MSSU women fall to Missouri Western 69-57

(From MSSU Lions Athletic News)

St. Joseph, Mo. - The Missouri Southern women's basketball team got within four with 2:22 left in the fourth, but could not get over the hump as Missouri Western won 69-57 inside the MWSU Fieldhouse Thursday evening.

After finding themselves down 12-3 early in the first quarter, Missouri Southern (11-10, 3-8 MIAA) responded with an 8-0 run to get within one point twice until MWSU pushed forward to take an eight point advantage into halftime.

Senior guard Chelsey Henry recorded a team-high 20 points along with six rebounds and three steals. The pair of Krista Clark and Laure Assena each poured in seven points and combined for seven rebounds.

Forward Zoe Campbell added six points and a team-high eight rebounds in the loss.

The Griffons (10-9, 5-5 MIAA) extended their lead to 15 nearly half way through the third quarter (48-33). The Lions came right back on a 13-2 run in the closing five minutes of the third to cut the deficit to four heading into the final quarter of regulation (50-46).

The Lions are back in action on Saturday at 1:30 pm as they travel to battle Northwest Missouri State for the only matchup of the regular season.

MSSU baseball picked to finish sixth in preseason MIAA poll

(From MSSU Lions Athletic News)

The Missouri Southern baseball team has been picked to finish sixth in the MIAA Preseason Coaches Poll, the league announced today.

The Lions finished 27-23 a season ago and were ninth in the final MIAA standings. Southern returns 13 position players and ten pitchers from a season ago, including seniors Alex Phillips, Denver Coffee and Mike Million in the field, as well as starters Jared Flores and Zac Shoemaker in the starting rotation. Returning to the mound are pitchers Logan VanWey, Corey Cowan, Joey Reeves, Brennon Covington, Wil Bausinger, River Wright, Bradly Hershey and Cam Bednar.

Returning position players also include Joe Kinder, Easton Fortuna, Garan Stevens, Jon Leighton, Alex Wheeler, Evan Cheng, Richard Fullerton, Kaleb Baker, Ryan Hinkley and Dan Lenz. Phillips, Shoemaker, VanWey, Coffee and Million were all named All-MIAA in 2018.

Additions to the fold include Zach Parrish, a junior left handed pitcher who was the MIAA Freshman of the Year in 2016 and transferred last season from Northeastern State. Parrish led the league in strikeoiuts as a freshman. Colin Chandler also returns after sitting out 2018 with an injury. The Lions bring in 15 newcomers in total that should bolster the roster.

Central Missouri was picked to win the MIAA with six of the possible 11 first-place votes. Central Oklahoma was second with three first-place votes and Pittsburg State was third with two first-place votes. Missouri Western was picked fourth followed by Emporia State, the Lions (one first-place vote), Lindenwood, Northwest Missouri, Northeastern State, Washburn, Southwest Baptist and Fort Hays State.

The Lions open the 2019 season tomorrow, playing against Southwestern Oklahoma in Edmond, Okla. at 7 pm. The complete MIAA Preseason Poll is listed below.

2019 MIAA Preseason Baseball Poll
1. Central Missouri (6) - 115 points
2.Central Oklahoma (3) - 107 points
3.Pittsburg State (2) - 102 points
4.Missouri Western - 81 points
5.Emporia State - 80 points
6.Missouri Southern (1) - 67 points
T-7Lindenwood - 60 points
T-7Northwest Missouri - 60 points
9.Northeastern State - 38 points
10. Washburn - 34 points
11. Southwest Baptist - 26 points
12. Fort Hays State - 23 points
*Coaches cannot vote for their own team

MSSU to play host to Lion Open and Multis track and field event beginning Friday

(From MSSU Lions Athletic News)

The Missouri Southern men's and women's track and field teams will play host to the MSSU Lion Open and Multis this Friday and Saturday on Mercy Track inside the Leggett & Platt Athletic Center.

Events will begin at 10 am with the pentathlon 60m hurdles. The field events will begin at 2 pm on Friday with the women's weight throw and the men's long jump, with running events starting at 5:30 pm. Events on Saturday begin at 9 am.

The Southern women come into the event ranked 10th nationally with 11 NCAA Provisional Qualifying marks and two Automatic Qualifying marks. Desirea Buerge and Payton Roberts have both qualified for the National Championships already in the shot put. Buerge broke the MSSU school record in the shot put this past weekend with a heave of 52-1.25.

The men have seven NCAA Provisional Qualifying marks, led by Brendan Watkins who has marks in both the long and triple jump. Dean Howard (pole vault), Jordyn Manier (long jump), Adrain Broadus (triple jump) and Travis Petersen (weight throw) all have provisionals for the Lions.

MSSU baseball to open Friday

(From MSSU Lions Athletic News)

The Missouri Southern baseball team will open up the 2019 season tomorrow as the Lions will compete in the First-Pitch Classic hosted by Central Oklahoma.

Southern will face off with Southwestern Oklahoma on Friday at 7 pm, while taking on Oklahoma Christian at 1 pm on Saturday and Lubbock Christian on Sunday at 10 am.

The Lions were picked to finish 6th in the MIAA preseason coaches poll released this morning. Southern returns 13 position players and 10 pitchers off of last year's 27-23 squad that finished 9th in the MIAA. Alex Phillips, Denver Coffee, Zac Shoemaker and Mike Million were all named All-MIAA last season and return for the Lions.

Southwestern Oklahoma was 22-24 a season ago and went 17-14 in the Great American Conference. The Bulldogs were picked to finish sixth in the GAC preseason poll.

Oklahoma Christian was 22-27 a season ago, but it was the first losing season in 25 years for the Eagles. OCU was picked 7th in the preseason Heartland Conference preseason poll.

Lubbock Christian is ranked 40th in the Division II coaches preseason poll. The Chaps were picked to finish second in the Heartland Conference after going 34-20 a season ago.

MSSU men to battle Griffons tonight

(From MSSU Lions Athletic News)

The Missouri Southern men's basketball team will head back on the road as the Lions play at Missouri Western on Thursday night. Tip off from the MWSU Fieldhouse is slated for 7:30 pm.

