Free throw dominance leads MSSU women to 67-56 win over Missouri Western

 

(From MSSU Lions Athletic News)

The Missouri Southern women's basketball team utilized a strong second-half that saw the Lions dominate from the free throw line and come away with a 67-56 win over Missouri Western on Robert Corn Court inside the Leggett & Platt Athletic Center.

Southern (4-3, 4-3 MIAA) was led in scoring by Carley Turnbull as she poured in 16 points and added four rebounds and three assists. 

Layne Skiles scored 13 points on 5-of-7 from the field and 3-of-4 from long-range, while pulling down five rebounds. Madi Stokes scored six but added 12 rebounds and four blocks.

Western (2-5, 2-5 MIAA) was led in scoring by Brionna Budgetts with 13 points.

The Griffons jumped out to a 10-2 lead before a three from Skiles made the score 10-5 with a little more than six minutes left. Another three from Skiles, this time with five on the clock got the Lions within four (12-8), but the Griffons went on an 8-2 run and led 20-10 before a bucket from Stokes and a pair of freebies from Kaitlin Hunnicutt made the first quarter score 20-14.

Western led 27-16 with 6:45 to go in the second quarter, before a jumper from Biance Stocks, followed by a fast-break layup from Skiles got Southern within seven (27-20) the next trip down. A three from Stocks with 5:47 left got the Lions within four (27-23), but Southern trailed 37-30 at the break.

Southern started the third quarter on a 6-0 run and got to within one (37-36) after a Turnbull layup with 7:47 to go in the quarter. A three from Brooke Stauffer with 5:46 on the clock made the score 42-39, Western, and a turnaround jumper from Stokes a minute later got the Lions within a point (42-41).

A pair of freebies from Anna Hall gave the Lions a 43-42 lead with 2:48 to go in the quarter, while a pair from Hunnicutt pushed the lead to four (46-42). Free throws from Amaya Johns as time was winding down gave the Lions a 50-45 lead after three.

A three pointer from Skiles with 6:35 left in the third quarter pushed the Southern lead to 57-49, while a turnaround bank off the left post from Turnbull gave the Lions a ten-point lead (59-59).

The Lions came up with huge defensive stops and made their free throws down the stretch to secure the win.

Southern shot 31 percent from the floor but made 26-of-32 free throws which proved to be the difference in the game. Rebounds were nearly even at 42-41 Lions but Southern forced 22 turnovers and had a 21-11 advantage in points off of turnovers.

The Lions will be off for the holidays and will be back in action on January 9 when Southern travels to Pittsburg State for a 1:30 pm tip off.

Late basket lifts Missouri Western to 88-86 win over MSSU men

(From MSSU Lions Athletic News)

The Missouri Southern men's basketball team got 33 points from Cam Martin, but a last-second shot from Missouri Western lifted the No. 19 ranked Griffons over the Lions 88-86 on Robert Corn Court inside the Leggett & Platt Athletic Center.

Southern (4-3, 4-3 MIAA) was led by Martin's 33 points and seven rebounds. Stan Scott had a career-high 20 points on 8-of-13 from the field, while RJ Smith had nine points and nine rebounds. Winston Dessesow scored eight points and dished out seven assists, while Christian Bundy scored six and had three blocks and three assists.

Western (5-1, 5-1 MIAA) had four score in double-figures, led by 27 points from Tyrell Carroll.

Southern jumped out to a 7-2 lead at the first media timeout after a three from Smith, but the Griffons clawed back and took a 9-7 lead after a three-point play from Carroll with 13:27 to go in the half.

A layup from Dessesow followed by a turnaround jumper from Martin gave the Lions an 11-9 lead with 12:37 to go and a running layup from Scott the next trip down pushed it to four (13-9).

The teams traded baskets, but an 8-0 run by the Lions capped by a basket from Bundy with 6:11 left in the half gave the Lions a 31-24 lead. After a quick run from the Griffons, a dunk from Scott with 4:10 to go in the half gave Southern a 33-30 lead and a three from Kyle Younge off a pass from Scott made the score 36-32 Lions with 3:20 to go.

A layup from Western with just under two minutes to go gave the Griffons the lead back at 40-38 and Western took a 46-38 lead into the locker room.

Southern started the half on a 4-0 run, prompting a Western timeout. The Griffons responded and a three with 15 minutes left gave Western a 53-42 lead. Three free throws from Lawson Jenkins, followed by a block from Bundy the next trip down and a three-point play from Scott and the Lions cut the lead to five (53-48) with 14:19 left.

A three from Martin tied the game at 59 with just more than ten on the clock and a fast-break bucket from Scott off an assist from Dessesow gave the Lions a 61-59 lead with 10:03 to go. The two teams traded baskets and leads down the stretch and a three from the Griffons with a minute left put Western up 86-84.

