Webb City swimmer Jacob Schultz signs with Missouri State

MSSU women stay undefeated, whip Illinois-Springfield 60-42

(From MSSU Lions Athletic News)

The Missouri Southern women's basketball team finished its non-conference schedule this afternoon as the Lions took out visiting Illinois-Springfield 60-42 on Robert CornCourt inside the Leggett & Platt Athletic Center.

Southern (6-0) was led offensively Sharese Jones as she scored 14 points on 6-10 shooting from the field. She added a team-high seven rebounds. Deb Holcomb scored 13 points on 5-11 with six boards, while Chelsey Henry had 12 points on 5-8 shooting off the bench. Kenya Wilson-Brown had a career-high seven assists.

Illinois-Springfield (3-2) was led by 11 points from Chelsea Cross.

The Lions opened up the game on an 11-4 run after five points from Holcomb and two assists from Wilson-Brown sparked the output. UIS got to within three (13-10), but a 6-0 run from the Lions put Southern back on top 19-10 to end the first quarter.

UIS scored the first five points of the second quarter, but a bucket from Jones with 5:45 left, off a Holcomb steal stopped the run. A layup from Henry with 2:24 left made the lead nine (27-19), and a layup from Holcomb with six seconds left gave the Lions an 11-point lead, but a three from the Prairie Stars as time expired made the halftime score 31-23, Lions.

Southern shot 57 percent from the field in the half as Holcomb led all scorers with nine points. Jones and Henry had eight points each.

A fast-break bucket from Tami Morice off an assist from Wilson-Brown got the Lions on the board first to start the second half. A bucket in the paint from Jenson Maydewpushed the Lions' lead back up to ten (38-28) with 3:40 to go in the quarter and a bucket from Jones the next trip down made the score 40-28.

A fast-break bucket from Jones off an assist from Wilson-Brown made the Lions' lead 44-28 and also set a new career-high in assists for Wilson-Brown with her 7th of the game. The Lions' lead was 46-29 at the end of the third.

A three from Morice with 6:21 left in the fourth was the first points of the quarter for the Lions and stopped a four-minute long MSSU scoring drought. A three from Desirea Buerge with just under five minutes left put the Lions up 52-35 at the final media timeout of the game.

The Lions held a 39-26 advantage in rebounds as Southern out scored UIS 36-12 in the paint, including a 12-9 advantage in fast break points. The Lions' bench out scored UIS 22-12.

Southern will be back in action on December 3 when the Lions play host to Central Oklahoma. Tip off is slated for 5:30 pm.

Late run lifts Arkansas Tech over MSSU men 75-72

(From MSSU Lions Athletic News)

A 15-7 run by Arkansas Tech over the final five minutes doomed the Missouri Southern men's basketball team today as the Lions fell 75-72 on the road.

Southern (3-3) was led offensively by Taevaunn Prince as he scored 20 and pulled down 13 rebounds. Austin Wright had 14 points on 4-8 shooting from long-range, while Charlie Brown scored 13 and Greg Renfroe added 10.

ATU (3-2) was led in scoring by Tyler Corley with 14 points. Nick Wayman scored 13, while Andrew Guillory added 12.

Both teams traded buckets through most of the first half before a layup from Isaac Kreuer with 4:37 left gave the Lions a six-point advantage (25-19). A layup from Renfroe the next trip down made the advantage eight, and the Lions went into the locker room with a 30-26 lead.

Tech opened up the second half with a 13-3 run to lead by four (37-33) at the 16:56 minute mark of the second half. The Lions trailed by eight (41-33), but a layup from Renfroe with 12:29 left, capped off a 10-2 run to tie the game at 43. The Lions led 62-58 after a layup from Renfroe with 5:36 left, and led by five (65-60) after a free throw from Prince with 4:46 to go.

That was when Tech went on its game-ending run. A 6-0 run gave ATU a 66-65 lead with 3:27 left and the two teams traded leads over the next 30 seconds, before a pair of free-throws with three minutes to go gave the Wonder Boys a 68-67 lead. Neither team scored for the next 2:30, but a three pointer from Wayman gave ATU a four-point lead.

Southern got within two (71-69) after a layup from Brown with 18 seconds left, but would not get any closer. A three from Brown with one second left cut the lead to two, before a free-throw from Tech provided the final tally.

Southern shot 47 percent from the field and 43 percent from long-range. Tech had a 42-31 advantage in the paint.

