Crowder soccer wins National Soccer Coaches Association award

(From Crowder College)

The Crowder College Soccer team earned the National Soccer Coaches Association of America Rankings Award for the 2016 season. This is another historical feat for the team in its 9th season. Crowder was ranked #20 out of all NJCAA Division I teams in the country.

The Roughriders finished 15-4 on the season as they earned a berth in the Region 16 finals for first time in program history. Three players receiving All-Region Honors which is voted on by the region coaches.

Coach Brad Smith completed his 40th season as a coach this year. His experience as a coach and administrator lead him to feel this team would perform well. “This is quite an honor. Going into this season I had high expectations for this team to exceed previous accomplishments and we did,” stated Smith.

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MSSU's Presley named MIAA Field Athlete of the Week

(From MSSU Lions Athletic News)

Missouri Southern sophomore pole vaulter Emily Presley has been named the MIAA Women's Field Athlete of the Week, the league announced today.

Presley, a native of St. Clair, Mo., and the reigning outdoor Division II National Champion, became the first Division II woman to automatically qualify in the pole vault this weekend by winning the event at the MSSU Open.

She broke the MSSU school record by nearly six inches with a height of 13-07.25. The mark is tops in Division II by five and a half inches and tops in the MIAA by over a foot.

Presley and the Lions will be back in action this weekend at Pittsburg State.

2017 grid schedule released- Missouri State to play at Mizzou in opener

(From Missouri State University Athletics)

Missouri State University has completed its 2017 football schedule, head coach Dave Steckel announced Wednesday. The Bears' 11-game slate includes five home dates, as well as a season-opening trip to Columbia to take on Missouri for the first time in nearly a century.

The Bears face a daunting early stretch, with four of their first six contests taking place on the road. Missouri State will kick off the season on Sept. 2, at Faurot Field, where the Bears will meet Mizzou for the first time since 1923.

"This is an exciting time for our program, our university and our alumni to have the opportunity to travel up north for the first time in a long time," Steckel commented on the Bears' season-opening visit to Columbia. "It's a fitting start to a strong non-conference schedule, as we'll also play two solid football teams in North Dakota and Murray State."

As Steckel noted, Missouri State will travel to Grand Forks, N.D., for a non-conference tilt against a North Dakota (Sept. 9) squad that went 9-3 last fall and finished 12th in STATS FCS Top 25 poll. From there, the Bears return to Springfield to open their 2017 home slate Sept. 16, with a Family Weekend meeting versus Murray State.

The Bears will open their 33rd season of Missouri Valley Football Conference play with a home game against Illinois State on Sept. 23. The Redbirds are coming off their third-consecutive FCS playoff berth after winning four of their final five regular-season contests in 2016.

Missouri State returns to the road for a pair of games, beginning with a trip to Fargo, where the Bears will battle perennial Valley power North Dakota State on Sept. 30. The Bison saw their string of five-straight FCS national championships come to an end in 2016, but still went 12-2 en route to another MVFC title and a national semifinal appearance. Following their lone bye week of the season, the Bears travel to Western Illinois (Oct. 14) with a narrow 17-16-1 edge in their series with the Leathernecks.

Back-to-back home games against South Dakota State (Oct. 21) and Indiana State (Oct. 28) will follow to conclude the month of October. The Jackrabbits posted a 9-4 overall mark in 2016, claiming a share of the MVFC crown before advancing to the quarterfinal round of the FCS playoffs. ISU will serve as the Bears' 2017 Homecoming opponent, with MSU looking to build on a key road win over the Sycamores this past October.

MSU wraps up the regular season with road games against Southern Illinois (Nov. 4) and national runner-up Youngstown State (Nov. 18) sandwiching a Senior Day match-up with UNI (Nov. 11) in Springfield.

"Obviously, we are familiar with the caliber of teams we will be going up against during the conference season," Steckel added. "We will be working hard throughout the winter, spring and offseason in order to make sure we're ready to meet those challenges."
Start times for the upcoming season will be announced at a later date.

The Bears, who posted a three-win improvement by going 4-7 overall in 2016, will begin spring workouts on March 26 and conclude with the squad's annual Maroon and White spring game on April 29 at Robert W. Plaster Stadium, starting at Noon.

Season ticket renewal information for the 2017 season will be mailed to current ticket holders in the coming weeks. New season ticket applications are available by contacting Duane Miller via email at duanemiller@missouristate.edu or phone at (417) 836-8899.

Number nine PSU women to play number 10 Central Oklahoma Thursday

(From Pittburg State University Athletics)

PITTSBURG – Another top 10 battle is set up to take place in John Lance Arena on Thursday evening, as the No. 9 Gorilla women take on No. 10 Central Oklahoma at 5:30 p.m. The Gorillas come into the game leading the conference race with a 9-1 record, while both Central Oklahoma and Central Missouri are just behind at 8-1. 

On Saturday, Pitt State will host Northeastern State at 1:30 p.m.

Scouting Central Oklahoma

No. 10 Central Oklahoma is 17-1 overall and 8-1 in the MIAA heading into Thursday's action. The team's only loss came at the hands of Missouri Western. Most recently, the Bronchos edged out Northeastern State on Jan. 21, giving UCO head coach Guy Hardaker his 200th career win.

UCO averages 71.7 ppg as a team, holding opponents to just 57.3 points. As a team, UCO is shooting .404 from the paint, .352 from long range and .761 from charity. Additionally, the team is averaging 44.3 rebounds, 14.7 assists, 7.7 steals and 5.0 blocks per game. 

Melinda Murillo (15.6 ppg, 3.1 apg), Olivia Mason (11.4 ppg) and Jesheon Cooper (10.8 ppg) score in double figures for the Bronchos. Cooper (9.6 rpg) and Mason's (7.8 rpg) rebounding marks land them both in the MIAA top-five. Cooper also has a conference-high 3.0 blocks per game.

Scouting Northeastern State

Northeastern State carries a 6-11 overall and 2-7 conference record to Pittsburg on Saturday. The RiverHawks fell to Emporia State and Central Oklahoma in the last two matchups, both of which were top-15 teams at the time, and will face Missouri Southern on Wednesday, Jan. 25. 

The RiverHawks are shooting .402 from the field and .332 behind the arc with the help from Rylie Torrey. She is top-three in both points per game and threes per game with  17.6 ppg and 2.4 threes per game. Cailyn Long (.920) is a major contributor to the team's conference-high .794 free-throw percentage and scores 14.9 ppg. Mary Jane Buschmann adds 5.7 rebounds per game. Alexis Hill adds 3.5 assists per game.

Scouting Pittsburg State

Pittsburg State is the No. 9 team in the country with a 17-2 record overall and a 9-1 mark in MIAA play. Both of Pitt State's losses have been to Emporia State, who was ranked in the top-10 each time. The Gorillas were 1-1 last week with a loss on the road to Emporia State before rebounding for a big win at Washburn. The 17-2 record is one of the best in school history. The team's 8-0 start in MIAA play tied the best start in school history, matching the record of the 2011-12 team. 

