Chiefs release Kareem Hunt, say he lied to them about assaulting woman

The Kansas City Chiefs released star running back Kareem Hunt tonight following the airing of a TMZ video that showed Hunt kicking and shoving a woman.

The Chiefs issued the following statement:

Earlier this year, we were made aware of an incident involving running back Kareem Hunt. At that time, the National Football League and law enforcement initiated investigations into the issue.

"As part of our internal discussions with Kareem, several members of our management team spoke directly to him.


"Kareem was not truthful in those discussions.

"The video released today confirms that fact. We released Kareem immediately."

MSSU men break records in 137-50 win over Baptist Bible

(From MSSU Lions Athletic News)

The Missouri Southern men's basketball team set or tied four single-game records, while four different Lions set career-highs and the Lions defeated Baptist Bible 137-50 tonight on Robert Corn Court inside the Leggett & Platt Athletic Center.

Southern (6-1) tied a single-game record for points with 137 and 95 shot attempts, while breaking single-game records with 77 rebounds and 37 assists.

Dexter Frisbie and Parker Jennings had career-highs with 24 points, while Frisbie added a career-high 11 rebounds and Jennings had a career-high six three's and seven rebounds. Braelon Walker had a career-high 19 points, five three's and seven assists, while Jadis White had career-highs in points (8) and rebounds (7). Cam Martin had 17 points and 11 rebounds, while Reggie Tharp had 12 points and six assists.

Elyjah Clark scored nine points and had a career-high nine assists.

Baptist Bible (3-4) had 13 points and eight rebounds from Tre Minton.

Southern started strong, running out a 7-0 lead in the first minute of the game. A layup from Tharp off a turnover from the Patriots put the lead for the Lions at ten (16-6) 14:33 left and a bucket from Memic the next trip down gave the Lions an 18-6 lead at the first media timeout.

A layup from Dylon Gregory with 10:30 to go off of another Patriots' turnover made the score 31-11 and a layup from Frisbie the next trip down put the lead at 35-11, forcing a BBC timeout. A three pointer from the Patriots' Sterling Carter stopped a 29-10 run by the Lions and Southern led 39-14 with 8:22 left in the half. Southern closed the half on a 30-13 run and led 69-24 at the break.

Southern opened the second half on a 20-5 run and led by 60 (89-29) after a dunk from Clark with 15:13 left in the half. A reverse layup from White with just under 11 to go made the score 100-33.

An alley-oop dunk from White to Gregory with 5:29 left made the score 120-39 and a three from Walker the next trip down pushed the lead to 123-42. A dunk from Gregory with nine seconds left tied the single-game record with 137 points.

The Lions shot 59 percent from the field.

Southern will be back in action on Tuesday evening as the Lions play host to Truman State at 5:30 pm.

Seventh-ranked MSSU men's cross country preparing for nationals

(From MSSU Lions Athletic News)

The seventh-ranked Missouri Southern men's cross country team, as well as Ashlee Kuykendall will be in action this Saturday at the 2018 NCAA Division II Cross Country Championships hosted by Slippery Rock University and the City of Pittsburgh.

The men will kickoff the 10k race at 11 am, while Kuykendall will run in the women's 6k race at 12:15 pm. All times are Eastern.

The Southern men are coming off an MIAA and NCAA Central Region Championship. Southern also had the individual champion at both races in freshman Gidieon Kimutai. Head Coach Jamie Burnham was named the MIAA and NCAA Central Region Coach of the Year, while Kimutai was the Central Region Male Athlete of the Year.

The Lions scored 55 points as a team, the lowest point total of a Southern Cross Country Team at a regional (56 when the Lions won in 2009). Kimutai was the third NCAA Regional Champion in the last four years and the fourth MIAA Champion in the last five years for the program. The MIAA Championship was the 11th in a 19-year span.

Kuykendall is making her first appearance in the NCAA Championships. She finished fifth at both the NCAA Regional and MIAA Championships, earning All-MIAA and All-Region honors in the process. Kuykendall qualified as an individual, being one of the top two individuals not part of a qualifying team.

MSSU men's basketball opens six-game home stand tonight

(From MSSU Lions Athletic News)

The Missouri Southern men's basketball team will open up a six-game home stand tonight as the Lions play host to Baptist Bible. Tip off from Robert Corn Court inside the Leggett & Platt Athletic Center is slated for 7 pm

Game Information

Teams: (RV) Missouri Southern (5-1) vs. Baptist Bible (3-2)
Date: November 29, 2018
Tip-Off: 7:00 PM
Location: Joplin, Mo
Site: Robert Corn Court/Leggett & Platt Athletic Center (3,240)
Series Record: First ever meeting
Coaches: Jeff Boschee (81-46 overall/at MSSU - 5th year). Brett Palen

Media Coverage

MSSU Radio: Mike McClure - Play by play - Fox Sports Joplin - 101.3, 101.3 FM, AM 1560 KXMS 88.7 FM
Internet Audio: http://www.mssulions.com
Live Video: http://www.themiaanetwork.com/mssulions
Live Stats:https://mssulions.com/sidearmstats/mbball/summary
Lions on Facebook: Facebook.com/mososports
Lions on Twitter: @mososports; @mssumensbball

The Series

This is the first ever meeting between the two schools

NCAA Team Stat Leaders

The Lions, as a team, rank 13th in fewest turnovers per game, while ranking 25th in assist to turnover ratio. The Lions rank 32nd in overall fewest turnovers, while ranking 48th in scoring.

NCAA Individual Stat Leaders

Cam Martin ranks fourth in scoring nationally, while ranking eighth in field goal percentage, 22nd in total field goals made and 31st in total points. Reggie Tharp ranks 8th in assist to turnover ratio, while Elyjah Clark ranks ninth in minutes per game.