The Lions will be back in action on December 3, when Southern plays host to Central Oklahoma. Tip off from Robert Corn Court inside the Leggett & Platt Athletic Center is slated for 7:30 pm.

MSSU men to play Arkansas Tech Saturday

(From MSSU Lions Athletic News)

The Missouri Southern men's basketball team will wrap up its pre-conference schedule on Saturday as the Lions travel to Russellville, Ark. to take on Arkansas Tech University. Tip off from Tucker Coliseum is slated for 3 pm.

Game Information

Teams: Missouri Southern (3-2) at Arkansas Tech (2-2)

Date: Saturday, November 28, 2015
Tip-Off: 3 pm
Location: Russellville, Ark.
Site: Tucker Coliseum (3,500)
Series Record: Southern leads series 17-7
Coaches: Jeff Boschee (23-13 overall/at MSSU). Chad Kline (20-16 overall/at ATU)

Media Coverage

MSSU Radio: NA
Internet Audio: NA
Live Video: www.mssulions.com
Live Stats: www.mssulions.com
Lions on Facebook: Facebook.com/mososports
Lions on Twitter: @mososports; @mssumensbball

The Series

Southern is 17-7 overall against Arkansas Tech. The two teams hooked up nearly every year in the early to mid 70's and then became a regular opponent in the Lions' Thanksgiving tournament from 1991-97. Southern last played two years ago, winning 74-73 in Joplin. Southern has won six out of the last seven games against the Wonder Boys. The Lions are 15-2 at home, 2-4 in Russellville and 0-1 in neutral locations.

Taevaunn Amongst The Nation's Best

Taevaunn Prince ranks 4th nationally in defensive rebounds, while ranking seventh in free throws made and total rebounds. He ranks third in rebounds per game, while ranking eighth in free throws attempted. He also ranks 13th in double-double's, 19th in points per game, 22nd in total points and 50th in total field goals made.

NCAA Team Stat Leaders

The Lions rank 18th in three point shooting, while ranking 29th in free throws made. The team ranks 34th in both free throws attempted and defensive rebounds per game.

MIAA Individual Leaders:

Prince leads the MIAA in double-doubles, free throws attempted, free throws made, rebounds per game and total rebounds, while ranking second in defensive rebounds, third in scoring, offensive rebounds, total points, fourth in total field goals made and fifth in field goal attempts. Austin Wright ranks second in total three pointers made, while third in three point shooting and fourth in three pointers per game. He also ranks third in total minutes. Charlie Brownand DJ Feitl rank third in steals.

MIAA Team Stat Leaders

The Lions lead the MIAA in three point shooting, total three pointers made, total rebounds, free throws attempted and made. The team ranks third in defensive rebounds and three pointers made per game, while ranking fourth in three point defense and steals.

Record Breakers

Senior shooting guard Austin Wright set two records for the Lions last year, including the single-season three point record (79) and the single game three-point record (9). He also owns the single-season three point percentage mark (.493) and is also the current career-leader in that category (.450).

Record Breakers II

Wright is climbing the charts in career three pointers made at MSSU. He moved into the top five last year and currently sits in third at 188 career treys, after passing Keith Allen this past weekend. He needs 37 to break Skyler Bowlin's record of 224.

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 88-straight games since Arkansas Tech in 2012-13.

Taevaunn's On Fire

Taevaunn Prince is averaging 24.5 points and 12 rebounds this season. He has led the Lions in rebounding every game but one, and in points in four of five.

MIAA Player Of The Year

Taevaunn Prince was named the MIAA Men's Basketball Player of the Week this week. He averaged 26.5 points and 13 rebounds last week, helping the Lions to a 2-0 week.

Rebound This

Taevaunn Prince has set his career-high in rebounds in two separate games this year, tying the mark of 17 in two of the four games.

Season-Ending Injury

Southern swing man LJ Ross will sit out the 2015-16 season after pre-season knee surgery revealed more damage than thought.

Go Get Em' Charlie Brown

Sophomore Charlie Brown had a career-high 27 points in a win over St. Cloud State to start the season.

First Time Firsts

The Lions had a trip of firsts in a loss at Rockhurst on Monday. The team, for the first time this season, trailed at halftime for the first time, while also not managing to shoot more and make more free throws than their opponents.