Game Information

Teams: (RV/22) Missouri Southern (16-4, 7-3 MIAA) at Missouri Western (9-11, 3-6 MIAA)
Date: January 31, 2019
Tip-Off: 7:30 PM
Location: St. Joseph, Mo.
Site: MWSU Fieldhouse
Series Record: Southern leads 50-44
Coaches: Jeff Boschee (93-49 overall/at MSSU - 5th year). Sundance Wicks (9-11 overall/at MWSU - 1st year)

The Series

Southern leads the series with Western 50-44. The, Lions have won the last 17-of-21 match-ups. Southern is 37-11 at home, but just 12-33 in St. Joseph. Western dominated the series from 1988-1999 when the Griffons won 16-of-21 games. The Lions, however, have won 22 of the last 33 games. The 94 games played against Western is the third-most the Lions have played against a single school, behind Pittsburg State (101) and Southwest Baptist (97).

NCAA Team Stat Leaders

The Lions, as a team, rank 13th in three point attempts, 15th in total assists, 17th in scoring, 18th in total three pointers made and 19th in free throws made. The team ranks 20th in assist to turnover ratio, 21st in scoring margin and free throw attempts, while ranking 22nd in field goal percentage, 25th in three pointers per game, 26th in defensive rebounds per game, 28th in assists per game, 35th in total rebounds per game and 40th in rebound margin.

NCAA Individual Stat Leaders

Cam Martin ranks third in double-doubles, while ranking fourth in free throws made, fifth in free throws attempted and 6th in field goal percentage. Martin ranks 13th in total points, 17th in total rebounds, 19th in scoring and 37th in rebounds per game. Reggie Tharp ranks 9th in assist to turnover ratio, while ranking 39th in total assists. Elyjah Clark ranks 13th in total minutes, 17th in three pointer attempts, 31st in minutes per game and 48th in total three pointers made.

MIAA Team Stat Leaders

The Lions, as a team, lead the MIAA in three point attempts, free throw attempts, scoring and total assists. The Lions rank second in assists per game, field goal percentage, free throws made, scoring margin, three pointers per game and total rebounds, while ranking third in defensive rebounds per game, offensive rebounds per game, rebound margin and total rebounds per game.

MIAA Individual Stat Leaders

Cam Martin leads the MIAA in double-doubles, field goal percentage, free throw attempts and free throws made. Elyjah Clark leads the MIAA in three point attempts, three pointers made and total minutes. Martin is second in the league in offensive rebounds, total field goals, total points and total rebounds. Clark is second in total three pointers made, while Martin is third in scoring and rebounds, and tharp is third in total assists.

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 19.

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

Records Watch

Junior 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 254 career threes, passing Skyler Bowlin for second all-time against Central Oklahoma this year. He is 14 threes from tying the career record of 265 set by Austin Wright.

Reachin' 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 1,231 in his career and is the 21st person in MSSU history to crack the 1,000 point plateau. Clark has moved into 12th place all-time, passing both Marvin Townsend and Hiram Ocasio in the process. Next up is Russel Bland at 1,271 points.

Up Next

The Lions will head to second-ranked Northwest Missouri for a matchup with the Bearcats. Tip off is slated for 3:30 pm

MSSU women to play at Missouri Western today

(From MSSU Lions Athletic News)

The Missouri Southern women's basketball team (11-9, 3-7 MIAA) takes on Missouri Western (9-9, 4-5 MIAA) today at 5:30 pm for the only game that the two teams will play this season.

Game Information
Date: Thursday January 31, 2019
Tip-Off: 5:30 pm
Location: St. Joseph, Mo.
Site: MWSU Fieldhouse
Series Record: 53-33

Picking Up the Scent: Five Components on Opponents
Missouri Western
Picked Sixth in the MIAA preseason poll (w/ Pittsburg State)
National Rankings (301 schools - Top-50):
46th in turnover margin (3.4)

Katrina Roenfeldt is 37th in three-point field goals per game (2.72)
Roenfeldt is 40th in three-point field goals made and attempted (49 & 134)
Return nine total players, including both All-MIAA recipients senior guard Melica Richardson (HM), senior forward Dossou Ndiaye (HR), and red-shirt senior forward Cera Ledbetter (HM)
Have won five of their last six games inside MWSU Fieldhouse (6-4 record at home)
Head coach Rob Edmisson registered 15 seasons with more than 20 wins (four 30-plus wins) and only two losing seasons across 22 seasons at the JUCO (Hutchinson), NAIA (Oklahoma City), and D2 (Mo. West) levels combined

Welcome to the Club
Chelsey Henry soared over the 1,000 career-point barrier against Illinois-Springfield and now stands in 12th on the MSSU All-Time scoring list with 1,154 after scoring 13 points against Emporia State last Saturday trailing Erin Rice (1,220) by 66 points for a spot in the top ten.

Among the 17% (Top-50 out of 301 teams)
24th in blocks (84)
3st in rebounds (809)
44th in block shots per game (4.2)
46th in free throws made (280)
49th in free throw attempts (400)

Up Next
Lions continue road trip against Northwest Missouri on Ground Hog Day (Feb. 2) at 1:30 pm to tip off the month of February.

MSSU softball picked to finish 10th in preseason MIAA coaches poll

(From MSSU Lions Athletic News)

The Missouri Southern softball team has been picked to finish tenth in the preseason MIAA coaches poll as the league announced Wednesday morning.

The Lions ended the 2018 season 23-29 overall and 10-16 in conference play, but will quickly turn the page with tremendous depth provided by 13 returners (seven starters) that could make up a season full of surprises going forward.

"I look forward to see what we will accomplish this season," said first-year head coach Hallie Blackney who took over the position officially back in October upon spending two seasons at the Division I level as an assistant coach with George Washington University.

Two All-MIAA recipients are back in sophomore pitcher Natalie Hamm and junior infielder Erika Lutgen. Hamm registered 107 strikeouts, good for seventh in the MIAA, while recording a 3.02 ERA and an 8-8 record in 24 starts as a freshman. Lutgen returns as the team's best hitter after batting .364, blasting a team-high five home runs and knocking in 33 RBIs.