MIAA Team Stat Leaders

The Lions, as a team, lead the MIAA in fewest overall turnovers and rank second in assist to turnover ratio, fewest turnovers per game and three point defense. The team ranks third in fewest fouls, field goal percentage and fewest fouls per game, while ranking fourth in scoring.

MIAA Individual Stat Leaders

Cam Martin leads the MIAA in scoring and field goal percentage, while Reggie Tharp ranks second in assist to turnover ratio and steals. Kinzer Lambert ranks third in offensive rebounds, while Tharp is third in assists. Elyjah Clark leads the league in minutes per game.

Preseason No. 1

The Lions were picked number one in the MIAA Preseason Coaches Poll this season.

Strength of Schedule

Southern currently is ranked 7th in the Massey Division II College Basketball Ratings. The Lions have the second-best strength of schedule in Division II as far as future opponents remaining, meaning the Lions have the second-toughest schedule in D2.

Streak Stopper

Coming into the season Elyjah Clark had made a three pointer in 47-straight games, dating back to his freshman season. Clark, however, missed out on a three in the first game of the year, but has made a three in each game since, taking his current streak to five.

Cam You Score A Lot?

Cam Martin tied a MSSU single-game record with 49 points at Minnesota State. The mark tied Carl Tyler from 1984. Coincidently, in his first game as a Lion, former guard CJ Carr scored 47 points against the same Minnesota State team two years ago.

National Ranking

The Lions are receiving votes in both the NABC Preseason Poll the Media Poll. In the history of the NABC Poll, the Lions have been ranked 56 times, including 23 consecutive weeks. The team has been No. 1 once (in the 2011 season).

Coach of the Year

Jeff Boschee was named the 2018 MIAA Coach of the Year. Boschee has coached the Lions to a 20-win season for the second time in his four-year career. Last year, the Lions were picked to finish sixth in the preseason coaches poll and the Lions finished the season second overall with two wins over regular-season MIAA Champ Northwest Missouri.

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

Bomb's Away

Elyjah Clark tied the single-game MSSU record for three pointers in a game at Pittsburg State last year with nine. He went on to set the single-season record for three's with 110.

Bombs Away 2

The Lions broke the MSSU single-season record for threes by a team with 283 last season, breaking the previous record of 250.

Three's Company

The Lions shattered the previous MSSU school record for three pointers in a game against Randall last year as Southern made 20 three pointers against the Saints. The previous record of 15 was set in 2003 against St. Gregory's.

Home Sweet Home

Missouri Southern can count on some of the best fan support in Division II. Last season, the Lions ranked 12th nationally in home attendance, averaging 1,530 fans per game. That number was fourth in the MIAA.

Holy Points Batman

The Lions scored 110 points in a win over Randall. The 110 points were the most the team has scored since they scored 113 against Southwest Baptist in 2014.

Welcome Home

After six-straight games to start the season on the road, the Lions will return to the friendly confines of the Leggett & Platt Athletic Center to start a six-game home stand which will take the team through the end of December.

Overtime's A Charm

For the third-straight time, the Lions and Minnesota State needed overtime to settle the score. The Lions won 100-98 this year and have won two of the three overtime games in the last three years between the two teams.

Records Watch

Sophomore Elyjah Clark had the Missouri Southern single-season record for three pointers as a freshman with 89 and broke that record last year with 110. Clark has 217 career threes and is well over three-quarters to the career record of 265 set by Austin Wright.

Chasin' A Grand

Elyjah Clark went over 1,000 points in his career with 18 points against Minnesota-Crookston in the Puerto Rico Tournament. He currently has 1,009 in his career and is the 21st person in MSSU history to crack the 1,000 point plateau.

Player Of The Week

Cam Martin was the MIAA Player of the Week this past week after he averaged 20.3 points, 8.3 rebounds, and 1.7 blocks per game. Martin shot 76 percent from the field, 60 percent from long-range and 70 percent from the free throw line.

Hard-Workin' Man

Elyjah Clark ranks ninth nationally and leads the MIAA in minutes per game.

Elyjah For Three

Clark has the top-two single-season three-point totals in MSSU history and his 199 threes made in his two-year career rank fourth. His career three-point percentage of .425 is second-best all-time, while he also tied the single-game record for three's made with nine. He has the season and career record for three pointers per game, while also holding the MSSU season and career record for consecutive games with a three.

Lions On The Radio

The majority of the Lions games this season can be heard on the Missouri Southern Radio Network in Joplin. Southern is partnering with Fox Sports Joplin, the Lions can be heard on 101.3 FM, 101.7 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 home on Tuesday night against Truman State with a 5:30 pm tip off.

KGCS to televise all Missouri Southern men's, women's home MIAA basketball games

(From Southern News Service)

All home MIAA Conference basketball games for the Missouri Southern men and women will be covered live on KGCS-TV this season. The broadcasts continue the tradition of communication students working together in all aspects of production. Students perform all roles, from play-by-play announcing to camera work and directing.

“These games provide valuable hands-on experience for our students who are interested in sports productions,” says Judy Stiles, KGCS General Manager. “They also provide an opportunity for fans who are unable to attend the games to catch the excitement of Lions basketball.”

The first broadcast will be Thursday, Dec. 6, when the Lions host the University of Central Oklahoma. The women’s game tips-off at 5:30 p.m., with the men’s game to follow.

A total of four conference games will be televised in December (12/6 vs. UCO and 12/8 vs. NSU). Conference play continues in January, starting with coverage on Jan. 10.

In addition to providing live local telecasts, the KGCS crew also provides the coverage for live streaming through the MIAA.