The team has won its games by an average of almost 21 points per game. The 61-point win over Rio Piedras was the largest of the season, while the four-point win over Kearney was the closest. Pitt State scores 78.2 ppg, while holding opponents to 57.7 ppg. The most points scored by the Gorillas this season were the 106 points against Lincoln on Jan. 12.

The Gorillas are shooting .448 from the floor overall and .371 from three-point range. The Gorillas make an average of 9.8 threes a game, but are holding opponents to just 3.8 made threes a game. Pitt State is also outrebounding its opponents by 7.8 rpg. 

Mikaela Burgess leads the Gorillas with 17.6 ppg and was named the MIAA Player of the Week for the week of Nov. 21-27. She scored her 1,000th career point on December 1 against Nebraska-Kearney. Most recently, she set a new career-high with 35 points at Washburn on Jan. 21. She has hit 55 threes on the season, which leads the MIAA. 

Madison Northcutt, who was named the MIAA Player of the Week on Jan. 16, is second on the team with 11.6 ppg, including 13.0 ppg in conference play. She is the team's leading rebounder with 8.5 rpg. She is third in the MIAA for rebounding overall and first for offensive rebounds. She has recorded four double-doubles on the season.

Shelby Lopez and Paige Lungwitz are each averaging 9.2 ppg. Lopez has made 44 threes this season, which is  fourth in the MIAA. She recorded her first 20-point game with 24 points at Northwestern Oklahoma. She made six threes in that game.  Lungwitz was named the MIAA Player of the Week for the week of November 30-December 4 after putting up a career-high 27 against UNK. 

Elena Flott scored 9.4 ppg and contributed 5.8 rebounds per game before a medical condition has put her on the bench. She recorded the first double-double of her career with 15 points and 11 rebounds against UNK. 

Hadyn Herlocker chips in 8.2 ppg and leads the team with 5.9 assists and 2.2 steals per game. Her assists lead the MIAA, while her steals are third. Herlocker is also the team's third-leading rebounder with 4.8 rpg. She earned MIAA and HERO Sports National Player of the Week honors after putting up a double-double with 12 points and a school record 13 assists at Lincoln on December 10.

PSU vs. Central Oklahoma

The Gorillas and Bronchos have met 27 times with PSU holding an 18-9 series advantage. The first meeting between the two teams on November 20, 1982, resulted in the Gorillas' falling by a score of 77-58. Pitt State won last season's meeting, 81-76 in John Lance Arena.

Pitt State has won each of the last seven meetings, the longest streak of wins in series history. The Gorillas have now won eight of the last 10 games. 

In the current win streak, four of the seven have been by double digits, including one of the biggest wins in series history. The largest margin of victory in the series was a 83-53 Gorilla win on Nov. 26, 1994 in Joplin, Mo and again in the 2014-15 season, a 30-point 85-55 win in Pittsburg. The Bronchos biggest win was a 90-67 win on Nov. 25, 1989 in Pittsburg.  

PSU vs. Northeastern State

After sweeping the RiverHawks the last two seasons, the Gorillas lead the all-time series with Northeastern State, 16-11. The Gorillas lead the series in Pittsburg 11-4 and at neutral sites, 2-1, but the RiverHawks lead in Tahlequah 6-3. The longest streak of wins in the series was six by the Northeastern from Jan. 4, 1985 to Nov. 25,1988. The Gorillas have now tied that streak with their current six-win streak that began with a 78-60 win in Tahlequah on Deb. 16, 2013.

The most points scored by either team in a game has been 84, in 2015's 84-48 Pitt State win in Pittsburg. The largest margin of victory in the series was Pitt State's 38-point, 76-38 win in Pittsburg on Dec. 2, 2015. NSU's largest margin of victory has been 22 points on Jan. 10, 1987. Seven of the last eight games have been decided by double figures, the one exception being the Gorillas nine-point win in Tahlequah on Jan. 28, 2015.

In the Polls

Following the loss to Emporia State, Pitt State dropped to No. 9 in the  WBCA Coaches Poll. Pitt State has been ranked as high as No. 3 several times this season. That ties the highest ranking ever for the PSU Women's Basketball Program. The Gorillas pushed their way into the top five at No. 4 with their 7-0 start to the season in the November 29 poll. The team held steady at No. 4 in the December 6 poll, but moved up to No. 3 on Dec. 13. Pitt State moved up three spots from its No. 7 spot in the Nov. 22 poll, the first regular season poll of the 2016-17 season.

Pitt State opened the season ranked No. 12 in the WBCA Preseason Coaches Poll. This marked only the second time in school history the Gorillas have started the season ranked in the nation's top 25. The other time being a No. 3 ranking at the start of the 2012-13 season. The No. 3 ranking was the highest ever for the PSU Women's Basketball program.

Emporia State moved from No. 9 last week to No. 7 with the win over the Gorillas. The Bronchos have been slowly climbing all season and finally broke into the top 10 this week. Fort Hays State had flashed into the top 25, but is now receiving votes. Central Missouri jumped into the top 25 this week at No. 19.  

Up Next

Pitt State will have the midweek off next week. On Saturday the team will take on travel partner and rival Missouri Southern in Joplin at 1 p.m.

Records Check

It's time to start tracking some Gorillas in the record books. Junior Mikaela Burgess is moving up the all-time threes list. She passed Drew Roberts to move into second with 211 career threes. Burgess is averaging 2.9 made threes a game this season and would need 153 threes through the rest of this season and next for the school record. Jenni Miller holds the career record with 364. 

Hadyn Herlocker finished last season second on the single season assists list with 156, almost double from her previous two seasons combined. Herlocker now has 358 assists for her career, which is fifth on the all-time list. She will need 12 assists to pass Kelly Krumsick for fourth on the all-time list. Current assistant coach Amanda Davied is the career record holder with 553.

1000 and Climbing

Mikaela Burgess is not only climbing up the career-three-point list, but also now scored 1000 career points. She hit that career milestone on December 1 against Nebraska-Kearney as she hit a layup with 4:07 left in the third quarter. 

Burgess currently has 1206 points, 283 her freshman year, 589 last season and 334 so far this season. Her 589 points last season were third only to Lizzy Jeronimus and Leslie Dudley, the two top scorers (men or women) in Pitt State history. 

Burgess is the 20th player in school history to score 1000 or more points in her career. She is currently No. 13 on the all-time scoring list. She needs 21 points to pass Terri Barto for 12th and 24 to move ahead of current assistant coach Amanda Davied for 11th.

Program Milestones

Pitt State's 70-38 win over Mary was the 600th win in program history. The Gorillas now have a 616-481 (.562) all-time record. The Gorillas are 332-178 at home, 205-258 on the road and 71-42 at neutral sites. 

Coach Hits Milestones Too

The 81-54 win at Washburn on January 21 was the 200 at Pitt State for Head Coach Lane Lord. Lord now has a 200-91 (.687) record in his 10th season leading the Gorilla program. He is the winningest coach (by percentage) in school history. His predeccesor Steve High has the most wins with 296 in 18 years.