After a turnover, Dessesow stole the inbounds pass and knocked home a layup to tie the game at 86 with 27 seconds to go. The Griffons, however, hit what proved to be the game-winning jumper. Southern would get a last-second shot off, but it would not fall.

The Lions shot 47 percent from the field and 92 percent from the free-throw line going 12-of-13 from the charity stripe. The Lions scored 20 points off of 16 forced turnovers.

The Lions will be off for the holidays and will be back in action on January 9 when Southern travels to Pittsburg State for a 3:30 pm tip off.

MSSU golfer to compete in Patriot All-America Invitational

(From MSSU Lions Athletic News)

Missouri Southern junior Ben Epperly will be spending his holiday break playing golf in the warmth of the Valley of the Sun in Arizona with some elite company as Epperly is one of 84 PING All-Americans that will participate in the Patriot All-America Invitational.

The event, which features PING All-Americans from the previous season in NCAA Divisions I, II and III, as well as All-Americans from the NAIA, NJCAA and AJGA ranks, will take place Dec. 27-31 at the Wigwam Golf Resort in Litchfield Park, Arizona.

A unique aspect of this Championship is that it honors our military heroes. In fact, a foundation of this event is to honor the military throughout the week.

 

At the opening ceremony, each golfer receives and carries a commemorative PING golf bag that bears the name and branch of a fallen or wounded hero from their hometown or school.

Additionally, all of the golfers have the opportunity to visit Luke Air Force Base, the training center for our nation's F-16 and F-35 fighter pilots. There, they meet with the commanding officer, fighter pilots and crew, and tour the base while participating in activities rarely seen by civilians.

The players carry the bag and honor that solder throughout the week. Upon conclusion, the bags are shipped back to the player's school where they are auctioned off with the proceeds benefiting the Folds of Honor charity.

Epperly is in his first season as a Lion after transferring in from Kirkwood CC. The West Des Moines, Iowa native was a 4A Iowa State Champion as a junior and named the Des Moines Register Golfer of the Year in 2016 when he also won the Iowa Golf Association Player of the Year award.

Epperly and his teammates will begin the spring season on March 1 at the Natural State Golf Classic hosted by Harding University. The event will take place in Cabot, Ark. at Cypress Creek Golf Club.

MSSU women back in action against Missouri Western

(From MSSU Lions Athletic News)

The Missouri Southern women's basketball team is set to host the Missouri Western Griffons inside the Leggett & Platt Athletic Center tomorrow. Tip-off from Robert Corn Court is set for 1:30 pm.

Game Information

Teams: Missouri Southern (3-3, 3-3 MIAA) vs. Missouri Western (2-3, 2-3 MIAA)
Date: Dec. 19, 2020
Tip-Off: 1:30 pm
Location: Joplin, Mo.
Site: Robert Corn Court inside Leggett & Platt Athletic Center
Series Record: Griffons, Leads the series 59-34

Coaches

MSSU: Ronnie Ressel, 50-71 (5th Season)
MWSU: Candi Whitaker, 23-13 (2nd Season at Missouri Western)

Media Coverage

MSSU Radio: Mike McClure - Play by play - Fox Sports Joplin - 101.3, 107.9 FM, AM 1560 & 1340; KXMS 88.7 FM
Live Audio/Video/Stats - https://www.mssulions.com/coverage
Lions on Facebook: Facebook.com/mososports
Lions on Twitter: @mososports; @MssuWbb

Bench Sparks

Freshman guard Kaitlin Hunnicutt and junior guard/forward Amaya Johns are bringing it off the bench this season. Johns is second on the team in scoring averaging 10.5 per game in 15.8 minuets per game, while Hunnicutt has a team-high 11 made threes in the early going and has a scoring average of 9.7 per game in 22.5 minuets per game. Johns scored 21 points last time out against Rogers State going 7-of-9 from the field, 1-0f-2 from behind the three point line and 6-of-6 from the charity stripe. Hunnicutt announced herself to the Pride in the season opener against Central Oklahoma as she connected on four three pointers and finished the game with 14 points.

1,000-Point Scorer Joins the Pride

Carley Turnbull comes to Southern having already scored over 1,000 points in her career, at Monmouth College a Division III institution in Illinois. She averaged 14.5 points per game and pulled down 5.9 rebounds per game over her three years for the Fighting Scots, finishing with 1,131 points. Turnbull is already off to a hot start for the Lions finishing the season opener against Central Oklahoma with a team-high 15 points and snatched away two steals. Turnbull turned a dominant performance against Northeastern State in the home opener posting 27 points, while collecting five rebounds, dishing out four assists, blocking a shot and getting two steals.

