. Defending national and league champion Central Missouri was picked to repeat and received ten first-place votes. Fort Hays State was picked second with two first-place votes, while Washburn and Northwest Missouri were picked third and fourth, each receiving a first-place vote. Southern was fifth, followed by Central Oklahoma, Nebraska-Kearney, Emporia State, Lindenwood and Pittsburg State to round out the top ten. Missouri Western, Northeastern State, Southwest Baptist, and Lincoln round out the poll.
Record Breakers - Junior shooting guard Austin Wright set two records for the Lions last year, breaking the single-season three point percentage mark (.493) and he also is the current career-leader in that category (.443).
Tough Schedule - Missouri Southern plays a tough non-conference schedule this season participating in two regional tournaments. The Lions will face-off with a pair of NSIC teams in the Sanford Pentagon Tipoff to start the season and the team will travel to San Antonio, Texas to take on St. Mary's and Midwestern State, both of whom are receiving votes in the preseason national poll. The Lions have five teams on their schedule this year that are receiving votes in the preseason poll.
Three Point Streak - The Lions failed to make a three-pointer at Arkansas Tech in their match-up in 2012-13. It was the first time in 403 games that Southern had failed to hit a three pointer, dating back to Jan. 20, 1999 against Missouri S&T. The Lions have had a three in 56-straight games since Arkansas Tech in 2012-13.
Welcome Back - Cameron Cornelius, Lane Barlow and Greg Renfroe return to the starting lineup for the Lions, as Southern returns nine players overall from 2013-14. The Lions will also have the help of three players that practiced with the team last season, but redshirted.
Fresh Faces - The Lions have five new players on the roster this year and two more that redshirted last season for the team. Charlie Brown, Terrence Pierce and Andrew Ballock are true freshmen, while Taylor Luster, Bruce Marshall and Taevaunn Prince transfer in from either junior college or four-year institutions. Both Prince and Brandon Pines practiced with Missouri Southern last year, but redshirted.
Halftime leads - The Lions had identical 37-36 leads at the break of each of their first two games against Northern State and Sioux Falls, but couldn't retain the lead in the second half. However, the Lions did hold on to the halftime lead against Arkansas-Fort Smith.
Welcome Back Lane - Senior guard Lane Barlow played for the Lions for the first time since injuring his leg in preseason practices. He had a stellar first week, averaging 20 points per game, scoring 25 against Sioux Falls.
Early MIAA Stat Leaders - After week one, Lane Barlow ranks fifth in the MIAA in both scoring and field goal percentage, while ranking seventh in assists. Greg Renfroe ranks second in blocks, while Bruce Marshall ranks fifth.
Up Next - Southern will play host to Benedictine College on November 25 at 7:30 pm inside the Leggett & Platt Athletic Center.
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