Lord earned his 100th win just under four years ago with a 63-48 win over Truman on Feb. 7, 2013. 

Coach Lord now holds a 277-112 (.712) record at all collegiate levels which includes two seasons at Barton County Community College in Great Bend, Kan. His overall record at all levels is 418-174 (.706) and includes seven seasons as the head coach at Wichita Heights High School.

In the MIAA Stats

The Gorillas are also the top three-point shooting team in the MIAA having made 186 threes on the season, 9.8 threes per game. Pitt State is also tops in three-point defense, holding opponents to a .238 (72-302) three-point shooting percentage. The Gorillas are second in the league for field goal percentage (.448) and assists (15.79 apg).

Individually, Mikaela Burgess is the league's fourth leading scorer with 17.6 ppg. She leads the league with 55 threes made and 2.9 threes made a game. She is 14th in field goal percentage (.393) and second in three-point percentage (.362). Shelby Lopez is fourth in threes per game with 2.3. Hadyn Herlocker leads the MIAA in assists per game with 5.9, is second in assists/turnover ratio with 3.0 and third in steals with 2.2 steals per game. Madison Northcutt is third in rebounds with 8.5 rpg.

In the NCAA Stats

The Gorillas rank among the top 10 in the nation for scoring margin (10th), three-point defense (seventh), threes attempted (ninth), threes made (fourth) and threes per game (seventh). Herlocker is 10th in the nation with her 113 assists and 12th in assists per game. She also ranks sixth in assists/turnover ratio.  

Burgess is eighth in the nation for threes attempted with 152 and 15th for threes made with 55. Burgess also ranks 11th among active career leaders with 211 threes made, is ninth for career threes per game with 2.45 and 12th for career three-point percentage with .389.

Pitt State men to play host to University of Central Oklahoma Thursday

(From Pittsburg State University Athletics)

The Pittsburg State University men's basketball team will return home for a pair of MIAA match-ups – Thursday (Jan. 26) against the University of Central Oklahoma and Saturday (Jan. 28) against Northeastern State University. The Gorillas and Bronchos will meet at 7:30 p.m. Thursday at John Lance Arena, while Pitt State and NSU will meet at 3:30 p.m. Saturday. 

The Records
Pitt State is 3-15 overall and 1-9 in MIAA play entering Thursday's action. The Gorillas dropped a pair of road games last week, falling 58-51 to Emporia University on Jan. 18 and 82-64 to Washburn University last Saturday (Jan. 21).

UCO is 11-6 overall and 6-3 in the MIAA. The Bronchos defeated NSU, 66-50, in their only action last week on Jan. 21.

NSU is 3-14 overall and 2-7 in the MIAA heading into a Wednesday (Jan. 25) match-up against Missouri Southern State University. The RiverHawks have dropped four straight games and 10 of their last 11 contests.

Head Coach Kevin Muff
Pittsburg State's Kevin Muff is his seventh season leading the Gorillas. Muff (Kansas State, '86) became the Gorillas' 14th all-time head coach on Apr. 5, 2010, after spending 12 seasons at Cloud County Community College, where he helped the Thunderbirds to an average of 21 wins in each of the last five seasons.

He has a 95-95 (.500) record in his tenure with the Gorillas.

Muff was named the 2015 MIAA Co-Coach of the Year after leading the Gorillas to a 16-11 regular season record and a tie for third-place in the MIAA standings. Pitt State was picked to finish 10th in the 14-team league in the MIAA Preseason Coaches Poll after posting an 8-18 (4-15 MIAA) mark a year ago.

He then guided the Gorillas to a perfect 4-0 record in the MIAA Postseason Tournament, helping the Gorillas become the first No. 5 seed to claim the championship. Pitt State earned an automatic bid to the NCAA Division II National Tournament and finished the 2014-15 campaign with a 20-12 overall record.

Thursday's action will be Muff's ninth meeting vs. UCO. He's 3-5 against the Bronchos. Muff has a 7-3 mark against the RiverHawks.

Series History
Pitt State and UCO will meet for the 32nd time Thursday. The Bronchos hold a 17-14 advantage in the series, but the Gorillas have won two of the last three meetings. Pitt State is 10-4 against UCO in Pittsburg.

The Gorillas will meet NSU for the 72nd time Saturday. Pitt State holds a 49-22 advantage in the series, including five straight wins. The Gorillas are 32-9 against the RiverHawks in Pittsburg with six consecutive victories.

Scouting the Gorillas
Pitt State has one player scoring in double figures –  junior guard Jaxon Holden (11.0 ppg) – and five more active players scoring six or more points a game:  junior guard/forward Isaiah Hicks (9.6 ppg), junior guard Elijah Gaines (9.5 ppg), freshman guard R.J. Pair (8.1 ppg), senior forward Creighton Brinker (7.1 ppg) and freshman guard Brandon Clifford (6.3 ppg).

Holden returned to the Pitt State lineup the past 11 games, after suffering a concussion in Pitt State's exhibition game against Kansas State and missing the Gorillas' first seven games.

Holden (6-1, 180) has averaged 10.6 points and 2.8 rebounds per game on the year. He averaged 7.7 points and 2.0 rebounds per game in his first season for the Gorillas in 2015-16. The Flower Mound, Texas native shot 49.1 percent from the field and made 26 3-point field goals while starting 13 of 23 games played.

Holden played his freshman season at NCAA Division I Stephen F. Austin University in 2014-15, helping the Lumberjacks to a 29-5 record.

Hicks (6-6, 205) joined the Gorillas from Cloud County Community College, where he averaged 6.8 points per game as a sophomore in 2014-15. The Long Beach, Calif., native averaged 12.3 points and 6.3 rebounds per game as a freshman at Allan Hancock College in Santa Maria, Calif., in 2013-14.

In addition to his 9.6-point scoring average, Hicks also averages 4.7 rebounds per game.

Gaines (6-2, 175) averaged 11.8 points and 4.1 rebounds per game while helping Long Beach (Calif.) Community College to a second straight South Coast Conference championship in 2015-16. He is averaging 9.5points and 4.3 rebounds per game to date.

Gaines has averaged 13.3 points and 5.0 rebounds in Pitt State's last nine games. He scored a season-high 22 points vs. Lindenwood on Dec. 8 and posted a double-double with 15 points and 11 rebounds vs. Avila on Jan. 2.

Brinker (6-7, 215) broke out with a career-high scoring performance against SCSU on Nov. 12.  The Seneca, Kan., native scored 18 points, connecting on all four of his 3-point field goal attempts.
Brinker bettered that performance with a 26-point, eight-rebound effort vs. UNK on Dec. 1, making 10 of 15 shots from the field.

For the season, Brinker is shooting .465 from the field (46-99) including .442 from 3-point range (23-52).  He's also averaging a team-leading 5.1 rebounds and 1.4 blocked shots per game to date.

Pair (5-10, 175) scored a season-best 20 points against MWSU on Jan. 5 on nine of 13 shooting and he added 14 points against FHSU on Dec. 3.

