MSSU women to return to action at Lincoln

(From MSSU Lions Athletic News)

The Missouri Southern women's basketball team ends the second week of the regular season Saturday on the road against the Blue Tigers of Lincoln in Jefferson City. Tip off from Jason Gym is scheduled for 1:00 pm.

Game Information

Teams: Missouri Southern (0-3, 0-3 MIAA) at Lincoln (Mo.) (0-0, 0-0 MIAA)
Date: Saturday, Nov. 28, 2020
Tip-Off: 1:00 p.m.
Location: Jefferson City, Mo.
Site: Jason Gym
Series Record: Southern, leads 44-23

Media Coverage

MSSU Radio: Fox Sports Joplin 101.3, 107.9 and AM 1560
Live Coverage: https://www.mssulions.com/coverage

Block Party From Down Under
Senior center Zoe Campbell erupted for a school record 62 blocks to lead the MIAA and finish the year 21st in Division II. The Caloundra, Australia native set new single-game, single-season and career block records during the 2019-20 season. 

Campbell has increased her block total each season at southern, going from 11 as a freshman to 40 as a sophomore and 62 this past season. Currently Campbell is at 114 career blocks and counting.

Anchors Down

Backed by the blocking and disruptive abilities of Campbell and Stokes the Lions finished the 2019-20 season with the fourth best total field-goal defense in the MIAA limiting opponents to shooting 38.7 percent on 1,705 attempts. The Lions make sure to protect the perimeter as well limiting opponents to 32.1 percent from 582 attempts from three-point range. The Lions are limiting opponents to 36.5 percent from the floor and 30 from the three-point line in the early part of the season.

Bench Spark

Freshman guard Kaitlin Hunnicutt has provided a scoring spark off the bench with her ability to stretch the court with her three point shooting. Connecting on a team-high eight made three pointers and the team leader in scoring average with 12.7. In the first game Hunnicutt announced herself to the Pride as she finished with 14 points while connecting on four three pointers from the bench.

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.

Lincoln Trio

The Blue Tigers in year one of the Mize era will be returning three players from last season's squad. Natasha Dolinsky, Vivian Chigbu, and Virja Lewis are back for their senior campaigns. Chigbu was the second leading scorer last year averaging 10.3 points per game while grabbing a team high 7.8 rebounds a game as well. 

On the defensive side of the ball Chigbu was the team leader in steals with 41 and played the most minutes during the season. Dolinsky led the team with 29 made three pointers and finished second on the team with 57 assists while averaging 6.6 points per game. Lewis came off the bench mostly but did start in ten games while scoring 5.6 point per game for the Blue Tigers.

Transfer Credits

This years team will consist of nine transfers headlined by Niyah Jackson, Joseline Ramos, and Criss Waters. Jackson followed coach Mize to Jefferson City after averaging 11.7 points per game her freshman year at the College of Central Florida earning first-team All-Conference honors while also pouring in 3.8 assists and 1.5 steals per game. Ramos was a second team All-Conference honoree at Florida State-Jacksonville after posting a team leading 9.4 points and 2.7 assists a game. Waters averaged 10.8 points and 7.2 rebounds a game at Butler CC helping the Grizzlies to their first Region VI Championship in program history.