Along with Lutgen, the Lions bring back two other top-five hitters from last season in outfielders Elizabeth Windsor (.331) and senior Lexi Ferrari (.285). Senior infielder Angel Badalamenti could be another player called upon for timely hitting after knocking in 25 RBIs for third on the team; Lutgen (33) being first and Windsor (22) fourth in RBIs.

Defending MIAA regular-season champions Washburn were picked to repeat receiving 11 first place votes, followed by Central Oklahoma receiving two in second while last year's MIAA tournament winner Emporia State snagged the final vote despite being chosen eighth.

The Lions open the 2019 season with double duty on Feb. 9 against Ouachita Baptist at noon and Midwestern State at 2:00 pm to lead off back-to-back trips to Bentonville, Arkansas for the UAM Division II Softball (Feb. 9-10) and 9-State Classics (Feb. 15-17).

2019 MIAA Preseason Softball Coaches Poll
Washburn (11) - 162 points
Central Oklahoma (2) - 151 points
Central Missouri - 141 points
Northwest Missouri - 133 points
Missouri Western - 113 points
Northeastern State - 111 points
Lindenwood - 103 points
Emporia State (1) - 93 points
Pittsburg State - 65 points
Missouri Southern - 58 points
Nebraska Kearney - 57 points
Fort Hays State - 46 points
Southwest Baptist - 28 points
Lincoln - 13 points*Coaches cannot vote for their own team

MSSU men compete at Pittsburg State Invitational

(From MSSU Lions Athletic News)

Pittsburg, Kan. -- The Missouri Southern men's track and field team was in action Saturday as the Lions competed at the Pittsburg State Invitational, hosted by PSU at the Robert W. Plaster Center.

The Lions brought home three NCAA provisional qualifying marks in the meet.

Travis Petersen started things off with an NCAA provisional qualifying mark in the weight throw, hitting a mark of 61-02.75, while finishing fourth in the event. Josh Fulmer wsa 12th in the event, while Trace Henault was 20th. Rajindra Campbell was 15th in the shot put, hitting a distance of 51-10.50.

DeShaun Williams placed eighth in the high jump invite with a height of 6-06.75, while Mayson York and Mayson Derousse both placed eighth in the pole vault with heights of 14-10.75.

Brendan Watkins was eighth in the triple jump with an NCAA provisional qualifying mark of 48 feet, while Adrain Broadus was ninth on a judges decision with an NCAA provisional mark of 48 feet, as well. Watkins then placed 16th in the long jump with a distance of 22-03.50.

Ivan Colbert wsa 16th in the 60m hurdles, finishing in a time of 8.52, while Douglas Depagneux was tenth in the 400m with a time of 48.83. Tadd Capron was 13th in the mile with a time of 4:15.49, while Josh Webb was 23rd and Nathan Painter placed 29th.

The 3k saw Kevin Koester place eighth in a time of 8:30.08, while Michael Shanahan was 19th and Cody Berry placed 20th. Webb was 23rd, Jared Ozee placed 27th and Nickson Kiptoo was 39th.

The Lions will be back in action next weekend when Southern plays host to the MSSU Open. Action will start on Friday and conclude on Saturday.

MSSU's Buerge breaks school shot put record, qualifies for NCAA Indoor Championships

(From MSSU Lions Athletic News)

Pittsburg, Kan. -- Missouri Southern junior thrower Desirea Buerge broke a school record and qualified for the 2019 NCAA Indoor Championships as the women's track and field team competed at Pittsburg State today.

Buerge broke a nearly 11-year old record today as she hit an NCAA automatic qualifying mark of 52-01.25 (15.88m) to win the shot put. The mark is 4.5 inches beyond the previous record held by Jessica Selby-Tallman. Payton Roberts finished third in the event with an NCAA provisional mark of 49-02.50 (15.00m). Alexandra Rodriguez was 29th.

In other action, Jasmine Deckard won the 200m dash in an NCAA provisional qualifying mark of 24.62, nearly besting the school record in the process as she was .12 off the mark. Deckard was also fourth in the 60m dash, finishing in a time of 7.64.

Morgan Smith was fourth in the 60m hurdles with a time of 8.68, but her prelim time of 8.65 tied her own school record in the event. Claire Luallen was seventh in the event in a time of 8.89.

Kirsten Leisinger placed fourth in the weight throw in a distance of 53-05.50, while Rodriguez was sixth and Roberts was 11th.

Samantha Petry and Megan Tramel placed second and third in the open pole vault with heights of 11-08.00, while Lauren Sutherland was sixth. Elena Bisotto was sixth in the invite pole vault with an NCAA provisional mark of 12-04.00, while Jordan Banker also had an NCAA provisional mark of 12 feet even.

Ojurere Shonekan was 16th in the long jump, while Elizabeth Adeoye was 19th in the 400m dash, finishing in a time of 57.95. Janna Hautala was tenth in the 800m, while Sara Lin and Kelsey Evans placed 19th and 27th, respectively.

Kelie Henderson was 11th in the mile, while Mady Gepford placed 28th and Henderson was 12th in the 3k, with Julianna Determan placing 17th and Gabrielle Hill 34th.

The 4x400m relay team of Ashlynn Vanatter, Evans, Deiajuane Watts and Rachel Ray placed 19th in a time of 4:05.35.

The Lions will be back in action next weekend when Southern plays host to the MSSU Open. Action will start on Friday and conclude on Saturday.

Walker scores 25 as MSSU men defeat Emporia State 80-77

(From MSSU Lions Athletic News)

The Missouri Southern men's basketball team came-from-behind for the second game in a row and defeated visiting Emporia State, 80-77 tonight on Robert Corn Court inside the Leggett & Platt Athletic Center.

Southern (16-4, 7-3 MIAA) was led by a career night for Braelon Walker as he hit 25 points, including four three-pointers. Kinzer Lambert had 15 points, while Elyjah Clark scored 12. Cam Martin had 11 points and 14 rebounds, his 12th double-double of the season. Enis Memic had 10 points and six rebounds off the bench. Reggie Tharp had seven points and nine rebounds.

ESU (7-11, 2-7 MIAA) had four score in double-figures, led by 22 points from Julius Jackson off the bench.