Athlete of the Week

Senior guard/forward Carley Turnbull became the latest Lion to be named MIAA Athlete of the Week after averaging 25 points, 5.5 rebounds, 3 assists and a steal per game leading the Lions to wins over Northeastern State and Rogers State on home court in week three of the season. Turnbull was efficient from the field shooting 51.3 percent and was 82 percent from the charity stripe. The last Lion to win this award was Chelsey Henry in Jan. 2018.

Well Rested Lions

Coming into the game the Lions will have 14 days between contests after last playing against Rogers State December 5th. After this game the Lions will be off until the new year as they will kick off 2021 against the Gorillas of Pittsburg State January 9th in Pittsburg, Kan.

Griffons Returners

Picked to finish sixth in the MIAA preseason coaches poll the Griffons are currently 3-3 sitting in ninth. Returning MIAA first-teamer Corbyn Cunningham is yet to play this season after averaging a team-high 5.7 points and 8.3 rebounds a game last season. Mychaell Gray is the next most experienced Griffon picking up 11 starts last season and Logan Hughes started in two contest last season as a freshman.

Last Game Report

Evans Camille led the Griffons with 15 points in the game against Pittsburg State going 7-of-11 from the field had six rebounds and two steals. Brionna Budgetts connected on a team-high three point attempts and finished with 12 points. Jordan Cunningham led the Griffons in bench scoring with 10 points after going 3-of-5 from the field, 2-of-3 from behind the three point line and 2-for-2 from the free throw line.

MSSU men to play host to Missouri Western

(From MSSU Lions Athletics News)

The Missouri Southern men's basketball team will be back in action tomorrow as the Lions will play host to Missouri Western. Tip off from Robert Corn Court inside the Leggett & Platt Athletic Center is set for 3:30 pm.

Game Information

Teams: Missouri Southern (4-2, 4-2 MIAA) vs. Missouri Western (4-1, 4-1 MIAA)
Date: Dec. 19, 2020
Tip-Off: 3:30 pm
Location: Joplin, Mo.
Site: Robert Corn Court/Leggett & Platt Athletic Center
Series Record: Southern leads 52-45
Coaches: Jeff Boschee (128-63 overall/at MSSU - 7th year). Will Martin (4-1 overall/at MWSU - 1st year)

Media Coverage

MSSU Radio: Mike McClure - Play by play - Fox Sports Joplin - 101.3, 107.9 FM, AM 1560 & 1340; KXMS 88.7 FM
Live Audio/Video/Stats - https://www.mssulions.com/coverage
Lions on Facebook: Facebook.com/mososports
Lions on Twitter: @mososports; @mssumensbball

The Series

Southern leads the series with Western 52-45. The, Lions have won the last 18-of-23 match-ups. Southern is 38-11 at home, but just 13-34 in St. Joseph. Western dominated the series from 1988-1999 when the Griffons won 16-of-21 games. The Lions, however, have won 24 of the last 35 games. The 97 games played against Western is the third-most the Lions have played against a single school, behind Pittsburg State (104) and Southwest Baptist (97).

MIAA Team Stat Leaders

So far this year, the Lions lead the MIAA in rebound margin and total rebounds, while ranking second in blocked shots per game, total blocks and total rebounds per game.

NCAA Team Stat Leaders

Southern ranks in the top-ten nationally in eight different NCAA categories. The Lions lead Division II in total rebounds, while ranking second in total blocks, fourth in both free throws made and total assists, fifth in free throw attempts, sixth in three point attempts and total three pointers made and ninth in rebound margin. The team also ranks 12th nationally in total steals.

MIAA Individual Stat Leaders

Cam Martin leads the MIAA in total points, total field goals, total rebounds, and total field goal attempts, while ranking second in the league in total blocks, total assists, points per game, free throws made, free throws attempted and total minutes. Stan Scot ranks second in the MIAA in total steals, total field goals and total minutes, while Winston Dessesow ranks second in three point field goal attempts, and RJ Smith is second in total rebounds.

NCAA Individual Stat Leaders

Martin leads Division II in total field goal attempts, total field goals made, total points and total rebounds, while ranking second in total blocks, free throw attempts and total minutes and third in both free throws made and total assists. Smith is third in total rebounds, while Scott is fourth in total steals and total minutes, while ranking fifth in total field goals made.

New Career Highs

Against Newman, both Kyle Young (23 points) and Stan Scott (19 points) set their individual career-highs for single-game scoring. Lawson Jenkins set his individual single-game record for points with 14 against Rogers State.

Active NCAA Career Leaders

Cam Martin is in rare company among the active career leaders in NCAA Division II. Martin currently is the active career leader in points scored, field goals made, free throws made, double-doubles, scoring average, rebound average and free throws attempted. Martin also ranks third in field goal percentage. Martin also leads Division II among the group of individuals with 1,500 points and 600 rebounds.