KGCS programming can be seen on channel 22. It is also available on regional cable television systems such as Cable One, Mediacom and Suddenlink Communications. The station operates as a service of the Department of Communication at Missouri Southern State University.

MSSU Athletics brings compassion, engagement to fourth annual food drive

(From MSSU Lions Athletic News)

The Missouri Southern softball and golf (men and women's) programs delivered food to Souls Harbor in Joplin as part of the Student-Athletic Advisory Committee (SAAC).

This year marked the fourth annual Trick or Treat so Others Can Eat campaign done by the MSSU athletic department. The group collected 6,156 items, marking a collection of 21,000 canned and non-perishable food items since the first campaign in 2015.

"Being able to watch our senior, Angel Badalamenti, lead the way for SAAC's Trick or Treat So Others Can Eat was very impressive and I am glad our Athletic Department can positively impact our community in this way." softball coach Hallie Blackney said.

In bringing attention to great happenings throughout the landscape of the Mid-American Intercollegiate Athletic Association (MIAA), the committee launched the 'WE CARE" initiative with each letter illustrating an important commitment in which each institution brings to life in developing its own student-athletes.

MSSU's effort registered under two prongs in Compassion (3rd) and Engagement (6th) through interacting with others in need and its willingness to get involved when it comes to supporting the Joplin community.

Souls Harbor is a homeless shelter that strives to be a "light" for the homeless, less fortunate, and the hurting every single day.

Young Missouri hunters harvest 2,556 deer

(From the Missouri Department of Conservation)

Preliminary data from the Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) shows that young hunters ages 6 through 15 harvested 2,556 deer during Missouri’s late youth portion of the 2018 deer hunting season, Nov. 23-25. Of the 2,556 deer harvested, 1,140 were antlered bucks, 336 were button bucks, and 1,080 were does.

Top counties for the late youth portion were Wayne with 47; Ripley with 46; and Franklin, Macon, and Osage with each having 45 deer checked.

Last year’s harvest total for the late youth portion was 3,115 with 1,299 being antlered bucks, 453 button bucks, and 1,363 does.

Archery deer hunting continues through Jan. 15, 2019. Up next for deer hunting in Missouri is the antlerless portion of firearms deer season, which runs Nov. 30 through Dec. 2. Lastly the alternative methods portion will run Dec. 22 through Jan. 1, 2019.

For more information on deer hunting in Missouri, see MDC’s 2018 Fall Deer & Turkey Hunting Regulations and Information booklet, available where permits are sold and online at bit.ly/2pamBwF

For current ongoing preliminary harvest totals by season, county, and type of deer, visit the MDC website aton.mo.gov/1jjz7Ew.

For harvest summaries from past years, visit on.mo.gov/2fyMaBN.

MSSU's Martin named MIAA Men's Basketball Player of the Week

(From MSSU Lions Athletic News)

Missouri Southern sophomore post Cam Martin has been named the MIAA Men's Basketball Player of the Week as announced by the league office today.

Martin helped the Lions to a 3-0 week in Puerto Rico with wins against UPR-Rio Piedras, Minot State and Minnesota Crookston. For the week, he averaged 20.3 points, 8.3 rebounds, and 1.7 blocks per game. Martin shot 76 percent from the field, 60 percent from long-range and 70 percent from the free throw line.

He started the week with a 21-point performance against UPR-Rio Piedras, going 7-for-8 from the field and 7-for-11 from the free throw line. Martin had a 24-point, 13-rebound game against Minot State and capped the week with 16 points and nine rebounds, going 6-for-7 from the field and 3-for-4 from the three-point line in a win over Minnesota Crookston.

This season, Martin ranks fifth in scoring nationally, while ranking eighth in field goal percentage. He leads the MIAA in both those categories, as well.

Martin and the Lions will be in action this week on Thursday night as Southern plays host to Baptist Bible at 7 pm inside the Leggett & Platt Athletic Center.

Highlights- Mizzou shuts out Razorbacks 38-0

The Missouri Tigers finished at 8-4 with a 38-0 shutout of the University of Arkansas today.

The win was the fourth in a row for the Tigers.

The accompanying video highlights are from CBS Sports and the Mizzou Network.

MSSU men improve to 5-1 with 87-63 win over Minnesota-Crookston

(From MSSU Lions Athletic News)

San Juan, PR -- The Missouri Southern men's basketball team had five score in double-figures led by 20 points off the bench from Enis Memic and the Lions closed out the Puerto Rico Classic perfect with a 87-63 win over Minnesota-Crookston.

Southern (5-1) got a stellar performance off the bench from Memic as he scored 20 and pulled down seven boards, going 9-for-15 from the field in 23 minutes off the bench. Elyjah Clark scored 18 points on 6-of-14 shooting and added six assists, while Kinzer Lambert scored 17 and Cam Martin added 16 and eight boards. Reggie Tharp had 11 points, four assists and six steals.

UMC (5-2) got a 13 point, five assist performance from Harrison Cleary, while Josh Collins scored ten and Darin Viken added nine.

Southern jumped out to a 20-10 lead less than five minutes into the game, and increased the lead to 41-19 with 4:43 left in the half. The Lions would lead 48-31 at the break.



The Lions' lead was 14 (54-40) with 13:56 left in the second half, and increased to 19 (63-44) with a little less than ten minutes to go. The lead was 12 with five minutes left, but a furious final five minutes from the Lions pushed the final margin to 24 (87-63).

Southern shot 53 percent from the field in the game and out rebounded the Golden Eagles 43-36 in the game. The Lions' largest lead was 26 points late in the game.

Southern will come back home and will play host to Baptist Bible on November 29. Tip off from the Leggett & Platt Athletic Center is slated for 7 pm.

