MSSU women continue road trip against Washburn

(From MSSU Lions Athletic News)

The Missouri Southern women's basketball team continues the Kansas road trip as they take on Washburn tomorrow. Tip-off from Lee Arena is scheduled for 5:30 pm.

Game Information

Teams: Missouri Southern (4-4, 4-4 MIAA) at Washburn (3-4, 3-4 MIAA)
Date: Jan. 14, 2021
Tip-Off: 5:30 pm
Location: Topeka, Kan.
Site: Lee Arena

Series Record: Ichabods, Leads the series 51-28

Coaches

MSSU: Ronnie Ressel, 51-72 (5th Season)
WU: Ron McHenry, 467-156 (21st season)

MIAA Preseason Poll
The Lions were picked to finish 10th in the MIAA after going 10-18 overall and 7-12 in MIAA play during the 2019-20 campaign. Emporia State was picked to win the MIAA with 4 first-place votes with Nebraska-Kearney picking up 6 first-place votes in second and defending Conference Champions Central Missouri rounding out the top three with 3 first-place votes. Pittsburg State was projected to finish fourth while Fort Hays State picked up the other first-place vote and rounded out the top-five.

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 117 career blocks and counting.

Stoked To Block You

Sophomore center Madi Stokes had a freshman campaign to remember as a defensive force down low. The Cassville, Missouri native had 33 blocks during the 2019-20 season finishing fifth in the MIAA overall and eighth in Division II for freshman. This season she is already at 22 eight games in, and is second in Division II in the category.

Anchors Down

The Lions are limiting opponents to 37.5 percent from the floor and 30.8 percent from the three-point line this season. Led individually by Madi Stokes 22 blocks and Carley Turnbull having ten 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 turnovers forced.

Bench Sparks

Freshman guard Kaitlin Hunnicutt and junior guard/forward Amaya Johns are bringing it off the bench this season. Hunnicutt is second on the team in scoring averaging 9.6 points a game, and has connected on a team-high 14 threes this season. Her season-high of 15 was last time out on the road against Pittsburg State. Johns is right behind Hunnicutt in scoring with 9.3 per game in 15 minutes a game. Her season-high of 21 points happened at home against Rogers State shooting 7-of-9 from the field, 1-of2 from the three point line and a perfect 6-of-6 from the free throw line.

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.

Get Your Games Comin' In Hot

The Lions are in the middle of a three game road stretch after resting for three weeks prior to Saturdays' game against Pittsburg State. Following the game against Washburn the Lions travel to Emporia to take on #11 Emporia State headlined by last season's MIAA Freshman of the Year and Week 7's Athlete of the Week Tre'zure Jobe.

Ichabod Returners

Picked to finish eighth in the MIAA, the Ichabods return 12 from last seasons 18-12 team. Gone are third-team selection Reagan Phelan and honorable mention Shelbe Piggie but returning is Hunter Bentley who also garnered honorable mention status from the MIAA.

Last Time Out For Washburn

Playing Missouri Western the Ichabods led from the tip to the final buzzer after starting the game off with technical free-throws converted by Hunter Bentley. Bentley finished with a game-high 27 points shooting 8-of-13 from the field 4-of-8 from the three point line and a perfect 7-of-7 from the free throw line while pulling down nine rebounds. Abby Oliver pitched in with 12 points and six rebounds while Nuria Barrientos had nine points and 12 rebounds to go along with five assists.