Up Next

The Lions will be off for the holidays and Southern will be back in action on January 9 when the Lions travel to Pittsburg State. Tip off from John Lance Arena is set for 3:30 pm.

MSSU basketball games with Northwest Missouri postponed due to COVID-19

(From MSSU Lions Athletic News)

The men's and women's basketball games between the Missouri Southern Lions and the Northwest Missouri Bearcats for this Thursday have been postponed due to Covid-19 protocols within the Northwest Missouri programs.

Both games have been re-scheduled for February 2 with the women playing at 5:30 pm and the men playing at 7:30 pm.

The games this Saturday against Missouri Western for 1:30 pm and 3:30 pm are still scheduled as normal.

Stay tuned to www.mssulions.com for all the latest up-to-date news on Missouri Southern Athletics.

MSSU's Carley Turnbull named MIAA Women's Athlete of the Week

(From MSSU Lions Athletic News)

Missouri Southern senior Carley Turnbull has been named the MIAA Women's Basketball Athlete of the Week as announced by the league office today.

Turnbull helped the Lions to a 2-0 week, including wins against Northeastern State (70-64) and Rogers State (96-85). 

She started her week with a 27-point, 5-rebound performance against NSU where she added four assists and two steals. 

Against Rogers, she scored 23 and added five boards, going 8-of-16 from the field and 7-of-9 from the free-throw line in the win.

For the week, Turnbull averaged 25 points, 5.5 rebounds, 3.0 assists and 1.0 steals per game, while shooting 51.3 percent from the field and 82 percent from the free throw line.

Turnbull and the Lions will be back in action on December 17 when Southern plays host to Northwest Missouri at 5:30 pm.

MIAA to use new method to determine basketball standings

(From MSSU Lions Athletic News)

The MIAA announced it will use a new method to determine its men's and women's basketball standings this year. 

With the expectations of COVID-19 disruptions throughout the Association's 2020-2021 basketball season, the method will apply a weighted formula to the standings each week.

The Association's Athletic Directors unanimously approved the weighted formula, which is comprised of 80 percent of a team's winning percentage and 20 percent of the team's total number of games played. 

Another element of the formula is that an MIAA team must complete a minimum number of 11 games to be eligible to qualify for the MIAA Basketball Championship and to claim the regular-season championship.

In a season that could see a disparity in the total number of games completed by each MIAA member, the MIAA's traditional use of conference winning percentage will not be used. The new method for the standings will begin to be used by the Association's office on Monday, December 14. The standings will be updated with the applied weighted formula for each week on Monday morning before 10 a.m.

The 2021 MIAA Basketball Championships Presented By Citizens Bank & Trust are currently scheduled for March 4-7 at Municipal Auditorium in Kansas City, Missouri.

MSSU women make it three in a row with 96-85 win over Rogers State

(From MSSU Lions Athletic News)

The Missouri Southern women's basketball team made all ten of its free throws in the final minute of the game, while both Amaya Johns and Brooke Stauffer posted career-highs in a 96-85 win today over Rogers State on Robert Corn Court inside the Leggett & Platt Athletic Center.

Southern (3-3, 3-3 MIAA) was led in scoring by Carley Turnbull who posted her second-straight 20-point game, pouring in 23 points, six rebounds and two assists. Johns scored 21 points on 7-of-9 from the field and 6-of-6 from the charity stripe, while Stauffer had 18 points, five rebounds and three assists. Layne Skiles had 16 points and five assists, while Madi Stokes had five blocks and Megan Jackson dished out seven assists.

Rogers State (1-3, 1-3 MIAA) had four score in double-figures, led by 16 points from Julie Luna.

Both teams traded baskets in the first quarter with neither team leading by more than three points the entire quarter. The score was tied at 12 after one.

The Lions trailed 10-7 late in the first quarter but started an 11-2 run that went into the second quarter that saw Southern lead 18-12 after a jumper from Amaya Johns two minutes into the second.

Back-to-back three's from the Lions, first from Johns and second from Skiles, coupled with a layup from Johns pushed the Lions' lead to five (28-23) with 4:49 to go in the quarter. A layup from Turnbull with 3:19 to go made the score 34-25 and a three from Kaitlin Hunnicutt gave Southern its largest lead of the afternoon at 37-25 the next trip down.

The Hillcats, however, closed the half on a 9-2 run as Southern led 39-35 at the break. The Lions shot 59 percent from the field in the half.

A running jumper off the glass from Johns pushed the Southern lead back to ten (48-38) with a little less than seven to go in the third, while a three from Stauffer with 2:40 to go pushed the lead to ten (57-47). A three from Skiles near the end of the quarter gave Southern a 62-49 lead after three.

