MSSU women to play at Henderson State

(From MSSU Lions Athletic News)

The Missouri Southern women's basketball team hits the road for the second meeting of the season between them and the Henderson State Reddies which takes place tomorrow night at 5:30 pm.

Game Information

Date: Tuesday, November 26, 2019
Tip-Off: 5:30 pm
Location: Arkadelphia, Ark.
Site: Duke Wells Center
Series: MSSU leads, 4-1

Picking Up the Scent: Five Components on Opponents
Henderson State Reddies (4-1)

Picked to finish fifth in the Great American
12 of 15 players are from the home state of Arkansas
Top-50 nationally:
7th - three-point FG defense (19.1)
14th - steals per game (13.6)
21st - offensive rebounds per game (16.6)
22nd - three-point FGs per game (9.4)
25th - steals (68)
30th - field-goal percentage defense (33.7)
31st - scoring offense (81.4)
33rd - free-throw percentage (76.8) and scoring margin (19.2)
36th - three-point FGs made (47)
37th - rebounds per game (44.2) and turnovers forced (22.20)
40th - turnover margin (5.8)
41st - assists per game (16.8)
Post-season Award Returnees

Sr., G Pink Jones: All-GAC (1st team)
Second in the GAC and 26th nationally in assists per game (4.6)
Averaged 15.1 points and 1.8 steals per game to lead the Reddies
13th member of the 1,000-point club last December for HSU
Sr., F Hailey Estes: All-GAC (Honorable Mention)
First in the GAC in three-point FGs per game (2.6)
First in the GAC in defensive rebounds per game (6.6)
Second in the GAC in three-point FGs made (70/2.4)
Fifth in the GAC in rebounds per game (8.1)
14th member of the 1,000-point club last February for HSU

Started off 4-1 through five games last season with the only loss coming to Southern with this season being the first where they will play the Lions twice

Bring on the Polls

The Lions tip off the 2019-20 season and were picked ninth in the MIAA after capping off a 14-16 overall record and 6-13 in the MIAA along with a berth into the MIAA tournament where they eventually fell to Central Oklahoma in the first round. 

Defending Conference champions Fort Hays State was picked to win the conference again with ten first-place votes as well as earn a ranking of fifth by the Women's Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA). Central Missouri followed in second of the MIAA coaches' poll and is currently receiving votes. Washburn (3), Pittsburg State (4), and Emporia State (5) rounded out the top five.

Send It Back

One goal that coach Ressel set for the Lions heading into the season was to improve on defense. Thus far as opponents try to shoot from the paint, the Lions have been preventing many shots from even reaching the rim with 44 combined blocks and 7.33 average per contest for first and fourth in the national respectively. 

Both marks also place them first among MIAA programs with
Northwest Missouri State trailing by 20 (24) in second.

Front and Center

After observing as a freshman and figuring things out on the court as a sophomore, junior center Zoe Campbell from Caloundra, Australia has become a force in the front court. Campbell ranks second and third in total blocks (24) and blocks per game (4.0) while leading the MIAA in both categories. 

The Australia native currently stands fourth all-time in career blocks (75) and set the school record for blocks in one game (7) at Harding. She is also fourth in the MIAA in field-goal percentage (32-for-56 = .571) and sixth in rebounds per game (8.7).

Take the Long Way Home

Another dimension on the defense that MSSU wanted to sure up was around the perimeter and the team has certainly done its job by limiting opponents to 29.2-clip on 106 attempts from three-point range, which ranks sixth in the MIAA at three-point field-goal defense. 

The Lions defense is also ranked fifth in total field-goal defense by holding opponents to 36.3 percent shooting from the field on 394 attempts.

Up Next

The Lions return home to open MIAA play against cross-state rival Pittsburg State on Tuesday, Dec. 3 at 5:30 pm.