Lions in the D2 Poll

Missouri Southern is receiving votes in this week's NABC Coaches Poll, currently sitting at No. 34 in the poll with 19 points. The Lions finished the 2013-14 season at No. 19 and the 2011-12 season at No. 23 in the final poll. The No. 1 ranking in 2012 was the highest the program has ever been ranked. Southern has been ranked 56 times in the program's history. The most consecutive weeks the Lions have spent in the poll is 23-straight weeks, which covers part of the 2010-11/2011-12 seasons.

Lions in the D2 Basketball Writers Regional Poll

The Missouri Southern men's basketball program is ranked fifth in the US Basketball Writers Association week two Central Region Poll. Central Missouri is ranked second, while Northwest Missouri is fourth, Pittsburg State is seventh and Washburn is tied for ninth.

Up Next

Southern will open up its MIAA slate next week when they play host to Central Oklahoma on December 3. Tip off is slated for 7:30 pm from Robert Corn Court inside the Leggett & Platt Athletic Center.

MSSU women to close non-conference slate

(From MSSU Lions Athletic News)

 The Missouri Southern Lions (5-0) will close out their 2015-16 non-conference schedule with Great Lakes Valley Conference (GLVC) member University of Illinois at Springfield Prairie Stars (3-1) Saturday afternoon on Robert Corn Court inside The Leggett & Platt Athletic Center.

Tip off inside LPAC is scheduled for 1 p.m. and this will be the first meeting between the Lions and UIS. Southern is coming off a 84-47 win over Avila on Tuesday evening in Joplin where senior Sharese Jones joined the 1,000 career point club with 4:06 left in the third quarter. Sophomore Jenson Maydew led Southern with a season-high 15 points while Jones finished the game with 14 points (1,005 career points). Maydew tied her career high with three buckets from beyond the arc, the last time Maydew connected three times from downtown was a 66-62 win at then seventh ranked Washburn on December 7, 2014. The Lions came one three pointer away from tying the school record for most three pointers in a game as they drained 13 long range shots against the Eagles. The record was set back on December 12, 1990 against College of the Ozarks and was tied twice (vs. Central Oklahoma on November 25, 1994 & at Truman State January 25, 2003). On the season, Jones leads the way for Southern with 20.0 points and 6.4 rebounds per game. Junior Deb Holcomb is averaging 16.2 points per contest while Maydew is pulling down 6.2 rebounds per game. Missouri Southern is shooting 40.0 percent (118-for-295) from the field and allowing their opponents 39.8 percent (101-for-254) from the field. The Lions are shooting 34.7 percent (33-for-95) from downtown and holding their opponents to 25.0 percent (16-for-64).

Series Notes
This is the first meeting between Southern and UIS. The Lions faced another opponent this season for the first time as they defeated Minnesota State Mankato 70-58 at LPAC on Nov. 18.

The Coaches
UIS: Mark Kost (3-1, 1st Season)
MSSU: Ronda Hubbard (44-15, 3rd Season)

Projected Starters
Illinois-Springfield (3-1, 0-0 GLVC)
3 Meredith Marti G 5-10 Sr. (Indianapolis, Ind.)
5 Morgan Knorr G 5-7 Sr. (Savannah, Mo.)
14 Shelbi Patterson G 5-9 So. (Indianapolis, Ind.)
44 Syerra Cunningham F 6-1 Jr. (Beach Park, Ill.)
55 Chelsea Cross G/F 5-9 Jr. (Champaign, Ill.)

Missouri Southern (5-0, 0-0 MIAA)
11 Kenya Wilson-Brown G 5-5 Sr. (Arlington, Texas)
14 Tami Morice G 5-11 Sr. (Naperville, Ill.)
24 Deb Holcomb G 5-7 Jr. (Dallas, Texas)
30 Bri Shavers F 6-0 So. (Carrollton, Texas)
44 Sharese Jones G/F 5-8 Sr. (St. Charles, Mo.)

Joplin's Tupper, Webb City's Encarnacion among MSSU track recruits

(From MSSU Lions Athletic News)

Missouri Southern men's track and field coach Bryan Schiding has announced the addition of 15 newcomers for his 2016 recruiting class. 

The list includes 14 high school athletes and one junior college transfer. Schiding has signed five distance runners, five throwers, three pole vaulters, a multi athlete and a middle distance runner. Below are short bios and personal bests of each athlete signed.

"I'm very excited to introduce our early signee's for 2016-17," Schiding said. "This is a class of young men that is full of character, passion and of course - Talent. Our coaching staff has put in countless hours with these recruits and we know that they will make an immediate impact on the MSSU Cross Country and Track & Field programs. To have such a large group of successful student-athletes commit to the program in the early period speaks volumes to the future of our teams. We're proud to call them LIONS!"