The Lions kept their foot on the gas as a three from Biance Stocks with 8:50 to go made the score 68-51 and a three-point play from Turnbull gave the Lions a 71-53 lead with eight minutes to go. A pair of free-throws from Turnbull the next trip down pushed the lead to 20 (73-53), but RSU clawed back into the game, getting within seven (81-74) after a three with 1:47 to go.

Skiles matched the three pointer the next trip down and free throws from Stauffer and Johns inside a minute pushed the lead back to 13 (90-77) with 45 seconds to go and Southern was perfect from the free-throw line down the stretch.

The Lions shot 54 percent from the field and 50 percent from long-range, while making 81 percent of their free-throws. Southern assisted on 24 of its 31 made baskets.

Southern will be back in action on December 17 when the Lions play host to Northwest Missouri. Tip off from Robert Corn Court inside the Leggett & Platt Athletic Center is slated for 5:30 pm.

MSSU men back in win column, defeating Rogers State 88-82

 (From MSSU Lions Athletic News)

Cam Martin scored 30 and the 21st ranked Missouri Southern men's basketball team took out visiting Rogers State 88-82 on Robert Corn Court inside the Leggett & Platt Athletic Center.

Southern (4-2, 4-2 MIAA) was led by Martin's night with 30 points on 9-of-14 from the field and 12-of-12 from the free throw line. 

Martin added eight rebounds and three assists to go with a pair of blocks.

Winston Dessesow scored 18 minutes as he played the entire game adding four assists and four rebounds. Lawson Jenkins scored 14, while Christian Bundy added 11 points and nine rebounds.

RSU (1-3, 1-3 MIAA) had four in double-figures, led by 21 from Jett Sternberger.

The Lions jumped out to a 6-1 early lead before RSU rattled off six-straight points to go up 7-6 with 16:22 left in the first half. The Hillcats led 21-16 with 11:31 to go when back-to-back threes from Dessesow and Lawson Jenkins pushed the Lions back on top 22-21 with 10:32 on the clock.

Another three from Dessesow a minute later increased the Lions' lead to four (25-21), but a three from RSU with 6:17 on the clock put the Hillcats up 30-29 with 6:17 to go, a lead they would not give up for the rest of the half as Southern trailed 45-42 at the break.

Both teams traded baskets to start the second half. A jumper from Martin with 16 minutes to go gave the Lions a 54-43 lead, but the Hillcats answered with a three the next rip down to go right back on top.

RSU led 58-54 with 15 minutes to go, but a pair of freebies from Martin with 11:33 on the clock put Southern back on top 64-63. RSU tied it at 72 with 7:48 on the clock, but a layup from Jenkins with 4:55 left put the Lions back on top 76-74 and the Lions would not relinquish the lead.

A huge block from Bundy with time winding down started a fast-break that led to a pair of free throws from Jenkins to push the Southern lead to six (88-82) which proved to be the final tally.

The Lions shot 52 percent from the field and 91 percent from the free throw line. The Lions had a 38-22 advantage in the paint and out rebounded the Hillcats 40-23, including 12-5 on the offensive boards. The game featured 11 lead changes and 12 times with a tie.

Southern will be back in action on December 17 when the Lions play host to Northwest Missouri. Tip off from Robert Corn Court inside the Leggett & Platt Athletic Center is slated for 7:30 pm.

MSSU women to play host to Rogers State

(From MSSU Lions Athletic News)

The Missouri Southern women's basketball team is set to host the Rogers State Hillcats inside the Leggett & Platt Athletic Center tomorrow. Tip-off from Robert Corn Court is set for 1:30 pm.

Game Information

Teams: Missouri Southern (2-3, 2-3 MIAA) vs. Rogers State (1-2, 1-2 MIAA)
Date: Dec. 5, 2020
Tip-Off: 1:30 pm
Location: Joplin, Mo.
Site: Robert Corn Court inside Leggett & Platt Athletic Center
Series Record: Southern leads 3-0

Coaches

MSSU: Ronnie Ressel, 49-71 (5th Season)
RSU: Kyle Bent, 113-78 (7th Season Overall), 19-40 (3rd Season @ Rogers State)

Anchors Down 

The Lions are limiting opponents to 35.4 percent from the floor and 28.9 percent from the three-point line this season. Led individually by Madi Stokes Division II leading block total (12) and Carley Turnbull having eight steals already the Lions are primmed to shut down teams down low and on the perimeter. While ranking atop the MIAA in team blocks and steals in the early going.

1,000-Point Scorer Joins the Pride

Carley Turnbull comes to Southern having already scored over 1,000 points in her career, at Monmouth College a Division III institution in Illinois. She averaged 14.5 points per game and pulled down 5.9 rebounds per game over her three years for the Fighting Scots, finishing with 1,131 points. Turnbull is already off to a hot start for the Lions finishing the season opener against Central Oklahoma with a team-high 15 points and snatched away two steals. Turnbull turned a dominate performance against Northeastern State in the home opener posting 27 points, while collecting five rebounds, dishing out four assists, blocking a shot and getting two steals.