The two teams traded points and lead throughout most of the first half, before the Lions opened up a 29-23 lead with 4:39 left on a layup from Tharp. Southern led 35-31 late in the half, but a three from the Hornets with four seconds left in the half made the halftime score 35-34, Lions.

Emporia opened up the half on an 11-0 run and led the Lions 45-35 with 17:06 left in the half. The Lions answered and cut the lead to five (50-45) after a pair of free throws from Walker with 12:54 left, while a bucket rom Clark with 12:22 to go made it 50-47.

ESU went back up 56-49 with 10:32 left, and the Hornets led by eight (61-53), but the Lions got a three from Martin, and then a three from Lambert to cut the lead to just five (64-59) with 8:32 to go. A three from Walker with 5:56 to go in the half cut the lead to one (67-66), and a bucket from Walker with 3:15 to go gave the Lions a 71-70 lead.

After ESU went back up 72-71, a pair of freebies from Martin gave the Lions a 73-72 lead right back. The Lions led 75-74 and had the ball with just more than 30 seconds to go and two seconds on the shot clock before Walker hit a three out of the in-bounds play to put the Lions up 78-74. ESU hit a three their trip down, but the Lions made free throws to secure the win.

The Lions shot 43 percent from the field and 79 percent from the free throw line.

Southern will be back in action on January 31 as the Lions head to Missouri Western. Tipoff is slated for 5:30 pm.

Missouri Southern women fall to Emporia State 76-61

(From MSSU Lions Athletic News)

he Missouri Southern women's basketball team took a five-point lead into the locker room, but a strong third quarter lifted visiting Emporia State past the Lions, 76-61 today on Robert Corn Court inside the Leggett & Platt Athletic Center.

Southern (11-9, 3-7 MIAA) had four score in double-figures, led by 13 points from Chelsey Henry. Destiny Cozart had 12 points and four assists, while Chasidee Owens scored 11 and Laure Assena added ten points and six boards.

ESU (14-5, 5-4 MIAA) was led by 16 points from Jessica Wayne. Addie Lackey and Tyra Jones scored 14 points each.

Both teams traded buckets early on, before ESU opened up a 10-7 lead with 5:11 to go in the first quarter. A three from Krista Clark with 2:13 to go gave the Lions a 13-11 lead and another three from Clark with 1:31 left had the Lions leading 16-13. Emporia, however, would score four-straight points to end the quarter up 17-16.

ESU led 21-18 with 8:41 left in the second quarter, but the Lions went on a 10-0 run and led 28-21, capped by back-to-back threes from Layne Skiles, forcing a Lady Hornets' timeout. A three from Cozart with 4:38 to go in the quarter pushed the Lions' lead to eight (33-25), and a bucket from Assena with 2:40 to go in the quarter kept the lead at eight (37-29). Emporia had 15 turnovers at the break.

A jumper from Owens with 7:20 left in the third gave the Lions a 44-37 lead, but ESU went on an 8-0 run and took a 45-44 lead with 5:36 left in the quarter. The Lady Hornets continued the run as a half-court trap proved effective against the Lions and ESU led 58-48 at the end of the third quarter.

ESU led by ten (63-53) with 8:21 left in the fourth quarter, but a jumper from Henry cut the lead to six (63-57) with 6:25 left in the quarter. Nine-straight points from the Lady Hornets with three minutes to go in the quarter gave ESU a 76-59 lead, its largest of the game. Two late free throws from Henry stopped the run and were the final points.

The Lions shot 40 percent from the field and forced 20 turnovers for the Hornets, 15 in the first half, scoring 22 points off the miscues.

Southern will be back in action on January 31 as the Lions head to Missouri Western. Tipoff is slated for 5:30 pm.

MSSU women to battle Emporia State Saturday

(From MSSU Lions Athletic News)

The Missouri Southern women's basketball (11-8, 3-6 MIAA) team takes on Emporia State (13-5, 4-4 MIAA) tomorrow afternoon at 1:30 pm for the first game of two that the two teams will play this season.

Game Information

Date: Saturday January 26, 2019
Tip-Off: 1:30 pm
Location: Joplin, Mo.
Site: Leggett and Platt Athletic Center
Series Record: ESU, leads 54-25

Picking Up the Scent: Five Components on Opponents 

Emporia State
Picked Third in the MIAA preseason poll
National Rankings (301 schools - Top-50):
16th in three-point field goals made (154)
19th in blocked shots (82)
21st in three-point field goal defense (.268)
22nd in three-point field goals per game (8.6)
24th in three-point field goal percentage (.368)
25th in block shots per game (4.6)
34th in steals (182)
37th in three-point field goals attempted (418)
39th in personal fouls per game (15.6)
49th in steals per game (10.1)
Return ten total players, including both All-MIAA recipients in senior forward Tyra Jones (3rd) and junior guard Jessica Wayne (Defensive). Wayne currently ranks sixth in the nation in steals (58) and ninth in steals per game (3.22)
Head coach Toby Wynn spent 13 seasons at the helm of Seward Community College in Liberal, Kansas where he led the Lady Saints to four Jayhawk Conference regular season championships and two Region VI Tournament titles, checking out with a 349-84 record (four 30-win seasons)
Are 3-1 against the WBCA Top 25 with wins over Southwestern Oklahoma State (20), Fort Hays State (9), and Pittsburg State (23)

Up Next

Lions hit the road to face Missouri Western on Jan. 31 at 5:30 pm before stopping in Maryville, Missouri for a 1:30 pm contest against Northwest Missouri on Feb. 2.

Missouri Southern men to play host to Emporia State

(From MSSU Lions Athletic News)

The Missouri Southern men's basketball team will be back at it on Saturday when the Lions play host to Emporia State. Tip off from Robert Corn Court inside the Leggett & Platt Athletic Center is slated for 3:30 pm.