2015-16 Early Signees: Men's Cross Country/Track & Field

Garrett Austin - THROWS
Johnson County Community College
Height - 6'1, Weight - 205
As a Freshman:
Hammer: 140'2
Javelin: 187'2

Sammy Casey- DISTANCE
Har-Ber High School (Springdale, AR)
Height- 5'8, Weight- 140
SR Year:
5k XC: 16:20.53
*9^th Arkansas State Championships
As a Junior:
1600m: 4:39.08

Christian Compton-POLE VAULT
Derby High School (Derby, KS)
Height- 5'8, Weight- 150
As a Junior:
Pole Vault: 15'6"
*3^rd Place Kansas State Championships

Victor Encarnacion DISTANCE
Webb City High School (Webb City, MO)
Height- 5'9, Weight-135
SR Year:
5k XC: 16:30.80

Josh Fulmer - THROWS
Newton High School (Newton, KS)
Height - 6'4, Weight - 220
As a Junior:
Discus: 159'10
Shot put: 54'7
*3^rd Place Shot Put - Kansas State Championships
*4^th Place Discus - Kansas State Championships

Isaac Groves - THROWS
Lathrop High School (Lathrop, MO)
Height - 6'2, Weight - 200
As a Junior:
Discus: 153'2
Shot put: 51'3
*2nd Place Class 2 Discus - Missouri State Championships

Colton Gurera- Middle Distance/ Long Sprints
Blue Springs High School (Blue Springs, MO)
Height- 6'1, Weight- 160
As a Junior:
800m: 1:56.56

Trace Henault - THROWS
Shawnee Heights High School (Tecumseh, KS)
Height - 6'0, Weight - 185
As a Junior:
Discus: 168'1
Shot put: 48'8
Hammer: 145'10
Weight Throw: 53'6
*3^rd Place Discus - Kansas State Championships

Orval "Dean" Howard- POLE VAULT
Marlow High School (Marlow, OK)
Height- 6', Weight- 160
As a Junior:
Pole Vault: 15'1
*2014 & 2015 3A Oklahoma State Champion Pole Vaulter

Chance Johnson- JUMPS/ Multi-Event
Smith-Cotton High School (Sedalia, MO)
Height- 6'4, Weight- 180
As a Junior:
HJ: 6'5
LJ: 21'9.5"
*5^th Place High Jump- Class 5 Missouri State Championships

Chase Parsons - THROWS
Jenks High School (Jenks, OK)
Height - 6'0, Weight - 185
As a Junior:
Discus: 147'9

Cortland Potter- POLE VAULT
Glenpool High School (Glenpool, OK)
Height- 6'1, Weight- 165
As a Junior:
Pole Vault: 14'6"
*4^th at 5A State Championships 2015, Sectional Champion

Mike Shanahan- DISTANCE
St. Thomas Aquinas High School (Overland Park, KS)
Height- 5'6", Weight 117
SR Year:
5k XC: 15:40.50
*15^th Nike Cross Regionals, Kansas 5A State Champion, Regional Champion, 6-races sub 16:00 this year
As a Junior:
3200: 9:40
1600: 4:32
*3^rd at Kansas 5A State Championships in the 3200

James Tupper- DISTANCE
Joplin High School (Joplin, MO)
Height: 5'10, Weight: 140
SR Year:
5k XC: 16:27

Josh Webb- DISTANCE
Broken Arrow High School (Broken Arrow, OK)
Height- 6'1, Weight- 160
SR Year:
5k XC: 16:01.22
*13^th Place 6A Oklahoma State Championships

Six MSSU volleyball players named to MIAA Academic Honor Roll

(From MSSU Lions Athletic News)

The Missouri Southern volleyball team has had six student-athletes named to the MAA Academic Honor Roll, the league announced today.

To achieve honor roll status, a student-athlete must have a cumulative grade point average of 3.00 and have at least two terms of attendance at the certifying member institution, excluding summer terms.

Alyx Gepford (3.65 - Kinesiology), Abby Finder (3.89 - Biology), Nicole Hale (3.58 - Biology), Callie Whetstone (3.77 - Biology), Monica White (3.64 - Education), and Katie Wiele(4.00 - Biology) all earned academic honors.

In addition to Academic Honor Roll status, Whetstone was named a Scholar Athlete. The Scholar Athlete award is given to those who have a cumulative grade point average of 3.50, have at least two terms of attendance at the certifying member institution, excluding summer terms, and, if competing in a championship sport of the MIAA, earn All-MIAA honors.