Hillcats Returners

Coming into the season the Hillcats will have seven players back from last season's (4-24 Overall, 2-17 MIAA). Samariah Thompson is the leading scorer this season averaging 22.7 points per game after averaging 8.7 a season ago.

Two Game Offense

Early in the season a pattern is emerging that junior center Maya Buckhanon who transferred in from Division I Memphis and junior guard Samariah Thompson like to score. In the game against Pittsburg State both finished with at least 20 points for the first time this season and both are averaging more than 14 points a game. Buckhanon is shooting 60 percent from the field and has four blocks already. Thompson has a team-high six made three pointers and has gone 24-of-27 from the free throw line.

MSSU men fall to Northeastern State 90-89

(From MSSU Lions Athletic News)

A turnaround jumper as time expired was ruled no-good and the 21st ranked Missouri Southern men's basketball team dropped a heartbreaker, 90-89 to visiting Northeastern State on Robert Corn Court inside the Leggett & Platt Athletic Center.

Southern (3-2, 3-2 MIAA) was led offensively by Cam Martin with 26 points and eight rebounds. Martin dished out six assists and added two blocks and a steal. Stan Scott scored 18 points, while Christian Bundy and Lawson Jenkins added 13 and 12 points, respectively.

Northeastern State (1-1, 1-1 MIAA) was led by Caleb Williams who scored 36 points on 7-of-13 from the three-point line.

Both teams traded points before the Lions got a layup from Bundy and a pair of freebies from Martin to post a 10-6 lead with 17:50 to go in the half. A jumper from RJ Smith and a bucket from Martin off an assist from Smith pushed the lead to 14-8 a minute later.

NSU went ahead 20-19 with a jumper from Williams with 13:37 to go on the clock, but a three from Lawson Jenkins with ten minutes to go gave the Lions a 26-23 lead. The two teams traded baskets, but NSU went on an 11-2 run to take a 41-33 lead with five minutes on the clock and a three from Williams with 3:31 left pushed the lead to ten (44-34). A pair of free throws from Scott as the half was winding down made the halftime score 48-41, NSU.

A layup from Bundy a minute into the second half got the Lions within two (48-46), but a quick 4-0 run from the RiverHawks gave NSU a 52-46 lead one minute later. A three from NSU pushed the lead to seven (57-50), but a 4-0 run from the Lions got Southern back to within three.

A three from Scott with 12:05 on the clock got the Lions back within two (61-59) and a three from Keryn Collins with ten on the clock tied the game at 68. A three from Kyle Younge gave the Lions a 71-70 lead and a steal and fast-break bucket from Martin the next trip down pushed the lead to 73-70.

A three-point play from Collins kept the lead at three (75-72), but a pair of free throws for NSU put the RiverHawks up 89-86 with under two minutes on the clock.

Williams made one-of-two free throws with eight seconds on the clock to give NSU a 90-89 lead. The Lions brought the ball up the court and worked a play to Martin at the right wing and his turn-around jumper which went in was waived off to end the game.

Southern shot 53 percent from the field and held a 42-25 advantage in rebounds. The Lions assisted on 20 of their 31 made baskets.

Southern will be back in action this Saturday as the Lions play host to Rogers State. Tip off from the Leggett & Platt Athletic Center is set for 3:30 pm.

Turnbull, Stokes pace MSSU women past Northeastern State 70-64

 

(From MSSU Lions Athletic News)

Carley Turnbull scored 27 points and Madi Stokes pulled down 16 rebounds as the Missouri Southern women's basketball team rode a strong fourth quarter and defeated Northeastern State 70-64 on Robert Corn Court inside the Leggett & Platt Athletic Center tonight.

Southern (2-3, 2-3 MIAA) was led by Turnbull's career night as a Lion as she went 12-of-23 from the field, adding four assists and two steals to go with the 27 points. 

Stokes went 5-of-8 from the field and scored 10 points with 16 rebounds, including five on the offensive boards. Kaitlin Hunnicutt scored ten points off the bench, while Biance Stocks dished out six assists.

Northeastern State (2-1, 2-1 MIAA) was led by Shae Sanchez with 18 points.

The two teams were tied at four early in the first, before the Lions went on a 10-4 run and led 12-8 after a jumper from Turnbull with 3:11 to go in the quarter. Another bucket from Turnbull and a layup from Zoe Cambpell off a pass from Biance Stocks pushed the Southern lead to 16-11 with two minutes to go and the Lions took a 17-13 lead after one.