Missouri deer hunters harvest near record total

(From the Missouri Department of Conservation)

Preliminary data from the Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) shows that deer hunters in Missouri harvested a near-record 199,427 deer during the November portion of fall firearms deer season, Nov. 10- 20. Of the 199,427 deer harvested, 102,930 were antlered bucks, 19,924 were button bucks, and 76,573 were does.

Top harvest counties were Franklin with 4,021 deer checked, Howell with 3,858, and Callaway with 3,695.

Last year hunters checked 192,797 deer during the 2017 November portion of firearms deer season with 100,161 being antlered bucks, 20,267 being button bucks, and 72,369 being does.

The recent-record season was 2012 with 204,668 deer harvested, including 87,368 antlered bucks, 27,143 button bucks, and 90,157 does.

For current ongoing preliminary harvest totals by season, county, and type of deer, visit the MDC website at on.mo.gov/1jjz7Ew. For harvest summaries from past years, visit on.mo.gov/2fyMaBN.

MDC reported eight firearms-related hunting incidents during the November portion of firearms deer season of which three involved fatalities -- two of which occurred incidental to hunting while at hunting camps and one self-inflicted incident while in the field. Of the five non-fatal incidents, four were self-inflicted and the fifth occurred when the shooter struck a victim while swinging on game.

Deer hunting in Missouri continues with archery deer hunting from Nov. 21 through Jan. 15, 2019. The late youth portion of firearms deer season runs Nov. 23-25. The antlerless portion of firearms deer season runs Nov. 30 through Dec. 2. Lastly, the alternative methods portion will run Dec. 22 through Jan. 1, 2019. Learn more about deer hunting in Missouri at huntfish.mdc.mo.gov/hunting-trapping/species/deer

Missouri offers some of the best deer hunting in the country and deer hunting is an important part of many Missourians’ lives and family traditions. Deer hunting is also an important economic driver in Missouri and gives a $1 billion annual boost to the state and local economies.

MSSU women defeat Pontifical Catholic 70-62 in Puerto Rico Classic

(From MSSU Lions Athletic News)

San Juan, P.R. – The Missouri Southern women's basketball team closed out the 2018 Puerto Rico Classic with a 70-62 victory over Pontifical Catholic on the campus of the University of Puerto Rico-Rio Piedras Wednesday afternoon.

The Lions (4-2) started off down 5-2, but then went on a 13-1 run concluding on a spot-up 3-pointer by sophomore Krista Clark for three of her nine points on the day on a pass from sophomore Zoe Campbell to take a 15-6 advantage at the 2:20 mark in the first period.

Senior guard Chelsey Henry was the only Lion to finish in double-digits with ten points. Chasidee Owensadded nine points and season-high 15 rebounds while Campbell grabbed a career-high 13 rebounds and poured in seven in the win.

Sibet Castro scored 17 points to lead PCU on a 23-6 run that cut the deficit to eight after MSSU went up 25 points in the opening minutes of the final period.

The Lions return home for a non-conference match up versus Rogers State on Saturday, Dec. 1 at 1:30 pm.

Martin, Lambert combine for 46 points as MSSU men drop Minot State 76-57

(From MSSU Lions Athletic News)

San Juan, PR -- Cam Martin and Kinzer Lambert both scored over 20 points as the Lions soared past Minot State, 76-57 today in day two of the Puerto Rico Classic.

Martin scored 24 and Lambert scored 22, as Martin added 13 rebounds and Lambert pulled down eight. Martin also added three blocks as he went 9-of-13 from the field and a perfect 6-of-6 from the free throw line. Elyjah Clark scored 13 points and Parker Jennings had 11 points as Jennings hit three 3-pointers on the afternoon.

The Lions (4-1) shot 54 percent from the field and out rebounded Minot (4-3) 46-35, including a 15-5 advantage on the offensive boards that led to a 17-4 margin in second-chance points.

MSU was led by 16 points from Dorian Aluyi. Kyle Beisch scored 14 points and added ten rebounds.

Southern trailed 7-6 in the first three minutes of the game, but the Lions stormed ahead and never looked back. Southern led by ten at the break (35-25) and out scored the Beaveras 41-32 in the second half.

The Lions' bench out scored Minot 14-8 and Southern forced 13 Minot State turnovers, leading to 13 points, while the Lions limited their mistakes to just six turnovers.

Southern will finish up the tournament tomorrow morning as the Lions will take on Minnesota Crookston at 11 am CDT.

Missouri Southern defensive end named Academic All-District selection

(From MSSU Lions Athletic News)

Missouri Southern senior defensive lineman Trevor Plafcan has been named a Google Cloud Academic All-District selection as announced by the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA) recently.

Plafcan, a 6-1 senior from Odessa, Mo., has been an MIAA Academic Honor Roll selection three times in his career as he caries a 3.63 GPA in Marketing Management at Missouri Southern.

Plafcan started in 40 games in his MSSU career and this season he had 31 tackles, including six for a loss and one sack. He also added an interception, seven quarterback hurries and one fumble recovery.

Plafcan's name will now go on the national ballot for Academic All-America.

Southem men build big halftime lead, coast to 91-79 win over RIo Piedras

(From MSSU Lions Athletic News)

San Juan, Puerto Rico -- The Missouri Southern men's basketball team trailed by as much as six points in the first half, but the Lions heated up and eventually led by 23 at the half en route to a 91-79 win at University of Puerto Rico - Rio Piedras today.

Four players scored in double-figures for the Lions (3-1) led by 23 points from Kinzer Lambert. Lambert added eight rebounds, going 6-of-12 from the field and 3-of-six from long-range, while making 8-of-11 of his free throws. Cam Martin had 21 points on 7-of-8 shooting, while Elyjah Clark scored 17, including going 4-of-9 from the three-point line. Enis Memic had 10 points off the bench.