Game Information

Teams: Missouri Southern (15-4, 6-3 MIAA) vs. Emporia State (7-10, 2-6 MIAA)
Date: January 26, 2019
Tip-Off: 3:30 PM
Location: Joplin, Mo.
Site: Robert Corn Court/Leggett & Platt Athletic Center
Series Record: Southern leads 51-31
Coaches: Jeff Boschee (91-49 overall/at MSSU - 5th year). Craig Doty (56-32 overall/7-10 at ESU - 3rd year)

The Series
Missouri Southern holds a 51-31 advantage in the series with Emporia State. Southern has won 14 of the last 19 and ten of the last 13. The Lions have a 31-10 record against Emporia in Joplin, and are 19-21 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 Team Stat Leaders

The Lions, as a team, rank 11th in three point attempts, 14th in total assists, 16th in scoring margin, 17th in scoring, 18th in total three pointers made, and 19th in assist to turnover ratio. The team ranks 22nd in three pointers per game, 23rd in three point defense, 24th in field goal percentage, 25th in free throw attempts and assists per game, while ranking 29th in defensive rebounds, 31st in total rebounds, 41st in free throws made and 42nd in rebound margin.

NCAA Individual Stat Leaders

Cam Martin ranks fourth in field goal percentage, while ranking fifth in both double-doubles and free throw attempts. Martin ranks 12th in total rebounds, 15th in scoring, 21st in total field goals made and 38th in total rebounds. Reggie Tharp ranks 9th in assist to turnover ratio, while ranking 40th in total assists. Elyjah Clark is 18th in total minutes, 20th in three point attempts, 31st in total three pointers made and 34th in minutes per game.

MIAA Team Stat Leaders

The Lions, as a team, lead the MIAA in three point attempts, free throw attempts, scoring and total assists. The Lions rank second in assists per game, defensive rebounds per game, offensive rebounds per game, scoring margin, three point defense, three pointers per game, total three pointers made, total rebounds and total rebounds per game. Southern ranks third in assist to turnover ratio and rebound margin.

MIAA Individual Stat Leaders

Cam Martin leads the MIAA in double-doubles, field goal percentage, free throw attempts and free throws made.Elyjah Clark leads the MIAA in three point attempts, three pointers made and total minutes. Martin is second in the league in offensive rebounds per game, scoring, total field goals made and total points. Kinzer Lambert is second in three point attempts, while Reggie Tharp is third in total assists and Martin is third in total rebounds.

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 18.

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

Records Watch

Junior 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 252 career threes, passing Skyler Bowlin for second all-time against Central Oklahoma this year. He is 14 threes from tying the career record of 265 set by Austin Wright.

Reachin' 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 1,219 in his career and is the 21st person in MSSU history to crack the 1,000 point plateau. Clark has moved into 12th place all-time, passing both Marvin Townsend and Hiram Ocasio in the process. Next up is Russel Bland at 1,271 points.

Coaches Show

This year, Jeff Boschee and women's coach Ronnie Resselwill be part of the Missouri Southern Coaches Show. The show is Monday night's at 6 pm and originates from Hackett's Hot Wings in downtown Joplin. The show can be heard live on 101.3 FM, as well as streamed on www.mssulions.com.

Up Next

The Lions will head back on the road with a game on January 31 at Missouri Western. Tip off is slated for 7:30 pm.

MSSU men's, women's track to compete at Pittsburg State Invitational

(From MSSU Lions Athletic News)

The Missouri Southern men's and women's track and field teams will be in action this weekend as the Lions head to Pittsburg State to take part in the Pittsburg State Invitational hosted inside the Robert W. Plaster Center.

Events begin at 9:30 am with the 5k, while the field events begin at 11 am with the men's weight throw, long jump and high jump, as well as the women's shot put, long jump, and pole vault.

The Southern women come into the meet ranked 11th nationally. The women have ten NCAA provisional qualifying marks on the early season, as well as one NCAA automatic mark in Payton Roberts in the shot put.

Roberts ranks third nationally in the event, while Desirea Buerge is sixth. Morgan Smith ranks fifth in the 60m hurdles, while Elena Bisotto and Jordan Banker rank eighth in the pole vault. Jasmine Deckard is 14th in the 60m dash and Claire Luallen ranks 22nd in the pentathlon.

On the men's side, the Lions have seven NCAA provisional qualifying marks. Gideon Kimutai is ranked ninth in the 5k, while Brendan Watkins ranks 15th and 18th in the long and triple jump, respectively. Travis Petersen ranks 19th in the weight throw, while Dean Howard is 22nd in the pole vault. Jordyn Manier is 20th in the long jump and Adrian Broadus is 23rd in the triple jump.

Live results for the action can be found by clicking on the link above.

Cardinals Caravan Joplin visit to be featured on KGCS-TV

(From Southern News Service)

The recent visit to Missouri Southern’s Taylor Performing Arts Center by the St. Louis Cardinals Caravan will be featured on KGCS-TV the week of Jan. 27 – and will include thoughts and insight from current and former players, along with team broadcasters.

The schedule is as follows:

Sunday, Jan. 27 – 6:30 p.m.

Monday, Jan. 28 – 8:30 p.m.

Tuesday, Jan. 29 – 7:00 p.m.

Wednesday, Jan. 30 – 8:30 p.m.

Thursday, Jan. 31 – 9:00 p.m.

The program is also currently posted on KGCS’s YouTube channel – “KGCS Missouri Southern.”

In addition to recording the program, KGCS students conducted interviews with players. Those interviews will be featured in a future program on the station.

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.

Free throw shooting lift MSSU over number 15 Washburn 89-86

(From MSSU Lions Athletic News)

The Missouri Southern men's basketball team was clutch at the free throw line tonight and utilized that accuracy in an 89-86 win over No. 15 Washburn on Robert Corn Court inside the Leggett & Platt Athletic Center.

Southern (15-4, 6-3 MIAA) got 23 points from Kinzer Lambert tonight, while Cam Martin had 20 points and 13 rebounds. It is the fourth-straight game with a double-double for Martin and the 12th time this season for the big man. Enis Memic had 13 points, all in the second half, while Braelon Walker scored 12 points. Reggie Tharp ad Elyjah Clark both had nine points.

Washburn (13-4, 6-2 MIAA) had four in double-figures, led by 20 points from Jalen Lewis off the bench.

The Lions started out on fire, leading 9-0 after a jumper from Tharp with 15:32 to go. The lead was 12-2 after a three from Walker with 14:26 left on the clock, while a three from Parker Jennings made the score 17-4 with 13:40 on the clock. Another three, this one from Lambert with 13:04 made the Lions' lead 20-7, but a 6-0 run from the Ichabods cut the lead to seven (20-13) with 12:10 to go.