The RiverHawks tied the score at 23 on a three with 5:38 to go in the quarter but a three from Kaitlin Hunnicutt with 4:23 on the clock made the score 28-24, Lions. A jumper from Turnbull off another Stocks assist with 2:20 to go pushed the Southern lead to eight (34-26), but NSU closed the half on a 9-1 run to tie the score at 35 going into the locker room.

Turnbull finished the half with 16 points, while the Lions shot 44 percent from the field as a team.

The third quarter saw the teams fight back-and-forth with the largest lead being five for NSU with 1:26 left. The Lions, however, scored four-straight to end the period trailing 52-51.

A three from Turnbull, block from Stokes, as well as back-to-back fast-break buckets from the Lions, with a steal for Turnbull in the mix, and the Lions turn a 54-53 deficit into a 60-54 lead and force a NSU timeout with seven minutes to go. A jumper from Stokes off another Stocks' assist (her sixth) pushed the Lions' lead to eight (64-56).

Southern led by eight (70-62) with a minute to go and the Lions finished off the 70-64 win.

The Lions shot 48 percent from the field and 44 percent from long-range, while making 73 percent of their free throws. Southern won the rebound battle with a 40-35 advantage and held a 36-30 advantage in the paint.

Southern will be back in action this Saturday as the Lions play host to Rogers State. Tip off from the Leggett & Platt Athletic Center is set for 1:30 pm.

MSSU men return home against Northeastern State

(From MSSU Lions Athletic News)

The 21st ranked Missouri Southern men's basketball team will be back inside the friendly confines of the Leggett & Platt Athletic Center this Thursday. Tip off from Joplin is set for 7:30 pm.

Game Information

Teams: #21 Missouri Southern (3-1, 3-1 MIAA) vs. Northeastern State (0-1, 0-1 MIAA)
Date: Dec. 3, 2020
Tip-Off: 7:30 pm
Location: Joplin, Mo.
Site: Robert Corn Court/Leggett & Platt Athletic Center
Series Record: Southern leads the series 24-18
Coaches: Jeff Boschee (127-62 overall/at MSSU - 7th year). Ja Havens (131-75 overall/0-1 at NSU - 8th year)

The Series

Southern has won ten out of the last 14 meetings between the two schools and hold an overall record of 24-18 against the RiverHawks.The Lions' 77-69 overtime win at home in 2006 stopped a three-game losing streak to the RiverHawks. Southern had won just three times in Tahlequah, but the Lions picked up a win at Jack Dobbins Fieldhouse in 2012 and in 2014. The Lions are 18-5 at home, 3-13 on the road and 3-0 in a neutral site against the RiverHawks.

Back At The Helm

Head coach Jeff Boschee has finished his Covid quarantine and will be back on the sidelines this week to coach the Lions.

MIAA Team Stat Leaders

So far this year, the Lions lead the MIAA in three point attempts, total three pointers made, total assists, total blocks, total rebounds, and total steals, while ranking second in free throw attempts and made.

MIAA Individual Stat Leaders

Winston Dessesow leads the MIAA in three point attempts, while ranking second in total field goal attempts and total minutes. Dessesow ranks third in total field goals made. Cam MArtin leads the MIAA in double-doubles, total field goal attempts and total field goals made, total minutes, total points and total rebounds. Martin is second in total three pointers made, while Stan Scott ranks second in total field goals made and total points, while ranking third in total field goal attempts, total minute and total rebounds. RJ Smith is second in total rebounds.

New Career Highs

Against Newman, both Kyle Young (23 points) and Stan Scott (19 points) set their individual career-highs for single-game scoring.

National Ranking

The Lions are ranked No. 21 in the NABC preseason poll. In the history of the NABC Poll, the Lions have been ranked 79 times, including 23-consecutive weeks at one time. The team has been No. 1 once (in the 2011 season). Southern is at No. 25 in the D2SIDA preseason poll.

Up Next

The Lions will continue their home stand as Southern will play host to Rogers State this Saturday, Dec. 5 at 3:30 pm

MSSU women to play Northeastern State

(From MSSU Lions Club)

The Missouri Southern women's basketball team is set to host the Northeastern State RiverHawks inside Leggett & Platt Athletic Center tomorrow. Tip-off from Robert Corn Court is set for 5:30 pm and is the home opener for the Lions.

Game Information

Teams: Missouri Southern (1-3, 1-3 MIAA) vs. Northeastern State (2-0, 2-0 MIAA)
Date: Thursday, Dec. 3, 2020
Tip-Off: 5:30 p.m.
Location: Joplin, Mo.
Site: Robert Corn Court inside Leggett & Platt Athletic Center
Series Record: NSU, leads 17-16

Coaches

MSSU: Ronnie Ressel, 48-71 (5th Season)
NSU: Fala Bullock, 120-129 (9th Season Overall), 23-60 (4th Season at NSU)

D2SIDA Preseason Poll

The poll was released Dec. 1, and featured Emporia State, Central Missouri and Nebraska-Kearney from the MIAA while the GAC was represented by Southeastern Oklahoma State and the NSIC had Minnesota-Duluth and Sioux Falls to represent the Central Region teams.