UPRRP was led by 35 points from Josue Erazo.

Southern trailed early as Rio Piedras shot extremely well to start the game. The Lions, however, lit up from long-range and pushed its lead to eight (36-28) with just six minutes left in the half. The Lions would lead 54-31 at the break. The Lions shot 70 percent from the field in the first half.

Rio Piedras out scored the Lions in the second half 48-37, but the first half deficit was too much to overcome.

Southern shot 55 percent from the field in the game and 58 percent from long-range.

The Lions will be back in action tomorrow as Southern will take on Minot State at 11 am CST.

MSSU's Burnham, Kimutai earn Regional Coach, Male Athlete of the Year honors

(From MSSU Lions Athletic News)

Missouri Southern Cross Country Coach Jamie Burnham, as well as freshman Gidieon Kimutai earned Regional Coach and Male Athlete of the Year honors today as the United States Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association announced its regional awards.

Burnham led the Lions to the MIAA and Central Region Title this season and was named the Central Region Men's Cross Country Coach of the Year. He also earned MIAA Coach of the Year honors last week. It was the lowest point total (55) at a regional meet for the Lions, besting the mark of 56 set in 2009, the only other Regional Title for the men's program.

Kimutai won the individual title at both the MIAA and Central Region Championships this year. He finished the 10k course with a 29:48.5 performance and is the third Lion in the last four years to win the Regional Title. It was his third individual title this season.

The Lions and Kimutai have qualified for the 2018 NCAA Division II Cross Country National Meet in Pittsburgh, Penn. that will be ran on December 1 as part of the NCAA Division II Fall Festival.

MSSU women tip off Puerto Rico Classic with 10-point win

(From MSSU Lions Athletic News)

San Juan, P.R. - The Missouri Southern women's basketball team tipped off the 2018 Puerto Rico Classic with a 10-point win over host University of Puerto Rico-Rio Piedras Tuesday afternoon.

The Lions (3-2) outrebounded Rio Piedras a grand total of 56-13 as the team remained aggressive in finding and battling for the ball to match UPR-RP's intensity throughout the contest toward a 20-2 advantage in second chance points as well.

Junior forward Jordan Schoenberger went on a tear by grabbing a team-high 15 rebounds in 26 minutes, making use of her sizeable height advantage against all-comers in the paint. She also added 15 points on 7 of 9 shooting from the field towards her first double-double in the green and gold.

Senior guard Chelsey Henry paced the Lions with 18 points in 32 minutes on the floor and junior swing-player Chasidee Owens added nine points and 11 rebounds in the win.

MSSU jumped out to a 15-10 advantage to close out the first period and increased its lead to 13 heading into halftime (38-25). UPR-RP (0-1) responded on a 14-4 run to get within six midway through the third and would entirely outscore the Lions in the second half 37-34, but ultimately fell short as the Lions dribbled the clock out.

UPR-RP Guard Paola Maldonado registered a game-high 20 points on 50-percent shooting (8-for-14 FG; 4-for-6 3FG) in 30 minutes as a starter.

Southern is back in action tomorrow for an 11:00 am local time/9:00 am Central time match up against Pontifical Catholic University of Puerto Rico to conclude its end of the 2018 Puerto Rico Classic.

MIssouri Southern women to play two games in Puerto Rico over the break

(From MSSU Lions Athletic News)

The Missouri Southern women's basketball team takes the court in San Juan, Puerto Rico against a pair of local programs in the University of Puerto Rico-Rio Piedras and Pontifical Catholic University as of 2018 Puerto Rico Basketball Classic.

After going 2-0 last week, the Lions are back even at 2-2 and begin play tomorrow afternoon at 1:00 pm local time/11:00 am Central time versus UPR-RP before facing PCU Wednesday morning at 11:00 am local time/9:00 am Central time. Both match ups can be heard on Fox Sports Joplin where the Lions get their first taste against either team in its history.

Both teams are members of Island-wide Inter-University Athletic League (LAI) and independent at the NCAA Division II level. Since the conferences inception during the 1971-72 season, UPR-RP captured the league championship eight times (1981, 1983, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1988, 1990, and 2011) PCU has come out on top in the last two seasons (2016 and 2017).

Quick Notes

Stop the Polls 

The Lions enter this year chosen to finish to 10th in the conference after going 11-17 and 8-11 in MIAA play during the 2017-18 campaign. Defending NCAA Champions Central Missouri was chosen to win the MIAA with 13 first-place votes while Fort Hays received the remaining vote in second as Emporia State (3), Washburn (4), and Central Oklahoma (5) rounded out the top-5. Both UCM and FHSU are ranked in the WBAC National Poll at No. 1 and 12 respectively with the poll remaining the same in the last couple weeks of play.

Leader of the Pride 

Guard Chelsey Henry returns as the only senior from last year's squad and will be looked upon to make sure that all nine newcomers understand what it means to compete in what is the MIAA. She closed out last year's schedule fifth in the MIAA in scoring (17.5 ppg), fourth in free-throw percentage (86.6%), and seventh in field-goal percentage (43.0%) to earn All-MIAA honorable mention while being just 93 points shy of breaking the 1,000 career-point barrier in the green and gold after scoring a team-high 23 points in her season debut.

How many Transfers are we going to take before passing? FOUR!!!
With eight players departing, the coaching staff mapped out the entire college basketball landscape in order to find four transfers and they did in the shape of 6'1 forward Laure Assena (Lipscomb University), 5'10 guard Chasidee Owens (Ouachita Baptist), 5'8 guard Destiny Cozart (John A. Logan), and 6'2 center Jordan Schoenberger (Independence CC).

Up Next

The Lions return to the Leggett and Platt Athletic Center for non-conference action as they host Rogers State (Okla.) on Saturday, Dec. 1 at 1:30 pm.