He signed with the Gorillas out of The Colony High School in The Colony, Texas. A two-time first-team All-District selection, Pair averaged 15 points, five assists and 4.5 rebounds per game his senior season. He compiled 1,143 points, 273 assists, 145 3-point field goals and 194 steals during his prep career.

Pair has grabbed 2.2 rebounds per game and dished out a team-leading 34 assists to go along with his 8.1-point scoring average.

Clifford (6-3, 190) scored a team-leading 24 points in his Pitt State debut on Nov. 11 against Minnesota State. The Paragould, Ark., native made eight of 11 shots from the field, including a pair of 3-pointers. He added nine points against SCSU the next night.

Clifford was a two-time Arkansas Class 5A All-State selection at Paragould High School. He averaged 28 points, six rebounds and four assists as a senior, helping the Rams to a 20-5 finish.

Additionally, senior guard Jordan Phelps has averaged 4.2 points per game. Phelps (6-3, 180) transferred to Pitt State from Our Lady of the Lake (Texas) University.

Freshman forward Christian Edmondson has averaged 3.3 points and 3.2 rebounds per game.  Edmondson (6-6, 215) posted a double-double with 12 points and 15 rebounds in the Gorillas' home win over Newman on Nov. 15

Edmondson joined the Gorillas from Flower Mound (Texas) High School where he was a first-team Texas Class 6A All-District selection in 201516. He averaged a double-double for the season, generating 14.5 points and 10.5 rebounds per game for the Jaguars.

Senior guard Josiah Gustafson averaged 3.3 points per game in limited action after returning from an off-season shoulder surgery. He has missed the Gorillas' last 10 games and is not expected to return to the Pitt State lineup.

Gustafson, a two-time All-MIAA performer, started 60 games the previous two seasons.  The Omaha, Neb., native averaged 15.4 points and 5.1 rebounds per game during his junior campaign, garnering second-team All-MIAA honors.

Gustafson scored in double figures 22 times during the 2015-16 campaign with six games of 20 points or more. He earned first-team All-MIAA honors as a sophomore in 2014-15 when he averaged a team-leading 15.5 points per game as well as 3.6 rebounds per game.

Gustafson has scored 1,150 points in 90 career games (79 starts), averaging 12.8 points per game.

Junior guard Dakota Jones has averaged 9.4 points per game, but he has missed the last 10 contests due to injury. He's not expected to return to the Pitt State lineup.

Jones (5-11, 175) poured in 22 points in the season-opening loss to MSU on Nov. 11 and he added 20 points in a home win vs. Newman on Nov. 15. He has missed the last three games due to injury.

The Warrensburg, Mo., native averaged 11.7 points per game last season, and Jones has compiled 656 points in 69 career games (9.5 ppg).

As a team, Pitt State is shooting 42.1 percent from the field (420-997), 34.8 percent from 3-point range (132-379) and 64.6 percent from the free throw line (188-291).  The Gorillas are averaging 64.4 points per game.

Pitt State's opponents are shooting 46.2 percent from the field (462-999), 38.4 percent from 3-point range (138-359) and 73.3 percent from the free throw line (266-363) while averaging 73.8 points per game.

Pitt State Probable Starters
    F    1    Isaiah Hicks, 6-6, 205, Jr., Long Beach, Calif.
    F    15    Lucas Wilson, 6-6, 190, So., Paola, Kan.
    G    3    Elijah Gaines, 6-2, 175, Jr., San Pedro, Calif.
    G    10    R.J. Pair, 5-10, 175, Fr., The Colony, Texas
    G    21    Jaxon Holden, 6-1, 180, Jr., Flower Mound, Texas

MSSU women nail 14 3-pointers in 74-53 romp over Northeastern State

(From MSSU Lions Athletic News)

The Missouri Southern women's basketball team tied a single-game record for made three pointers and the Lions defeated visiting Northeastern State 74-53 tonight inside the Leggett & Platt Athletic Center.

Southern (11-9, 6-5 MIAA) made 14 three pointers on the night, tying the record that was previously set against College of the Ozarks in 1990, Central Oklahoma in 1994 and Truman State in 2003.

Chelsey Henry (pictured) led the Lions with 15 points and four rebounds on 5-12 shooting from the field and 3-7 from long-range. Amelia Bramer had 11 points while Julianna Wadsworth had ten points and three assists. Deb Holcomb had eight points and six assists, while Jenson Maydew scored nine and Jasmine Green added eight.

NSU (6-12, 2-8 MIAA) was led by 16 points from Rylie Torrey and 14 from Cailyn Long.

The Lions opened the game with a three-pointer from Green to take an early 3-0 lead, but NSU scored six-straight and led 10-5 with 3:54 to go in the quarter. The lead was 13-8, but a three from Desirea Buerge with 16 seconds left made the score 13-11, NSU after one quarter.

The RiverHawks led 21-14 with 6:47 left in the second quarter, but a layup from Henry with 4:13 left gave Southern a 24-23 lead. NSU briefly went ahead again at 26-24, but back-to-back three's from Bramer and Maydew gave the Lions a 33-28 lead with 1:23 left and Southern went into the locker room with a 33-31 lead at the break.

The Lions made nine three pointers in the first half, shooting 50 percent from long-range.

A three from Maydew with 6:39 left in the third opened up an eight-point lead (43-35) for the Lions, and a layup from Holcomb with 4:19 to go in the quarter gave the Lions an 11-point lead (49-38). Southern led 51-45 after three.

Henry hit a three to start the fourth and a free throw from Buerge gave the Lions a 55-45 lead with 7:11 left in the quarter. The Lions led by 20 (67-47) after a jumper by Bri Shavers-McNeace and a pair of free throws from Holcomb gave the Lions a 21-point win.

The Lions shot 49 percent from the field and 47 percent from long range, hitting 73 percent of their free throws. Southern forced 15 NSU turnovers, scoring 21 points off of the miscues. The Southern bench outscored NSU 28-11 and the Lions out-rebounded the RiverHawks 34-22.

Southern will be back in action on Saturday afternoon when the Lions play host to tenth-ranked Central Oklahoma. Tip off from Robert Corn Court inside the Leggett & Platt Athletic Center is slated for 1 pm.

MSSU men tie three-point record in 100-93 win

(From MSSU Lions Athletics)

The Missouri Southern men's basketball team tied a single-game three-point record tonight in a 100-93 win tonight at home over Northeastern State inside the Leggett & Platt Athletic Center.

Southern (12-8, 6-5 MIAA) tied the single-game three-point record with 15 made three's on the night, tying the mark set in 2003 against St. Gregory's.

The Lions were led offensively by 22 points from JJ Cratit as he went 8-10 from the field, 3-3 from long-range and 3-3 from the free throw line. Parker Jennings had a career-high 21 points on 5-10 shooting from long-range. CJ Carr had 16 points and five assists, while Elyjah Clark had 14 points on 4-12 shooting from downtown. Lawrence Brown had eight points, 13 rebounds and five assists, while Vince Fritz scored eight points off the bench. Kinzer Lambert had five points and ten rebounds off the bench.