RiverHawks Returners

Coming back this season is Cenia Hayes after being named honorable mention by the MIAA after leading the team with 14.7 points per game connecting on a team-high 59 three pointers as well. Shae Sanchez played the most minuets last season will be back after averaging 12.3 points per game chipping in with 43 assists last season. Morgan Lee, Maegan Lee, Zaria Collins, and Cielo McClain round out the returners from this past season.

1000-Point Scorer Face-Off

This will be the first match up of the year for the Lions were the opposing team has a career 1,000 point scorer. Cenia Hayes and Carley Turnbull are averaging at least 10 points per game while shooting over 40 percent from the field this season. Both are also team leaders in steals so far with Hayes leading the MIAA and Turnbull coming in third in the category.

KGCS to provide live coverage of MSSU home basketball games

(From Southern News Service)

Once again, local television viewers will have the chance to see all MSSU men’s and women’s home conference basketball games live this season on KGCS-TV. The station will also provide video for live-streaming on The MIAA Network.

“With limited ability for fans to see the games in person, this coverage provides opportunities for them to follow the men and women this year,” said Judy Stiles, KGCS general manager.

The first games scheduled are on Thursday, Dec. 3 against Northeastern State University. Tip-off for the women’s game is 5:30 p.m., with the men’s game to follow. The Lions have additional home games scheduled before the end of the year on Dec. 5, 17 and 19.

Students, faculty and staff collaborate to cover the games live. They are involved in all aspects of the broadcasts - from announcing and camera work at the Leggett and Platt Athletic Center, to directing behind the scenes. “This is a great opportunity for hands-on experience in live sports coverage,” added Stiles.

KGCS programing can be seen on channel 21, and is also available on regional cable television systems such as Sparklight, Mediacom and Suddenlink Communications. Fans can access the link for the live-stream through the MSSU Athletics website.



KGCS operates as a service of the Department of Communication at Missouri Southern State University.

Missouri Southern women post first victory, defeating Lincoln 81-65

(From MSSU Lions Athletic News)

The Missouri Southern women's basketball team finished off a season-opening road trip with an 81-65 win over the Lincoln Blue Tigers inside Jason Gymnasium today.

Southern (1-3, 1-3 MIAA) was fueled by sophomore center Madi Stokes' first double-double of the season, with 15 points after going 6-of-10 from the field and 3-of-4 from the free throw line, while adding 13 rebounds. 

Amaya Johns had a season-high 14 points going 5-of-8 from the field, connecting on a three-pointer and going 3-of-5 from the free throw line.

Anna Hall posted a new season-high scoring seven going 3-of-3 from the field and connecting on a three. Stocks finished with nine points and grabbed six rebounds while dishing out two assists.

For the Blue Tigers (0-1, 0-1 MIAA) Niyah Jackson finished with 15 points and had five assists. Deija Jackson had 12 points and Aliyah Bello scored 10 points while nabbing a game-high three steals.

In the first quarter, the Lions utilized a 12-0 run to take a lead they would not relinquish over Lincoln. Stokes got the run started with a put back layup from a missed shot to tie the game up with 5:48 remaining. Freshman guard Kaitlin Hunnicutt connected on a three-pointer the following possession to get things rolling. Senior guard Brooke Stauffer finished off the scoring in the opening quarter with a free throw to put the Lions up 20-10. Southern finished the quarter limiting the Blue Tigers to shooting 27 percent from the floor.

The second quarter had freshman forward Anna Hall get on the scoreboard first after an assist from a senior center Zoe Campbell, before hitting a three the following possession making the score 25-12. A Hunnicutt free throw with 4:47 remaining in the half pushed the Southern lead to 17 the largest of the half.

At the half Southern was shooting 50 percent from the field while limiting the Blue Tigers to shooting 26 percent. Had a 30-16 rebounding advantage while also having a 27-2 lead in bench scoring.
In the third quarter, Southern rode the wave of a 10-0 run started by Stauffer who connected on an open three with 8:13 remaining that was followed up by senior guard Megan Jackson and Stokes layups. Johns capped off the run with a jumper and-one putting the score at 55-33.

Southern stretched the lead out to 23 with 5:52 remaining in the game after a Johns layup that put the score at 75-52.

Up next for the Lions is the home opener against Northeastern State Thursday, with tip-off scheduled at 5:30 pm inside Leggett & Platt Athletic Center.