A bucket from Martin with just over 11 to go on the clock stopped the run and gave the Lions a 22-13 lead, but back-to-back threes from the Ichabods' Lewis cut the lead to three (22-19) with 10:20 to go. A three from Washburn with 7:37 left cut the lead to one (27-26), while a bucket from the Ichabods the next trip down gave Washburn a 28-27 lead with 6:55 left on the clock. Washburn led 32-29, but a 6-0 run from the Lions (all from Martin) put Southern back up 35-32 with 3:40 to go. A 12-5 run for Washburn had the Ichabods up 44-39 with under a minute, before a layup from Clark cut the lead to three (44-41) with 50 seconds left and that proved to be the halftime score.

Washburn led 49-45 after a layup from Lambert, but a 14-5 run for the Ichabods pushed their lead to 63-50 with13:39 to go in the half. From that point, however, the Lions went on a 17-6 run and a layup from Memic with 8:40 on the clock got Southern within two (69-67).

A pair of freebies from Lambert with 6:46 on the clock tied the game at 73, and after Washburn had went back up, a three from Clark with 5:26 on the clock gave the Lions a 76-75 lead. A bucket from Martin with 3:30 on the clock pushed the lead to three (78-75), and the Lions led 85-84 with 32 seconds left. A defensive stop for Southern gave the Lions the ball with 11.2 seconds left and Clark shooting two free throws. Clark made both free throws to push the lead to 87-84. Washburn made a pair of free throws with 7.2 on the clock to get within one, and the Ichabods fouled on the inbounds pass, sending Walker to the line, shooting two with 5.8 to go. Walker made both and a late three was no good, giving the Lions the win.

Southern went 27-of-28 from the free throw line with Martin going 12-of-12 himself. The Lions shot 51 percent from the field, 50 percent from the three-point line and 96 percent from the free throw line. Southern out rebounded Washburn 35-30.

The Lions will be back in action this Saturday as Southern plays host to Emporia State Tipoff is slated for 3:30 pm.

MSSU women fall to Washburn 90-59

(From MSSU Lions Athletic News)

The Missouri Southern women's basketball team got a career-high 23 points from Destiny Cozart, but the Lions couldn't stop a hot shooting Washburn squad as Southern fell 90-59 tonight on Robert Corn Court inside the Leggett & Platt Athletic Center.

Southern (11-8, 3-6 MIAA) was led by Cozart's effort off the bench, going 5-of-8 from long-range. Chelsey Henry scored 10 points and added six rebounds, while Laure Assena scored six and picked up six boards, as well.

Washburn (12-5, 7-1 MIAA) had two score in double-figures, led by 22 points from Taylor Blue, while Regan Phelan scored 20.

The game was tied at six with 6:58 left in the first quarter, before a three from Washburn broke the tie and started a run for the Ichabods that reached 14-4 when a bucket gave Washburn a 20-10 lead with two minutes to go in the quarter. The run reached 18-4 as Washburn led 24-10 after one.

Washburn led 30-12 in the second with 7:23 on the clock before a three from Henry with 6:16 to go cut the lead in half. A layup from Henry with 4:20 to go made the score 35-20, while a bucket from Brooke Stauffer with 1:47 to go in the quarter made the Washburn lead 44-25. A late free throw from the Ichabods made the halftime score 48-28.

A three from Cozart with 7:10 left in the third made the score 60-34, while a pair of freebies from Laure Assena put the score at 60-36. Back-to-back threes from Cozart made the score 66-45 with 3:20 to go in the third, while another three from Cozart made the score 68-48 with 2:45 to go in the quarter. A three from Morgan Brightwell with under a minute cut the score to 68-51, which would prove to be the score at the end of three. The Lions finished the quarter on a 12-2 run.

Brightwell hit a bucket to start the fourth quarter to cut the deficit to 15 (68-53), but that would be as close as the Lions would get.

Southern shot 39 percent from the floor, but the Lions had a strong third quarter where they shot 64 percent from the field and 83 percent from both long-range and the free throw line.

The Lions will be back in action this Saturday as Southern plays host to Emporia State Tipoff is slated for 1:30 pm.

MSSU men to battle Washburn tonight

(From MSSU Lions Athletic News)

The Missouri Southern men's basketball team will come back home and play host to a pivotal MIAA matchup as the Lions take on Washburn Wednesday night. Tip off from Robert Corn Court inside the Leggett & Platt Athletic Center is slated for 7:30 pm.

Game Information

Teams: Missouri Southern (14-4, 5-3 MIAA) vs. Washburn (13-3, 6-1 MIAA)
Date: January 23, 2019
Tip-Off: 7:30 PM
Location: Joplin, Mo.
Site: Robert Corn Court/Leggett & Platt Athletic Center
Series Record: Washburn leads 48-31
Coaches: Jeff Boschee (90-49 overall/at MSSU - 5th year). Brett Ballard (35-13 overall/at WU - 2nd year)

The Series

Washburn holds a 48-31 lead in the series, but Southern has won 15 out of the last 20 games. Wsahburn leads 19-18 in games played in Joplin, and Washburn holds a 29-11 vs. MSSU in Topeka. The Lions lead 2-1, on neutral floors.The Lions have had few winning streaks in the series. The longest, five games, is the current streak and also spanned the years of 2007-09. The Ichabods won 11-straight from February 1984 through February 1989. Missouri Southern's most convincing victory was 37 points, 110-73, in 2013-14. Washburn's largest victory margin was 38 points, 94-56, and came in the 88-89 season.

NCAA Team Stat Leaders

The Lions, as a team, rank 11th in three point attempts, 14th in total assists, 16th in scoring margin, 17th in scoring, 18th in total three pointers made, and 19th in assist to turnover ratio. The team ranks 22nd in three pointers per game, 23rd in three point defense, 24th in field goal percentage, 25th in free throw attempts and assists per game, while ranking 29th in defensive rebounds, 31st in total rebounds, 41st in free throws made and 42nd in rebound margin.