NSU (3-15, 2-8 MIAA) was led in scoring with 20 points from both Montre' Williams and Cameron Martin.

NSU got out to an 8-3 lead just 2:27 into the game, but a pair of freebies from Brown cut the lead to one (8-7) with 17:13 left in the half. NSU led 16-9, but a three from Jennings tied the game at 23 and capped a 14-7 run with 7:58 left in the half.

Another three from Jennings tied the game at 27 with six to go and a layup from Clark the next trip down gave the Lions a 29-27 lead. A dunk from Lambert with 2:28 to go made the score 37-33, Lions and a three-point play from Cratit with 40 seconds left made the halftime score 42-37, Lions.

Cratit started the second half with a three to put the Lions up 45-37 and a three from Clark two minutes later made the score 50-39. Another three from Cratit with 16:07 left in the half gave the Lions a 57-43 lead.

Another three from Jennings made the score 65-50 with 12:46 to go and a three from Jennings two minutes later pushed the Lions' lead to 21 (73-52).

NSU, however, went on separate 5-0 and 7-0 runs to cut the lead to just ten at 83-73, before a three from Clark off an assist from Jennings pushed the lead back up to 13 at 86-73.

Back-to-back three's from Clark, the second tying the single-game record, gave the Lions a 92-80 lead with 2:15 to go.

NSU got to within seven late, but Southern held on for the win.

The Lions forced 12 turnovers and scored 19 points off the miscues, while rebounds were even at 36 each.

Southern will be back in action on Saturday afternoon when the Lions play host to Central Oklahoma. Tip off from Robert Corn Court inside the Leggett & Platt Athletic Center is slated for 3 pm.

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Joplin R-8 considering combining athletic teams of all three middle school

(From Joplin Schools)

The Joplin Schools Athletic Department invites you to an Athletics Parent Forum. 

 The purpose of the forum will be to discuss with the parents of our middle school athletes a proposal to combine the teams of all three Joplin Middle Schools into one Joplin team in the future. 

The forum will begin at North Middle School, Wednesday, January 25 at 6:00pm in the Auditorium, at East Middle School, Monday, January 30 at 6:00pm, in the Auditorium, at South Middle School, Wednesday, February 1 at 6:00pm, in the Auditorium. 

 Parents of Middle School athletes and parents of 6th graders who plan to participate in athletics are strongly encouraged to attend. We are looking forward to hearing your opinions on the matter.

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Bradley defeats Missouri State women in overtime

(From Missouri State University Athletics)

Missouri State's Liza Fruendt (pictured) hit a last-second 3-pointer to send the game to overtime, but Bradley continued the momentum it gained while overcoming a 12-point deficit Sunday afternoon to earn a 75-73 victory at JQH Arena.

The Lady Bears (8-10, 4-3 Missouri Valley Conference) saw their four-game winning streak snapped after seizing control of the game midway through the third period with a 14-0 run that included six points from Alexa Willard for a 48-36 advantage with 14:51 left in the game.

Bradley (6-12, 2-5) buried four 3-pointers over the next five minutes, and pulled within two points on three occasions before Aubrey Buckley converted a 3-point play with 3:33 remaining for a 63-58 lead on the way to career highs of 19 points and 14 rebounds.

The Braves answered with an 8-0 run to lead 66-63 before Fruendt buried a trey with 3.0 seconds left to force overtime.

The extra period turned into a free throw shooting contest, with the Braves gaining the upper hand after a 3-point play at the 4:17 mark. The Lady Bears missed their first seven field goal attempts, but still only trailed 72-70 after Buckley scored with 15.8 ticks on the clock. Bradley countered with three free throws to lead 75-70 with 5.2 seconds left, finishing 7-for-11 from the line in the extra period and out-scoring the Lady Bears 17-8 from the charity stripe in the game.

Fruendt finished with 15 points for MSU and Willard added 12 to reach double figures for the eighth consecutive game, the longest streak for a Lady Bear freshman since Casey Garrison had a 15-game streak during the 2008-09 season. Audrey Holt added 10 points and four steals, and MSU shot 30-for-75 overall while forcing 21 turnovers. Each team grabbed 40 rebounds.

The loss also ended a remarkable streak of 95 consecutive games and nearly six years in which the Lady Bears won after leading when the game clock passed the 5:00 mark in the final period.

MSU wraps up its first trip through MVC schedule next week with trips to Loyola on Friday and Indiana State on Sunday.

Pitt State athletes post nine qualifying marks at MSSU Invitational

(From Pittsburg State University Athletics)

Pittsburg State University indoor track & field athletes posted nine NCAA qualifying marks Saturday (Jan. 21) on day two action of the MSSU "Southern" Invitational.

In the men's action, Derek McKnight placed second overall, tops among collegians, in the shot put with a personal-best throw of 56 feet, 8.5 inches. It was a NCAA provisional qualifying mark.

Ian Duncan (6-9.75, PQ) and Louis Rollins (6-8.75, PQ) placed first and third, respectively, in the high jump, while Conner McGuire finished third in the pole vault (15-5, PQ).

In the women's action, Jena Black and Jasmine Smith posted a one-two finish in the shot put. Black won the discipline with a PQ throw of 48-11, while Smith tossed the iron pellet 48-9.5.

Megan Wickersham and Heather Glenn both cleared 11-9.75 in the pole vault. Wickersham finished second while Glenn placed in a tie for third place in the discipline with both vaulters exceeding the NCAA qualifying standard.

The 4x400 meter relay team of Olivia Boone, Rhema Taylor, Chandler Wilson and Nelson also garnered a PQ mark with a winning time of 3:54.53.

Sarah Jewett also placed third in the 800 meters in 2:22.38.

Ichabods roll to 82-64 win over PSU men

(From Pittsburg State University Athletics)

Brady Skeens led four Washburn University men's basketball players in double figures with a game-high 20 points as the Ichabods rolled to a 82-64 victory over Pittsburg State University at Lee Arena Saturday (Jan. 21).

WU (13-5, 5-4 MIAA) built an 18-point halftime advantage against Pitt State (3-15, 1-9 MIAA).

Elijah Gaines paced the Gorillas with 17 points while R.J. Pair finished with 12.

Pitt State shot 42.3 percent from the field in the game, making 22 of 52 shots, while WU shot it at a 62 percent clip, converting 31 of 50 attempts.

The Gorillas will return to action Thursday (Jan. 26) when they return home to face the University of Central Oklahoma in MIAA action at John Lance Arena.

Two records fall as MSSU women's track competes in final day of MSSU Open

(From MSSU Lions Athletic News)

The Missouri Southern women's track and field team saw two school records fall today in the final day of the 2017 MSSU Open inside the Leggett & Platt Athletic Center.

Emily Presley punched her way to nationals and set a new MSSU record in the pole vault, while Morgan Smith broke her own school record for the second-straight week in the 60m hurdles.

Presley won the pole vault and hit an automatic qualifying mark of 13-07.25 which set a new MSSU school record, breaking the mark that Melanie Bower set in 2016 by nearly six inches. The mark is also tops in Division II by the same six inches. Mylene Loridan finished second with a provisional of 11-09.75, while Samantha Donnell was seventh with a height of 11-03.75.