Newcomers and MIAA Academic Excellence Awards will be given out following the end of the 2014-15 school year.

MSSU men fall to Rockhurst 80-73

(From MSSU Lions Athletic News)

The Missouri Southern men's basketball team led 60-58 with just under five minutes to go, but a 7-2 run for Rockhurst lifted the Hawks back to the lead and the Lions would not recover, falling 80-73 at Mason Halpin Fieldhouse in Kansas City tonight.

The Lions (3-2) were led in scoring by Taevaunn Prince as the senior from Toronto scored 20 points on 6-13 from the field and 7-9 from the free throw line. Prince added eight rebounds, as well. Charlie Brown added 16 points and nine boards, while DJ Feitl had 14 points. Isaac Kreuer scored 10 points and added three boards, going 4-6 from the field.

Rockhurst (3-1) was led in scoring by Malachi Nix with 23 points on 7-14 from the field and 9-11 from the charity stripe. He was one of four Hawks in double-figures.

A layup from Brown with 16:30 to go in the first half put Southern up 6-2 early on, but a three-point play from Nix tied the game at ten with 14:31 left. The Lions led for the next four minutes, but a three pointer from Alex Hagan gave Rockhurst a 17-15 lead they would hold as the Hawks took a 29-28 lead into the locker room at the break.

A three pointer from Feitl with 17:35 to go in the second half gave the Lions the lead back at 37-35 and both teams jockeyed for the lead until back-to-back buckets from Adam Fatkin gave the Hawks a three point lead at 50-47 with 10:21 to go in the game. A pair of free throws from Brown gave the Lions a 54-52 lead with 8:26 left, and a layup from Blaine Miller with 4:55 to go gave the Lions a 60-58 advantage.

However, an 11-5 run for the hawks opened up a six-point lead (71-65) with 1:50 to go and the Lions would not complete the comeback.

The Lions shot 39 percent from the field and 21 percent from long-range, but shot 79 percent from the free-throw line. Rockhurst managed 50 percent from the field and 81 percent from the charity stripe. The Lions out rebounded the Hawks 36-33, including a 15-7 advantage on the offensive boards that led to a 17-12 advantage in second-chance points.

Southern will be back in action on Saturday, November 28 when the Lions travel to Russellville, Ark. to take on Arkansas Tech. Tip off from Tucker Coliseum is slated for 3 pm.

Joplin's Meggi Augustosky to run cross country for MSSU

(From Joplin High School)

Joplin High School senior Meggi Augustosky signed a letter of intent last week to run cross country for Missouri Southern State University.

MSSU's Prince named MIAA Player of the Week

(From MSSU Lions Athletic News)

Missouri Southern senior guardTaevaunn Prince has been named the MIAA Men's Basketball Player of the Week as announced by the league office today.

Prince, a 6-3 native of Toronto, helped the Lions to a perfect 2-0 week where Southern won at home over No. 24 Arkansas- Fort Smith and on the road at William Jewell. Prince started the week with 24 points and nine rebounds as the Lions won at home over UAFS. He shot 64 percent from the field and 75 percent from the free-throw line in that game, while adding two assists and a steal.

Against William Jewell, Prince scored 29 points and added 17 rebounds (tying a career-high) to help lift the Lions over the Cardinals. In that game, William Jewell went ahead with nine minutes left in the game, but Prince scored four of the Lions next six points to put Southern up by five, a lead they would not give up.

For the week, Prince averaged 26.5 points, 13 rebounds, 1.5 assists and 1.0 steal per game, while shooting 57 percent from the field and 79 percent from the free-throw line, all while playing 30.5 minutes per game.

Prince and the Lions are in action tonight at Rockhurst University. Tipoff from Kansas City is slated for 6 pm.

***
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Preseason MIAA track polls rank MSSU men third, women fourth

(From MSSU Lions Athletic News)

The Missouri Southern men's track and field team was picked third, while the women were picked fourth in the preseason MIAA Indoor Track and Field Coaches Poll.

Both the men and women finished fourth at last year's indoor track and field championships. For the men, the Lions return an All-American from the outdoor season in Morgan Hold, while senior Eric Schott returns for his senior season in the indoor season. Hold, Sam Kohrs and Bryan Burns all return after All-MIAA performances at last year's indoor championships. The Lions also return sophomore Kennan Harrison who starred in the jumps last season, while Jayce Thomas is back after a year off from injury. 