NCAA Individual Stat Leaders

Cam Martin ranks fourth in field goal percentage, while ranking fifth in both double-doubles and free throw attempts. Martin ranks 12th in total rebounds, 15th in scoring, 21st in total field goals made and 38th in total rebounds. Reggie Tharp ranks 9th in assist to turnover ratio, while ranking 40th in total assists. Elyjah Clark is 18th in total minutes, 20th in three point attempts, 31st in total three pointers made and 34th in minutes per game.

MIAA Team Stat Leaders

The Lions, as a team, lead the MIAA in three point attempts, free throw attempts, scoring and total assists. The Lions rank second in assists per game, defensive rebounds per game, offensive rebounds per game, scoring margin, three point defense, three pointers per game, total three pointers made, total rebounds and total rebounds per game. Southern ranks third in assist to turnover ratio and rebound margin.

MIAA Individual Stat Leaders

Cam Martin leads the MIAA in double-doubles, field goal percentage, free throw attempts and free throws made. Elyjah Clark leads the MIAA in three point attempts, three pointers made and total minutes. Martin is second in the league in offensive rebounds per game, scoring, total field goals made and total points. Kinzer Lambert is second in three point attempts, while Reggie Tharp is third in total assists and Martin is third in total rebounds.

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 17.

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

Records Watch

Junior 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 251 career threes, passing Skyler Bowlin for second all-time against Central Oklahoma this year. He is 14 threes from tying the career record of 265 set by Austin Wright.

Reachin' 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 1,210 in his career and is the 21st person in MSSU history to crack the 1,000 point plateau. Clark has moved into 12th place all-time, passing both Marvin Townsend and Hiram Ocasio in the process. Next up is Russel Bland at 1,271 points.

Coaches Show

This year, Jeff Boschee and women's coach Ronnie Resselwill be part of the Missouri Southern Coaches Show. The show is Monday night's at 6 pm and originates from Hackett's Hot Wings in downtown Joplin. The show can be heard live on 101.3 FM, as well as streamed on www.mssulions.com.

Up Next

The Lions will come play host to Emporia State this Saturday at 1:30 pm inside the Leggett & Platt Athletic Center.

MSSU women to play host to Washburn Wednesday

(From MSSU Lions Athletic News)

The Missouri Southern women's basketball team (11-7, 3-5 MIAA) welcomes in Washburn (11-5, 6-1 MIAA) for the first time this season at 5:30 pm tomorrow night.

Game Information
Date: Wednesday January 23, 2019
Tip-Off: 5:30 pm
Location: Joplin, Mo.
Site: Leggett and Platt Athletic Center
Series Record: WU, leads 47-28

Picking Up the Scent: Five Components on Opponents
Washburn
Picked Fourth in the MIAA preseason poll
National Rankings (301 schools - Top-50):
32nd in field-goal percentage defense (35.8)
34th in scoring defense (57.9)
Return ten total players, including one of two All-MIAA recipients in junior guard Reagan Phelan, who is currently 38th in assists per game (4.6) on the national level
Head coach Ron McHenry has registered 17-straight winning seasons:
1: National Championship in 2004-05 (35-2 record)
2: Elite eight and regional final appearances
3: 30-plus win seasons
8: MIAA Tournament championships
13: 20-plus win seasons
Have won nine of their last ten with the only loss coming last Saturday against nationally ranked Fort Hays State.

Welcome to the Club
Chelsey Henry soared over the 1,000 career-point barrier against Illinois-Springfield and now stands in 12th on the MSSU All-Time scoring list with 1,131 after scoring seven points against Central Oklahoma. She is now nine away from tying Becky Fly (1,140) for 11th.

Up Next
The Lions remain at home to face Emporia State this Saturday for a 1:30 pm tip.

MSSU's Smith, Roberts named MIAA Women's Track and Field Athletes of the Week

(From MSSU Lions Athletic News)

The Missouri Southern women's track and field team picked up a pair of MIAA weekly award winners today as Morgan Smith and Payton Roberts were both honored when the MIAA announced its Women's Track and Field Athletes of the Week today.

Roberts, a junior from Newton, Kan., shares the women's Field Athlete of the Week honor with Heaven Lander of Pittsburg State. Roberts posted the third-best shot put in the history of MSSU as she won the event at the Northwest Open and hit an NCAA automatic qualifying mark of 15.62m (51-03.00). Her mark is the third-best in Division II this year and tops in the MIAA.

Smith, a senior from Raymore, Mo., won the 60m hurdles in an NCAA provisional time of 8.67 at the Northwest Open on Saturday, Jan. 19. Her time tied her own mark for the third-best in the history of the program. Smith was also part of a school-record breaking 4x400m relay team that won the event at Northwest in a time of 3:54.43.

The Lions are back in action this weekend with a meet at Pittsburg State University.

MSSU women's track breaks two records at Northwest Missouri

(From MSSU Lions Athletic News)

Maryville, Mo. - The Missouri Southern women's track and field team broke two records and nearly broke another as the Lions competed at the Northwest Open today hosted by Northwest Missouri State University.

Jasmine Deckard broke her own record in the 60m dash as she placed second with an NCAA provisional time of 7.61. The mark is .05 faster than her previous mark that was set at last year's MIAA Championships. Kassidy Owens placed 20th in the 60m with a time of 8.08.

The school record in the 4x400m relay also went down today. The team of Morgan Smith, Elizabeth Adeoye, Rachel Ray and Deckard won the event in a time of 3.54.43, besting the record that was set at the 2018 MIAA Championships by more than a half a second. Claire Luallen, Deiajuane Watts, Ashlynn Vanatter and Miracle Grant.

In the shot put, Payton Roberts posted the third-best shot put in the program's history as she hit a mark of 15.62m (51-03.00), just five and three quarters of an inch off the school record. That mark is an NCAA automatic qualifying mark and is third-best in Division II this year. Desirea Buerge finished second in the shot put with an NCAA provisional qualifying mark of 15.38m (50-05.50). That mark is the seventh-best mark in program history.

In other action, Owens placed 13th in the 200m with a time of 26.66, while Rachel Ray and Sara Lin finished seventh and 11th in the 600 yard run. Kellie Henderson was third in the 800m with a time of 2:22.89, while Janna Hautala and Mady Gepford were 11th and 12th in the event. Henderson was second in the mile with a time of 5:09.18, while Gepford and Hautala placed 15th and 17th.