Smith was the lone Lion to qualify for the hurdles final, but she hit a provisional and broke her own school record by .01, running an 8.78 in the finals to win the event.

In other action, Allie Heckemeyer was second in the long jump with a distance of 17-08.75, while Tiffany Gillford was 11th and Sierra Barrett placed 21st.

Sierra Wells placed tenth in the mile with a time of 5:22.48, while Christian Provence and Sierra Gray placed second and sixth, respectively in the 3k. Provence finished in a time of 10:20.88, while Gray ran a time of 10:51.90. Gabriel Hill was 16th in the 3k, while Shelby Werner, Shelby Jackson, Meggi Augustosky and Abbi Rogers placed 22nd, 23rd, 26th and 39th, respectively.

Sara Lin placed 12th in the 800m in a time of 2:28.17, while Kelsey Evans was 19th. Destiny Akannam was 8th in the 400m with a time of 1:00.78, while Rachel Ray was 12th and Kristen Koch placed 26th.

In the final event of the night, the Lions' mile relay team of Gilford, Linn, Evans and Ronise Miller placed tenth with a time of 4:16.17.

Southern will be back in action next weekend when the Lions travel to Pittsburg State to compete in the Pitt State Invite.

Emporia State women use late run to defeat Missouri Southern

(From MSSU Lions Athletic News)

Emporia, Kan. – The Missouri Southern Lions held the lead for most of the game, but the ninth ranked Emporia State Lady Hornets proved too strong as ESU came away with the 74-65 win Sunday afternoon at the William L. White Auditorium.

Missouri Southern (10-9, 5-5 MIAA) was led by junior Julianna Wadsworth with a career high 18 points. Sophomore Desirea Buerge added 13 and senior Deb Holcomb chipped in 12 for the Lions. Ninth ranked Emporia State Lady Hornets (16-2, 7-2 MIAA) were led by Kelly Moten with 25 points and Kyrstie Miller added 11.

Southern got out to the quick 3-0 lead on a three pointer from junior Jasmine Green on the opening possession. The Lions extended their lead to 5-0 on a jumper from junior Jenson Maydew at the 6:36 mark. Emporia finally got on the board on the next possession on a pair of free throws from Megan Holloway. Southern put together a 7-0 run in the middle of the quarter, two layups from Holcomb and an old fashioned three-point play Wadsworth. Emporia State closed the first quarter on a 6-0 run after the Lions led 19-10 with 1:01 left in the opening frame.

The Lady Hornets opened the second quarter with a layup from Kathryn Flott and extended their run to 14-2 to take their first lead at 24-21 with 7:46 left in the half. The Lions answered with a 5-0 run, all from Wadsworth, to regain the lead at 26-24 with 6:38 left in the half. The next four minutes saw four ties before a layup from Green sparked a 6-0 run highlighted by a pair of free throws from Buerge and four points from Wadsworth to go into the locker room with a 40-34 lead over the ninth ranked Lady Hornets.

Wadsworth was two points shy of her career high in the opening half with 14 points and Holcomb added six points for the Lions in the first half. Emporia was led by Moten with 15 points.

Addie Lackey knocked down a three for Emporia coming out of the locker room to cut the Southern lead to three, 40-37, but the Lions answered with a pair of buckets from Holcomb and sophomore Chelsey Henry to go back up seven, 46-39. After trading buckets on their next possessions, Emporia State went on an 8-2 run to pull within one point at 48-47. The Lady Hornets then went on another run, 7-0, to close the quarter with a 54-40 lead.

The Lady Hornets extended their 7-0 run at the end of the third with the first two buckets of the fourth to make it an 11-0 run and take a 58-50 lead with 9:27 to play. A 4-0 run, all from Buerge, forced an Emporia State time out as their lead was cut down to four, 58-54 with 7:01 left to play. ESU's Miller drained back-to-back threes and a pair of free throws from Kathryn Flott gave Emporia their biggest lead of the game at 12, 66-54 with just over five and a half minutes to play.

Wadsworth hit a pull up jumper for her 16th point, to tie her career high, to cut the Lady Hornets lead to 66-56. A layup from Holcomb and a jumper in the middle of the lane from Maydew cut it down to 66-60 with 3:22 to go before a layup from Moten extended the Lady Hornets lead back to eight, 68-60, before a Southern foul to send Moten to the line for two charities. After the pair of free throws made it 70-60, Maydew drained a three from the top of the key to make it 70-63. After the Missouri Southern time out Wadsworth came up with the steal and was sent to the free throw line, where she set a new career high, to make it 70-65. A pair of free throws from Moten with just over 42 seconds left made it 72-65. Southern fouled with 29 seconds left and Megan Holloway knocked down the free throws for the 74-65 win.

Southern finished the game shooting 43.3 percent, 26-for-60, from the field while the Lady Hornets finished 25-for-57, 43.9 percent. The Lions forced Emporia State into 20 turnovers while committing just 15. ESU won the rebound battle 43-26 and led in steals 7-4.

Southern will be back in action on Wednesday January 25 as they host the RiverHawks of Northeastern State University. Tip-off from Robert Corn Court inside The Leggett & Platt Athletic Center is scheduled for 5:30 p.m.

MSSU men's track picks up provisional, event win in final day of MSSU Open

(From MSSU Lions Athletic News)

The Missouri Southern men's track and field team picked up a provisional and an event win in the final day of the 2017 MSSU Open on Mercy Track inside the Leggett & Platt Athletic Center Saturday.

Tyler Rush won the 3k in a time of 8:45.51 as four Lions placed in the top ten of the event. Jared Haltom was fourth, while Cody Berry and Mike Shanahan placed seventh and eighth. Josh Webb was 14th, followed closely by Ryan Drendel at 15th. James Tupper placed 45th.

Morgan Hold hit a provisional and placed second in the pole vault with a height of 16-02.75. Dean Howard was eighth, while Zach Wuest and Cortland Potter placed ninth and 13th, respectively.

Cody Vogt was fourth in the high jump with a height of 6-04.75, while Chance Johnson finished 15th in a height of 5-10.75.

Brendan Watkins placed fourth in the triple jump with a distance of 45-02.50, while Kyle Parr was 10th in a distance of 42-03.25.

Nickson Kiptoo and Rush placed seventh and eighth in the mile with times of 4:29.53 and 4:29.60, respectively.

Thomas Hawkins was tenth in the 600 yard with a time of 1:15.94, while Brandon Callicutt placed 17th. Colton Gurera and Luis Suaste placed 17th and 18th in the 800m, while Victor Encarnacion was 21st.

The Lions will be back in action next week as Southern travels to Pittsburg State to compete in the Pitt State Invite.

Hot shooting Emporia State drops MSSU men 92-85

(From MSSU Lions Athletic News)

Emporia, Kan. -- Emporia State outscored the Lions 53-46 in the second half and shot 55 percent in the game and the Missouri Southern men's basketball team couldn't overcome a cold-shooting night and fell 92-85 to the Hornets inside White Auditorium tonight.