On the women's side, the Lions return Melanie Bower, Kaylee Morgan, Brittany Reagan, and Emily Harris, all of whom were All-MIAA honorees at last year's indoor championships. Bower was an All-American in the outdoor season, while Harris was the MIAA champion in the indoor mile and was the national runner-up in the event. 

The Lions' men earned one first place vote and 62 points alltogether. Pittsburg State was the preseason pick to win the league, while Central Missouri, Southern, Nebraska-Kearney and Lincoln round out the top five teams. Emporia State, Fort Hays, Southwest Baptist, Northwest Missouri and Lindenwood round out the men's poll. 

On the women's side, Central Missouri was picked to win the league. Lincoln was second, followed by Pittsburg State, Missouri Southern, and Southwest Baptist to round out the top five. Nebraska-Kearney, Emporia State, Northwest Missouri, Fort Hays, Lindenwood and Central Oklahoma finish up the women's poll. 

Both teams will open up the indoor season when they travel to Pittsburg State on December 4-5. 

2015-16 MIAA Preseason Men's ITF Poll
1. Pittsburg State (9) 81
2. Central Missouri 69
3. Missouri Southern (1) 62
4. Nebraska-Kearney 58
5. Lincoln 48
6. Emporia State 39
7. Fort Hays State 31
8. Southwest Baptist 23
9. Northwest Missouri 22
10. Lindenwood 17

2015-16 MIAA Preseason Women's ITF Coaches Poll
1. Central Missouri (5) 94
2. Lincoln (4) 91
3. Pittsburg State (2) 86
4. Missouri Southern 72
5. Southwest Baptist 61
6. Nebraska-Kearney 58
7. Emporia State 41
8. Northwest Missouri 32
9. Fort Hays State 31
10. Lindenwood 27
11. Central Oklahoma 12

MSSU men to go for third win in a row tonight

(From MSSU Lions Athletic News)

The Missouri Southern men's basketball team will look to make it three wins in a row as the Lions travel to Kansas City to take on Rockhurst Monday night. Tip off from Mason Halpin Fieldhouse is slated for 6 pm.

Game Information

Teams: Missouri Southern (3-1) at Rockhurst (2-1)

Date: Monday, November 23, 2015
Tip-Off: 6 pm
Location: Kansas City, Mo.
Site: Mason Halpin Fieldhouse
Series Record: Southern leads series 25-19
Coaches: Jeff Boschee (23-12 overall/at MSSU). Drew Diener (2-1 at Rockhurst/170-44 overall)

Media Coverage

MSSU Radio: FM 99.7 KBTN - Mike McClure - Play-by-play
Internet Audio: www.mssulions.com
Live Video: www.mssulions.com
Live Stats: www.mssulions.com
Lions on Facebook: Facebook.com/mososports
Lions on Twitter: @mososports; @mssumensbball

The Series

The Lions lead the series with Rockhurst 25-19. Southern is 16-7 at home and 9-12 in Kansas City.The series started in 1969-70 and was played regularly until 2006-07 when the last time the two teams played. From 1976-1982, the series was full of streaks as the Lions won five in a row, followed by five in a row for the Hawks. Southern then reeled off three in a row after that streak was ended. The largest margin of victory for the Lions was in 1994 when Southern won 112-78 at home. The largest margin of victory for Rockhurst was a 94-65 win in 1972 in Kansas City. Southern's first three wins over Rockhurst came in the NAIA District Playoffs. Since joining NCAA Division II, the Lions are 10-5 against Rockhurst.

Taevaunn Amongst The Nation's Best

Taevaunn Prince ranks 18th nationally in defensive rebounds per game, while ranking 15th nationally in total rebounds per game. He ranks 16th in free throws attempted and 15th in free throws made, while raking 15th in rebounds per game and 29th in points per game. He also ranks 31st in total points and 41st in total field goals per game.

Other National Leaders

Austin Wright ranks 29th in assist to turnover ratio, while ranking 51st in minutes per game.

NCAA Team Stat Leaders

The Lions rank tenth nationally in three point percentage, while ranking 34th in free throws attempted and 41st in free throws made.

MIAA Individual Leaders:

Prince leads the MIAA in free throws attempted and made, while ranking second in total rebounds, rebounds per game and defensive rebounds. Prince ranks third in offensive rebounds, while Wright is third in three point field goal attempts and assist to turnover ratio. Charlie Brown and DJ Feitl rank third in total steals, while Wright is fourth in three's per game and Prince is fourth in scoring. Prince ranks fifth in total field goals made, while Wright is fifth in minutes.