Coach Barry Odom previews Friday Mizzou-Arkansas matchup

During his weekly press conference today, University of Missouri Coach Barry Odom previews his team's Friday matchup with the University of Arkansas.

The Tigers have been on a roll lately, including a 50-17 walloping of Tennessee Saturday.

The accompanying video is from the Columbia Daily Tribune.

St. Louis Cardinals tease big announcement- then introduce new road uniforms

I suppose those who have fond memories of Whitey Herzog's running St. Louis Cardinals of the 1980s will appreciate the return of the powder blue uniforms that the Redbirds will wear during road games in 2019, but most of Cardinal Nation was hoping the big announcement teased by the Cardinals was going to be a big trade or the signing of a free agent.

The official announcement of the new road uniforms is featured in the accompanying video from the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.

Missouri Southern men's basketball to play in Puerto Rico Classic

(From MSSU Lions Athletics)

The No. 25 ranked Missouri Southern men's basketball team will head to the Islands this week as the Lions participate in the Puerto Rico Classic in San Juan.

Southern will take on the University of Puerto Rico - Rio Piedras on Tuesday at 1 pm, while taking on Minot State on Wednesday at 11 am and Minnesota-Crookston on Thursday at 11 am. All game times are CST.

Series History

In the program's history, the Lions are 1-0 against UPR-Rio Piedras and have never played Minot State or Minnesota-Crookston. Southern faced off with UPR-Rio Piedras in 2008 when the Lions last traveled to Puerto Rico. Southern won that matchup 73-68. The Lions went 3-0 the last time they played in this tournament.

Scouting the Competition

Minot State is 3-2 so far this season with wins against Lincoln, Yellowstone Christian and Dickinson State, while the Beavers have lost to Southwest Baptist and Montana State - Billings. Minot was picked to finish sixth in the NSIC North preseason men's basketball poll.

The Beavers have three players averaging in double-figures for points. David Akibo averages 14.4 points per game, while Kyle Beisch averages 14.0 points per contest. Max Cody scores 12.2 points per game, while Dorian Aluyi scores just under 10 (9.6) points per game. Akibo leads the team in rebounding at 7.6 rebounds per game, while Cody has a team-high 23 assists on the season.

The Beavers score 73.6 points per game, while limiting opponents to 66.4 points per game. MSU shoots 48 percent from the field and 32 percent from long-range, while making 77 percent of its free throws.

Minnesota-Crookston is 4-1 this year with wins against Arkansas-Monticello, Oak Hills Christian, Valley City State and Concordia - Minnesota. The Golden Eagles were picked to finish fourth in the NSIC North men's basketball preseason poll.

UMC has three scoring in double-figures, led by Harrison Cleary at 20.6 points per game. Ben Juhl averages 13.6 points per game, while Chase Knickerbocker scores 11.8 points per game. Chase Johnson averages a team-high 7.0 rebounds per game, while Cleary averages a team-high 4.2 assists per contest.

As a team, the Golden Eagles average 84.8 points per game, while limiting opponents to a 59.4 per game scoring average. UMC shoots 48 percent from the field and 41 percent from long-range, while making 75 percent of its free throws. The Golden Eagles average 40.4 rebounds per game, with a 6.4 rebounding margin.

Lion Tidbits 

The Lions (2-1) have won two in a row. Southern won 85-76 this past week at Missouri-St. Louis.

Cam Martin leads the way as the sophomore averages 30.0 points per game and a team-high 6.3 rebounds per contest. He is shooting 71 percent from the field and 77 percent from the free-throw line. Martin ranks second nationally in scoring, while ranking 13th in field goal percentage, 19th in field goals made and 29th in total points. He leads the MIAA in scoring and field goal percentage.

Elyjah Clark ranks 15th nationally in minutes per game and leads the MIAA in that category as the junior is averaging just under 40 minutes per game. He is averaging 12.7 points per game, while pulling in 6.0 rebounds per game. He has 207 three pointers in his career, which ranks fourth overall, just six behind third place Jason Adams. Clark is 52 three's from tying Austin Wright for the career mark.

Kinzer Lambert averages 18 points per game and 4.0 rebounds per contest. The junior is averaging 34 minutes per game, while shooting 44 percent from the field.

Reggie Tharp is scoring 12.0 points per game, while dishing out a team-high 17 assists, averaging 5.7 assists per contest.

Lions On The Air

The Lions' games against UPR-Rio Piedras and Minot State will both be broadcasted on the Missouri Southern Radio Network. Mike Barlow will bring you the action from Puerto Rico and the games will be streamed on www.mssulions.com.

Next Up

After these games, the Lions will be back in action with the home-opener, playing host to Baptist Bible College on November 29. Tip off from the Leggett & Platt Athletic Center is slated for 7 pm.

Fourth and One podcast previews Monday night's Chiefs-Rams showdown

The two teams with the best records in the National Football League, the Kansas City Chiefs and Los Angeles Rams, will play on ESPN's Monday Night Football.

The game, which originally was going to be played in Mexico City, has been moved to Los Angeles.

In the accompanying video, the Fourth and One Podcast on Kansas City's 41 Action News previews the matchup.

Highlights- Mizzou defeats Tennessee 50-17

The Mizzou Tigers improved to 7-4 today with a 50-17 win over Tennessee.

The Tigers next game is 1:30 p.m. Friday against Arkansas.

The video highlights are courtesy of Mizzou Network and CBS Sports.

Fast start fuels PSU women to 79-57 win over University of Arkansas-Fort Smith

(From Pittsburg State University Athletics)

The Pittsburg State University women's basketball team rushed out to a 19-4 first quarter lead and rolled to a 79-57 victory over the University of Arkansas-Fort Smith Saturday (Nov 17).