Southern (11-8, 5-5 MIAA) was led in scoring by CJ Carr with 20 points. JJ Cratit had 19 points and seven rebounds, while Elyjah Clark had a double-double with 17 points and ten rebounds. Kinzer Lambert had a career-high 18 points off the bench, playing 31 minutes.

ESU (10-8, 6-3 MIAA) had five score in double-figures, led by 18 points and 18 rebounds from Garin Vandiver. Jevon Taylor scored 18 points off the bench.

The Hornets had a seven-point lead (14-7) at the 12-minute mark of the first half, but the Lions fought back and went on a 12-2 run and led 19-16 after a pair of freebies from Cratit with 8:36 to go. A layup from Cratit with 7:30 to go pushed the lead to five (23-18) and a three from Carr with 5:16 left in the half gave the Lions their largest lead at six (30-24).

The Hornets, however, answered back and went on a 13-9 run over the final five minutes and the two teams went into the locker room tied at 39.

Southern tied the game at 47 with 14:32 to go in the second half after an offensive board and a layup from Vince Fritz. A layup from Cratit with 13:36 to go in the game capped a 12-4 run by the Lions and gave Southern a 51-47 lead.

A jumper from the Hornets tied the game at 51 with 12:34 to go and a three from Taylor gave ESU a 54-41 lead the Hornets would not relinquish. ESU pushed its lead to 11 with 7:07 left and led by as many as 12 with 2:19 to go.

The Lions made a late push and get to within five (88-83) after a jumper from Carr with 54 seconds left, but couldn't get any closer.

Southern shot 40 percent from the field and 27 percent from long range, making 74 percent of its free throws. ESU made 55 percent from the field, including 68 percent in the second half alone. The Hornets made 60 percent of their three-point attempts in the game.

The Lions out-rebounded ESU 41-40 and forced 17 Hornets' turnovers, but couldn't capitalize on the miscues, only scoring 16 points off of turnovers. The Lions had 20 offensive rebounds and scored 20 second-chance points on the night.

Southern will be back in action on Wednesday night as the Lions play host to Northeastern State. Tip off from Robert Corn Court inside the Leggett & Platt Athletic Center is slated for 7:30 pm.

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Pittsburg State women down Washburn 81-74, 200th win for Coach Lord

(From Pittsburg State University Athletics)

The No. 3 Pitt State women's basketball team rolled to an 81-54 win over Washburn on Saturday (Jan. 21) night. The win was the 200th of his career for Head Coach Lane Lord. Lord is now 200-91 (.687) in his 10thseason at the helm of the Gorilla program.

It was also a big night for guard Mikaela Burgess. She scored a career-high 35 points, including 26 in the first half. She was 11-for-19 overall, including 5-for-7 from three-point range. She also hit 8-of-9 free throws.

Hadyn Herlocker was the only other double figure scorer for the Gorillas with 11. She hit 3-of-4 shots from long range. Madison Northcutt scored eight points and pulled down nine rebounds. Brenlee McPherson added nine points.

The first quarter was tight, with two ties and seven lead changes. Pitt State only led by one, 17-16 at the end of the first 10 minutes. The Gorillas opened the second quarter on a 14-0 run, led by 11 points from Burgess. Washburn did not score its first points from the floor in the second quarter until the 5:10 mark.

Pitt State took its first 20-point lead on a Herlocker layup with just under eight minutes to go in the third quarter. Washburn was able to cut the lead to as few as 15 at the beginning of the fourth quarter, but Pitt State ended the game on a 13-2 run.

The Gorillas will come home next week for a top-15 meeting against No. 12 Central Oklahoma on Thursday (Jan. 26). The Bronchos and Gorillas each have only one loss in conference play. Central Oklahoma's only loss this season was to Missouri Western in Edmond. On Saturday (Jan. 28) Northeastern State will come to John Lance Arena for a 1:30 p.m. game.

MSSU women look to bounce back at Emporia State

(From MSSU Lions Athletic News)

The Missouri Southern Women's Basketball team looks to bounce back after Thursday night's loss as they travel to the ninth ranked Emporia State Lady Hornets for a 3 p.m. Sunday matchup.

Game Information
Date: Sunday January 22, 2017
Tip-Off: 3:00 pm
Location: Emporia, Kan.
Site: William L. White Auditorium
Series Record: ESU leads, 53-24

Media Coverage
MSSU Radio: ESPN Joplin/Lions Sports Network
Internet Audio: mssulions.com
Webcast: portal.stretchinternet.com/mssu/
Live Stats: sidearmstats.com/emporia/wbball

The Series
Emporia State holds a 53-24 advantage over the Lions in the series between the two schools. However, the Lady Hornets are 19-17 in Joplin and are 10-6 on Robert Corn Court inside The Leggett & Platt Athletic Center. The Lions snapped a six game losing streak to Emporia State last season winning 71-58 in Joplin on December 16. The longest winning streak for the Lady Hornets came back at the beginning of the series as they rattled off 10 straight wins from Jan. 22, 1977 thru Jan. 17, 1981. The Lions longest winning streak came in the early to mid 90s as they strung together eight wins between Jan. 11, 1992 and Feb. 24, 1996. Joplin has been a dangerous place for ESU when they are ranked. The Lady Hornets are 5-5 in Joplin since 2001 when they are ranked in the Top 25, after losing at Southern in December of 2015. The Lady Hornets were ranked third in the WBCA/USA Today Coaches' Poll entering that contest.

The Coaches
Missouri Southern
Ronnie Ressel is in his 15th year on the staff at Missouri Southern and his first year at the helm of the women's program. During his three years as an assistant for the women, Ressel had helped the team to a 58-30 record and a 38-22 mark in the MIAA. In 2015-16 the team saw two players earn All-MIAA status as Sharese Jones was a first-team selection, while Deb Holcomb was a third-team pick.

Emporia State
Jory Collins completed his sixth season as the head coach at Emporia State and has continued the excellent tradition of Lady Hornet basketball. He is the first Lady Hornet coach to have six 20 win seasons in his first six years as head coach. In those six seasons he has led Emporia State to four MIAA Tournament Championships, six conference title games, five NCAA Tournaments and five trips to the NCAA Sweet 16 including a berth in the 2015 NCAA Division II Final Four. He is 153-42 as a head coach.

Possible Starters
Missouri Southern (10-8, 5-4 MIAA)
No. Name Pos. Ht. Yr. PPG RPG Assists Steals Hometown
11 Jasmine Green G 5-6 Jr. 7.5 2.3 32 13 Katy, Texas
15 Chelsey Henry G 5-10 So. 10.3 4.0 24 15 Neosho, Mo.
21 Desirea Buerge F 6-0 So. 11.9 6.2 11 21 Webb City, Mo.
24 Deb Holcomb G 5-7 Sr. 17.2 3.2 36 25 Dallas, Texas
31 Jenson Maydew F 5-11 Jr. 8.3 5.8 23 8 Pratt, Kan.