MIAA Team Stat Leaders

The Lions lead the MIAA in three point shooting, while ranking second in three pointers per game and third in both free throws attempted and made. The team ranks fourth in field goal percentage, scoring and steals.

Record Breakers

Senior shooting guard Austin Wright set two records for the Lions last year, including the single-season three point record (79) and the single game three-point record (9). He also owns the single-season three point percentage mark (.493) and is also the current career-leader in that category (.456).

Record Breakers II

Wright is climbing the charts in career three pointers made at MSSU. He moved into the top five last year and currently sits in third at 188 career treys, after passing Keith Allen this past weekend. He needs 37 to break Skyler Bowlin's record of 224.

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 87-straight games since Arkansas Tech in 2012-13.

Taevaunn's On Fire

Taevaunn Prince is averaging 25.5 points and 13 rebounds this season. He has led the Lions in rebounding every game and in points in three of four.

Rebound This

Taevaunn Prince has set his career-high in rebounds in two separate games this year, tying the mark of 17 in two of the four games.

Season-Ending Injury

Southern swing man LJ Ross will sit out the 2015-16 season after pre-season knee surgery revealed more damage than thought.

Go Get Em' Charlie Brown

Sophomore Charlie Brown had a career-high 27 points in a win over St. Cloud State to start the season last week.

Lions in the D2 Poll

Missouri Southern is receiving votes in the preseason NABC Coaches Poll, currently sitting at No. 26 in the poll with 57 points. The Lions finished the 2013-14 season at No. 19 and the 2011-12 season at No. 23 in the final poll. The No. 1 ranking in 2012 was the highest the program has ever been ranked. Southern has been ranked 56 times in the program's history. The most consecutive weeks the Lions have spent in the poll is 23-straight weeks, which covers part of the 2010-11/2011-12 seasons.

Lions in the d-2 Basketball Writers Regional Poll

The Missouri Southern men's basketball program is ranked sixth in the US Basketball Writers Association week one Central Region Poll. Central Missouri is ranked second, while Northwest Missouri is fourth, Pittsburg State is seventh and Washburn is tied for ninth.

Up Next

Southern plays at Arkansas Tech at 3 pm on Saturday.

Jones scores 22 to lead MSSU women to 58-49 win over Truman State

(From MSSU Lions Athletic News)

Senior Sharese Jones scored 22 points as she led the Missouri Southern Lions Women's Basketball team to a 58-49 victory over Truman State Saturday afternoon inside Pershing Arena.

Truman (2-2) opened the game with a 10-2 run for their largest lead of the afternoon just under five minutes into the contest. Southern (4-0) slowly chipped away over the next three minutes as freshman Chelsey Henry drained a jumper, junior Deb Holcomb and Jones sank a lay-ups, and sophomoreJenson Maydew tied the game at 10-10 with a lay-up of her own. Truman closed the first quarter on a 4-2 run with a pair of free throws from Rachel Steinhoff providing the 14-12 TSU lead headed into the break.

Senior Kenya Wilson-Brown tied the game for the fourth and final time of the day with a jumper just over 30 seconds into the second quarter. Following a lay-up and a pair of free throws from Truman's Michalina Tomczak, Lions' sophomoreDru Clark hit a pair of charities of her own to cut the Bulldogs' lead to 18-16 with six minutes until halftime. Another free throw from Clark four minutes and a jumper from Holcomb 11 seconds after the free throw cut the lead down to one, 20-19, with just under two minutes left in the half. Holcomb gave Southern its first lead of the day at 21-20 with 39 seconds left.

Both Holcomb and Jones scored six a piece for Southern while Maydew pulled down a team-high five rebounds. As a team the Lions shot just 32.1 percent (9-for-28) from the floor and went 0-for-4 from three point range. For Truman State, Tomczak led the way with eight points and Ashley Hartwig grabbed five rebounds. The Bulldogs shot 8-for-27 from the floor (29.6 percent) in the first half and went 0-for-7 from downtown.

Jones got the scoring started in the third quarter when she drove the lane got the bucket and the fould for a three point play and extended Southern's lead to four, 24-20. From there Southern did not trail again as Truman closed the gap to one point, 25-24, with 7:10 left in the quarter before Holcomb nailed a jumper to push the Lions back up by three. Holcomb and Jones went back-to-back from three point range to force a Truman State time out with under four minutes left in the quarter. Truman closed the quarter on a 4-1 run to pull within five, 37-32. The lone Southern point in that run came from sophomore Jordan Dinyer at the free throw line.