Athena Alvarado and Shelby Lopez each posted double-doubles for the Gorillas (3-1). Alvarado finished the game with 16 points and 10 rebounds, while Shelby had 15 points and 10 rebounds.

Kaylee DaMitz added 15 points, four rebounds and eight assists as Pitt State shot 55.4 percent from the field in the game (31-56).

UAFS (0-4) got a game-high 19 points from Ellie Lehne, while Mariah Green chipped in with 16 points and six assists. The Lions shot just 31.9 percent from the floor in the game (23-72), but UAFS benefited from 17 offensive rebounds in the contest.

Franklin, Lozoya combine for 51 points as PSU men defeat University of Arkansas-Fort Smith

(From Pittsburg State University Athletics)

PITTSBURG -- Donovan Franklin and Grant Lozoya combined for 51 points to lead the Pittsburg State University men's basketball team to a 79-71 victory over the University of Arkansas-Fort Smith Saturday (Nov. 17) at John Lance Arena/Whetzel Court.

Franklin scored a game-high 26 points and Lozoya added 25 points as the Gorillas (2-1) picked up the win in their home debut in front of 1,257 fans at John Lance Arena/Whetzel Court.

Pitt State shot 42.4 percent from the field in the game (28-66), but the Gorillas owned a 14-7 advantage on the offensive glass. Pitt State also converted 20 of 26 charity shots as the Gorillas enjoyed a 12-point edge at the foul line.

Trenton Clayton added 13 points, five rebounds and four blocked shots. A.J. Walker scored six points and grabbed a game-high 11 rebounds.

UAFS (2-2) got 24 points from Seth Hawley and 22 points from Chris Crawford. Hawley made six of nine 3-point field goal attempts as the Lions knocked down 13 3-pointers in the game.

Pitt State will return to action Monday (Nov. 19) when the Gorillas take part in the four-game MIAA Showcase at Municipal Auditorium in Kansas City, Mo. The Gorillas will face Maryville University at 6 p.m.

MSSU's Kuykendall places fifth at DIvision II Championship

(From MSSU Lions Athletic News)

Missouri Southern sophomore Ashlee Kuykendall placed fifth and the Missouri Southern women placed sixth as the Lions competed at the 2018 NCAA Division II Central Region Championship today at the Tom Rutledge Cross Country Course.

With the finish, Kuykendall qualifies for the National Meet which will take place on December 1 in Pittsburgh, Penn.

Kuykendall earns All-Region honors, as well, for her performance, up from a 56th place finish a year ago. She traversed the 6k course in a time of 21:26.7.

Julianna Determan was 38th in a time of 22:37.6, while Sarah Usher was 43rd in a time of 22:49.7. Allice Evans was 77th in a time of 23:22.0, while Mady Gepford, Gabriel Hill and Kelie Henderson placed 95th, 98th and 102nd.

The University of Mary won the team title for the third-straight year with 29 team points. Augustana was second with 64 points, while Pittsburg State and Oklahoma Baptist tied for third. Mary, Augustana and PSU will all qualify for the National Meet as the Gorillas won the tiebreaker with OBU. Southwest Baptist placed fifth, followed by the Lions, Minnesota-Duluth, Fort Hays State, Minnesota State and East Central to round out the top ten team scores.

Kuykendall is the first Lion to qualify for Nationals since the 2014 season when the Lions qualified as a team.

The National Meet will be on December 1 in Pittsburg, Penn. as part of the Division II Fall Festival.

MSSU men's cross country, Kimutai sweep NCAA Division II regional championships

(From MSSU Lions Athletic News)

The Missouri Southern men's cross country team won the team title, while freshman Gidieon Kimutai was the individual medal winner as the Lions competed today at the 2018 NCAA Division II Central Region Men's Cross Country Championships at the Tom Rutledge Cross Country Course.

It is the first time since the 2009 season the Lions have won a team title and it's the lowest score (55) they've posted at a regional, besting the 56 points scored in 2009.

Kimutai cruised to the individual title, crossing the 10k finish line in a time of 29:48.5 to take home the individual championship. He is the third Lion in the last four years to win the individual title (Vincent Kiprop - 2015, 16).

Nicson Kiptoo and Cody Berry crossed the finish line in identical times of 30:13.3 for third and fourth place, respectively, while Josh Webb placed 13th in a time of 30:53.6. Kimutai, Kiptoo, Berry and Webb all earned All-Region honors for their efforts.

Michael Shanahan was 34th in a time of 31:24.0, while Kevin Koester placed 44th in a time of 31:46.0. Jared Ozee rounded out the Lions' scoring in a time of 32:08.4 to place 54th.

The Lions won the team title with 55 points, besting Augustana (73) by 18 points. Sioux Falls placed third with 113 points and all three teams earn automatic berths to the National Meet on December 1 in Pittsburg, Penn. Karim Achengli of Northwest Missouri and Jacob Klemz of Washburn earned individual berths to the National Meet.

Minnesota-Moorhead was fourth, followed by Southwest Baptist, Fort Hays State, Nebraska-Kearney, Pittsburg State, East Central and Washburn to round out the top ten team scores.

The Lions will race again at the 2018 NCAA Division II National Championships on December 1. The race will be held in Pittsburgh, Penn. as part of the Division II Fall Festival.

Seventeen PSU football players earn All-MIAA honors

(From Pittsburg State University Athletics)

Seventeen members of the Pittsburg State University football team earned All-MIAA honors Tuesday (Nov. 13) following a vote of the conference head coaches.

Junior offensive lineman Ryan Dodd, sophomore all-purpose back Tucker Horak and junior defensive lineman Simanu'a Thomas were named to the first-team All-MIAA squad, while sophomore defensive back Morgan Selemaea and junior offensive lineman Zach Thomasgarnered second-team All-MIAA accolades.