(9) Emporia State (14-2, 5-2 MIAA)
No. Name Pos. Ht. Yr. PPG RPG Assists Steals Hometown
2 Kelly Moten G 5-9 R-Sr. 17.8 4.5 72 37 Gary, Ind.
20 Tiana Moala F/C 6-3 So. 6.3 5.9 7 4 Paola, Kan.
14 Megan Holloway G 5-9 Sr. 5.9 2.5 36 9 Salina, Kan.
24 Addie Lackey G 5-9 Jr. 12.8 2.3 50 13 Hillsboro, Kan.
33 Kyrstie Miller G/F 5-10 Jr. 11.7 6.5 27 40 Holton, Kan.

Quick Notes
Dialing Long Distance
The Lions have made a three pointer in 484 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 464 straight games without allowing 100+ points.

Leading At The Half
The Lions led the game at the half in 9 of 18 games this season and are 8-1 in those games.

Sharp Shooting
Southern is 8-0 when out shooting their opponents this season.

Glass Cleaners
The Lions, as a team has out rebounded 9 of their 18 opponents this season and are 7-2 in those contests.

Friendly Confines of LPAC
Southern is 158-61 inside The Leggett & Platt Athletic Center since the 2001-02 season. 

Picking Pockets
When the Lions have more steals than their opponents they are 5-4 this season.

Supporting cast
Southern's bench  has outscored their opponents 10 times this season and the Lions are 8-2 in those contests.

MSSU men to play rare Sunday game at Emporia State

(From MSSU Lions Athletic News)

The Missouri Southern men's basketball program will play a rare Sunday game tomorrow as the Lions travel to Emporia State. Tip off from White Auditorium is slated for 5 pm. 

Game Information

Teams:            Missouri Southern (11-7, 5-4 MIAA) at Emporia State (9-8, 5-3 MIAA)

Date: Sunday, Jan. 22, 2017
Tip-Off: 5:00 pm
Location: Emporia, Kan.
Site: White Auditorium (5,000)
Series Record: Southern leads 50-30
Coaches: Jeff Boschee (49-30 overall/at MSSU - 3rd year). Shaun Vandiver (74-85/overall - 6th year)

Media Coverage

MSSU Radio: Mike McClure - Play by play - ESPN Joplin - 103.5 FM,  KXMS 88.7 FM
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

Missouri Southern holds a 50-30 advantage in the series with Emporia State. Southern has won 13 of the last 17 and nine of the last 11. The Lions have a 30-10 record against Emporia in Joplin, and are 19-20 in games played at Emporia. The Lions have won the only neutral site game. The Southern-Emporia series has produced eight overtime games, including two double overtime thrillers. The Lions have won six of the overtime games. Missouri Southern's biggest margin of victory was 43 points, 125-82, on Jan. 19, 2002. Emporia State's biggest victory spread was in 2007, (Jan. 17, 2007) defeating the Lions 105-67 (32 points). 

NCAA Individual Stat Leaders

CJ Carr is 8th nationally in total steals, while ranking 20th in steals per game. He ranks 14th in total field goals attempted, while ranking 20th in steals per game and 25th in total assists. He ranks 30th in scoring, 41st in assists per game, 48th in free throw percentage and 44th in free throws made.   

NCAA Team Stat Leaders

Southern ranks 15th in free throw percentage, while ranking 31st in free throws made. The team ranks 43rd in offensive rebounds per game, 48th in three point attempts, 51st in turnover margin and 54th in scoring.    

MIAA Individual Leaders

Carr leads the MIAA in total steals, steals per game, and total assists, while ranking second in assists per game, free throws made, total field goal attempts and total points. He ranks third in scoring, total minutes and total field goals made. Elyjah Clark ranks third in three point attempts. 

MIAA Team Stat Leaders

The Lions lead the MIAA in scoring, offensive rebounds per game and free throw percentage. The team ranks second in three point attempts and total rebounds, while ranking third in free throws made, three points per game, total three pointers made, total steals, turnover margin and turnovers forced. 

Getting Offensive (About Boards)

The Lions lead the MIAA in offensive rebounds this year, averaging 13.1 offensive boards per game. That equates to 14.0 second-chance points a game.   

LJ's Night At The Boards

LJ Ross had a career-night against Nebraska-Kearney as the junior from Tulsa had 19 rebounds in the game against the Lopers, besting his previous career-high of 13 set earlier in the year against Minnesota State. 

High-Scoring Freshman

Elyjah Clark is third on the team in scoring this year with 14.1 points per game and he ranks 12th in the MIAA in that category. However, he is the top-scoring freshman in the entire MIAA.  

Give Me That Ball

The Lions rank third in the MIAA in turnover margin and in turnovers forced. Southern is forcing 15.8 turnovers per game this year, with a turnover margin of 2.8.

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

High Scoring Affair

The Lions scored the second-highest points of the season against Randall when they scored 105 points. The 37-point margin of victory is the most since the Lions defeated Avila by 41 points in the 13-14 season (108-67). 

Game of Firsts

Against Arkansas Tech, the Lions scored 90 plus points and lost for the first time this year and just the second time under Jeff Boschee. They also allowed 100 plus points at home for the first time since the 2009 season.

New Starting Five

For the first time in program history (since joining the NCAA), the Missouri Southern men's basketball program started five entirely new players to the roster the first two games to the season this year. All five players in the starting lineup did not play last year at MSSU.  

Keep Em Low

The Lions held Lindenwood to just 55 points which is a season-low for any MSSU opponent. The 55 points are the lowest allowed in a single-game for Southern since 48 in the 2014-15 season against Benedictine and the lowest against an MIAA opponent since 54 against Northeastern State on Jan. of 2015. 

New School Record

The Lions set a new school record with 42 attempted three pointers against Missouri S&T. The mark surpassed the 34 set last season against Washburn. 

Single-game High

CJ Carr scored 47 points earlier in the year against Minnesota State. That point total is the fourth-highest single-game total in the NCAA this year and the second-highest in MSSU single-game history. 

Bring Em On

The Lions have the 23rd-toughest schedule in Division II men's basketball this season and the toughest in the MIAA. The schedule ranks fourth-toughest in the Central Region and the closest MIAA team in toughest schedule is Fort Hays State at No. 40. 

Playing On Sunday

This will be just the second time in the Jeff Boschee era that the Lions have played a game on Sunday. The last time, the team was in the 2015 MIAA Championship game. 

Lions On The Radio 

The majority of the Lions games this season can be heard on the Missouri Southern Radio Network in Joplin. Partnering with ESPN Joplin, the Lions can be heard on 101.3 FM, 103.5 FM, 88.7 FM and AM 1560. 

Lions on TV

All Missouri Southern conference home games will be brought to you live this season courtesy of KGCS TV in Joplin. Fans can catch the action over the air live on Digital Channel 22 as well as on local cable systems. 

Up Next

The Lions will be back at home as Southern will play host to Northeastern State on Wednesday evening. Tip off from Robert Corn Court inside the Leggett & Platt Athletic Center is slated for 7:30 pm.