Holcomb started the fourth quarter on a 7-0 run of her own with a lay-up, a jumper, and a three pointer to give Southern their biggest lead of the afternoon at 44-32. Truman went on their own 8-2 run to close the Lions lead down to six, 48-42, with just over two mintues left. With just over a minute to play Truman set Southern to free throw line on their last five possessions of the game. The Lions went 8-for-10 in that span to seal the 58-49 win over the Bulldogs.

The win by Southern snapped two four game winning streaks in the series for Truman State. The Bulldogs had won the last four both overall, two in Joplin and two in Kirksville, and the last four in Pershing Arena.

For the game Jones led all scorers with 22 and Holcomb added 20 for the Lions. Maydew grabbed a game-high seven rebounds with Wilson-Brown dishing out three assists and Holcomb swiping five steals. Southern shot 35.2 percent (19-for-54) from the field and went 3-for-12 from three point range. Truman was led by Tomczak with 14 points and Steinhoff with 13. Cassidy Clark led the Bulldogs in rebounding with seven. TSU shot 34.7 percent (17-for-49) from the floor and went 0-for-11 from the three point line.

The Lions will play host to NAIA member Avila University on Tuesday, November 24th. Tip off from Robert Corn Court/The Leggett & Platt Athletic Center is slated for 5:30 p.m.

MSSU's Kiprop finishes second in NCAA championship

(From MSSU Lions Athletic News)

Missouri Southern freshman distance runnerVincent Kiprop nearly won a National Championship today, but he ended up with the best-ever finish by a Lion as he finished second in the 2015 NCAA Division II Cross Country National Championship held at the Tom Rutledge Cross Country Course.

Kiprop, a native of Kericho, Kenya, traversed the 10k course in a time of 29:33.62, seven seconds faster than his previous best time at the 2015 Central Region Championships two weeks ago. Kiprop navigated the tight pack and the cold conditions to finish nine seconds behind the eventual National Champion, Alfred Chelanga of Shorter University, a freshman himself.

With the finish, Kiprop earns All-American honors from both the NCAA, as well as the United States Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association.

Prince scores 29 at MSSU downs William Jewell 80-73

(From MSSU Lions Athletic News)

Missouri Southern senior guard Taevaunn Prince scored 29 points and tied a career-high with 17 rebounds as the Lions picked up an 80-73 win today at William Jewell.

The Lions (3-1) were led by Prince's 8-16 performance from the field, while going 13-16 from the free-throw line. Charlie Brown scored 12 points and added six rebounds and three assists, while Austin Wright had 11 points on 3-9 shooting from long-range. Blaine Miller had seven points off the bench, while DJ Feitl added eight points and six boards.

William Jewell (1-2) had four score in double-figures, led by 18 points from Darius Tomlin.

A layup from Prince just three minutes into the game gave Missouri Southern an early 10-4 lead. The Lions led 16-8 after a three from Wright with 14:52 left to go in the half, and a three-point play from Prince with 12:26 to go pushed Southern's lead to 11 (21-10).

A three from Taylor Luster with 10:37 left made the score 26-13, which would be the largest lead of the half for the Lions. Southern took a 37-29 lead into the locker room at the break.

WJC, however, would answer right back at the start of the second. The Cardinals went on a 10-0 run to tie the game at 37 to start the second.

Both teams traded baskets before a layup from Prince with 15:12 left in the half pushed Southern's lead to four (43-39) and a free throw the next trip down for Prince made it 44-39 with just under 15 to play.

The Cardinals re-took the lead at 51-50 after a free throw from Javier De La Blanca with 9:39 to go, but a pair of free throws from Feitl with 9:07 left gave the Lions a 52-51 lead they wouldn't relinquish. WJC got as close as three with five minutes to go, but the Lions used solid free throw shooting down the stretch to close the game.

Southern shot 37 percent from the field and 38 percent from long range, while making 80 percent of its free throws. The Lions held WJC to just 18 percent from behind the arc after the Cardinals had come into the game averaging 48 percent from downtown. The Lions had a season-high 51 rebounds, while holding the lead for 91 percent of the game.

Southern will be back in action on Monday night when the Lions head back to Kansas City to take on Rockhurst. Tip off is slated for 6 pm.