Senior punter Carter Anchors, junior defensive back KiAnte Hardin, junior defensive lineman Cole Morris, senior linebacker Darian Taylor, sophomore placekicker Jared Vincent and junior wide receiver Lorenzo West were named to the third-team All-MIAA squad, while sophomore running back Tyler Adkins, senior linebacker Demetrius Bernard, junior defensive back Josh Hornback, senior defensive back Carnell Lewis, senior defensive back Jaylon Myers and senior defensive lineman Bradley Payne all received honorable mention All-MIAA recognition. Hardin and West also were selected to the honorable mention All-MIAA squad as return specialists.

Dodd (Lee's Summit, Mo.) started all 11 games at left tackle and Zach Thomas (McKinney, Texas) started all 11 games at left guard, anchoring an offensive line that helped the Gorillas average 30.1 points and 398.4 total yards per game.

Horak (Rossville, Kan.) compiled 671 all-purpose yards on the season for the Gorillas. He rushed the ball 92 times for 500 yards and five touchdowns, caught 10 passes for 95 yards and a score and averaged 12.7 yards on punt returns on the season.

Simanu'a Thomas (Independence, Mo.) earned first-team All-MIAA honors for a second straight season, making 42 tackles (19 solo) with 14.0 tackles-for-loss and 6.5 quarterback sacks. He ranks second in the MIAA in TFLs and third in the conference in sacks.

Selemaea (Harrisonville, Mo.) posted 50 tackles (27 solo) with 10.0 tackles-for-loss, 4.5 quarterback sacks, an interception and six pass break-ups.

Anchors (Kansas City, Mo.) punted 46 times for a 41.2-yard average, placing 20 kicks inside the opponent 20 yard line. He ranks fifth in the MIAA in punting average.

Hardin (Webb City, Mo.) recorded two interceptions and four pass break-ups in six games before suffering a season-ending knee injury. He also averaged 15.5 yards on punt returns with one touchdown.

Morris (Shawnee, Kan.) made 34 tackles (18 solo) with 9.5 tackles-for-loss and 7.5 quarterback sacks. He shared the MIAA lead in QB sacks.

Taylor (Manhattan, Kan.) posted 43 tackles in 10 games played with 4.0 tackles-for-loss and three pass break-ups.

Vincent (Claremore, Okla.) converted 12 of 16 field goals on the season as well as all 41 of his point-after tries. He scored a team-leading 77 points and ranked third in the MIAA in field goals (1.1 pg).

West (Lawton, Okla.) caught 51 passes for a team-leading 814 yards (16.0 ypc) and four touchdowns, ranking third in the MIAA in receiving yards (74.0 ypg). He also rushed the ball for 144 yards and a score and averaged 24.0 yards on kickoff returns with one touchdown.

Adkins (Broken Arrow, Okla.) carried the ball 168 times for 900 yards (5.4 ypc) and seven touchdowns, ranking third in the MIAA in rushing yards (81.8 ypg). Bernard (O'Fallon, Mo.) made a team-leading 61 tackles (23 solo) with 5.0 tackles-for-loss and two forced fumbles.

Hornback (Wichita, Kan.) posted 54 tackles (31 solo) with 3.5 tackles-for-loss, one interception and eight pass break-ups, ranking in a tie for eighth in the MIAA in passes defended (0.82 pg).

Lewis (Raleigh, N.C.) made 19 tackles in 10 games played with one interception and eight pass break-ups, while Myers (Augusta, Ga.) posted 21 tackles with five interceptions and four pass break-ups, leading the MIAA in interceptions.

Payne (Cheney, Kan.) made 28 tackles (nine solo) with 4.5 tackles-for-loss and 2.0 quarterback sacks.

Watch Joplin High School-Christian Brothers state semi-final football live

The coverage is provided courtesy of Jet HD.

Carl Junction High School athletes sign with colleges, universities

Chelsey Henry scores 23 as MSSU women knock Henderson State out of unbeaten ranks

(From MSSU Lions Athletic News)

A 23-point performance by senior Chelsey Henry along with a 48-percent total for the team helped the Missouri Southern Lions to defeat the unbeaten Henderson State Reddies, 79-69, inside the Leggett and Platt Athletic Center Friday afternoon.

Missouri Southern (2-2) fell behind early after registering seven turnovers in the first period to allow HSU (2-1) to score ten-points off of them and close out the period up by four (21-17). The Lions responded at the 6:12 mark of the second period with a 16-5 run to take its largest lead to that point and eventually go into halftime up eight (37-29).

Junior guard Chasidee Owens added 14 points and a team-high eight rebounds while freshman guard scored a season-high 11 points in 26 minutes on the floor. Sophomore Krista Clark registered 11 points, including five key free-throws from the line as the game winded down.

HSU cut into the Lions lead two with .38 seconds left in the third, but the Lions came right back with back-to-back buckets to close out the third period up 60-54 and would continue to hold their lead for the second victory of the season.

The Reddies were led by guard Pink Jones who recorded 20 points on 7 of 18 shooting to go with five assists, three rebounds, and two steals. Forward Brittany Branum added 14 off the bench on a 6-for-9 clip in the loss.

The Lions stand at 2-2 heading into Thanksgiving break where they will spend the time playing a pair of games in San Juan, Puerto Rico as part of the 2018 Puerto Rico Classic. They will face off against Puerto Rico-Rio Piedras (11/20) and Pontifical Catholic (11/21) in back-to-back days with the first game beginning at 11:00 am Central Time (1:00 pm ADT) and the second game tipping off at 9:00 am Central Time (11:00 am ADT). Live Audio will be available to hear about all the action taking place.