Ashlee Kuykendall placed fourth in the 3k with a time of 10:30.75, while Julianna Determan was fifth in a time of 10:35.38. Gabrielle Hill was 15th in the event.

Morgan Smith won the 60m hurdles in an NCAA provisional qualifying time of 8.67, tying her mark for the third-best time in program history. Adeoye was fourth and Luallen was seventh in the event. Luallen was fourth in the high jump in a height of 1.52.

Elena Bisotto won the pole vault with an NCAA provisional height of 3.77m, while Jordan Banker was second on a judge's decision with the same height. Samantha Petry was fourth, Megan Tramel was sixth and Lauren Sutherland was seventh, all finishing with an NCAA provisional height of 3.57m.

Ojurere Shonekan was seventh in the long jump with a distance of 5.30m, while Miracle Grant placed 21st.

In the weight throw, Kirsten Leisinger was second with a distance of 16.74m, while Roberts was eighth and Alexandra Rodriguez was 12th.

The Lions will be back in action on January 26 as Southern competes at Pittsburg State.

MSSU men's track receives four NCAA provisional marks, two wins at Northwest

(From MSSU Lions Athletic News)

Maryville, Mo. -- The Missouri Southern men's track and field team picked up four NCAA provisional qualifying marks and two event wins as the Lions competed at Northwest Missouri today.

Brendan Watkins won both the long jump and the triple jump, picking up NCAA marks in the process. He won the long jump with a distance of 7.21m, while Jordyn Manier was second with an NCAA provisional qualifying mark of 7.16m. Josh Norville was fifth in the event with a mark of 7.00m. In the triple jump, Watkins leaped to an NCAA provisional qualifying mark of 14.63m, while Adrian Broadus had his own NCAA provisional mark of 14.48m.

In other action, Ivan Colbert was 25th in the 200m dash, while Douglas Depagneux was third in the 400m dash. Jon Johnson wsa sixth in the 800m run with a time of 1:54.80, while Tadd Capron and Nathan Painter placed fifth and 13th in the mile. Gidieon Kimutai was third in the 3k with a time of 8:28.62, while Kevin Koseter (10th), Josh Webb (12th), Michael Shanahan (15th) and Jared Ozee (19th) all placed in the top-20 of the event.

Colbert was ninth in the 60m hurdles in a time of 8.87, while the 4x400m relay team of Johnson, Blake Gillihan, Depagneux and Colbert was ninth in a time of 3:25.98. Mayson Derousse was 14th in the pole vault with a height of 4.26m, while Rajindra Campbell was ninth in the shot put in a distance of 15.46m. Trace Henault was fifth in the weight throw in a distance of 15.78m.

The Lions will be back in action on January 26 as Southern competes at Pittsburg State.

MSSU women fall to Central Oklahoma 88-60

(From MSSU Lions Athletic News)

Edmond, Okla. - The Missouri Southern women's basketball team battled all game and cut the lead to 11 with 1:22 left in the third quarter, but fell short to Central Oklahoma, 88-60, inside Hamilton Field House Saturday afternoon.

MSSU (11-7, 3-5 MIAA) received 13 points apiece by guard Krista Clark and Chasidee Owens as the duo went a combined 8-for-13 from the field. Clark led the squad with three steals. Senior guard Chelsey Henry added seven points and a team-high six rebounds and four assists in the loss.

UCO 12-6, (3-5 MIAA) jumped out on a 8-0 run to begin the game and increased its lead to 21 points heading into halftime on 47-percent shooting from both three-point range and everywhere else on the floor.

The Lions entered the fourth quarter down 14 after closing out the third on a 13-3 run capped off by a 3-pointer from Destiny Cozart. They came as close as eight points early in the first quarter, but was unable to slow the Bronchos down throughout both stretches.

Micayla Haynes recorded a team-high 17 points while Blake Blessington poured in 16 points towards the victory.

They will be back in action at home for a two-game stretch against Washburn on Wednesday at 5:30 pm and then Emporia State next Saturday at 1:30 pm.

Martin scores 32 as MSSU cruises past Central Oklahoma 104-82

(From MSSU Lions Athletic News)

The Missouri Southern men's basketball team utilized a key 12-0 run in the first half to take out Central Oklahoma, defeating the Bronchos, 104-82 today inside Hamilton Fieldhouse in Edmond.

Southern (14-4, 5-3 MIAA) had four score in double-figures, led by 32 points and 11 rebounds from Cam Martin. Martin went 9-of-15 from the field, 3-of-5 from long-range and 11-of-12 from the free throw line, adding three blocks in the process. Elyjah Clark scored 15 points, adding three three-pointers, while Kinzer Lambert scored 13 and Braelon Walker added 11. Reggie Tharp had eight points and six assists, while Enis Memic and Parker Jennings scored eight points each.

UCO (8-9, 1-7 MIAA) had two score 20 points or more, led by a 23-point, 16-rebound performance from Adarius Avery.

The Bronchos jumped out to a 7-4 lead early on, but a three from Clark with 17:25 left gave the Lions a 9-7 advantage and Southern wouldn't look back. Another three from Clark made the score 24-17 and a layup from Martin gave the Lions a 26-17 lead with 11:51 to go in the first half.

The Southern lead was ten (36-26) after a layup from Memic with 8:46 to go in the half. From that point, the Lions hit the gas and went on a 12-0 run and led 46-26 with 5:08 to go in the half. A three from the Bronchos made the halftime score 53-38, Lions.

UCO chipped away at the Lions' lead early on in the second-half, cutting the lead to just 12 (57-45) with 16:53 left in the game. Southern answered right back and a layup from Clark with 14:23 on the clock pushed the lead back to 20 (68-48). A free throw from Lambert with 5:34 left made the lead 25, while a bucket from Ted Brown with 3:03 to go gave the Lions their largest lead of the game (98-71).

Southern shot 54 percent from the field and 45 percent from the three-point line. The Lions shot 81 percent from the free throw line, including 15-of-17 in the second half. The Lions out scored UCO 44-32 in the paint.

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