MSSU men fall to Illinois Springfield in First Game of Double Tree Thanksgiving Classic

(From Missouri Southern Athletics)

Springfield, Mo. - After a little over a week from their previous competition, the men's basketball team was back in action Tuesday afternoon. They began their two-game stint at the Double Tree Thanksgiving Classic with a matchup against the Illinois Springfield Prairie Stars in Springfield, Missouri.

Sam Thompson got the Lions going with a hook shot on their first possession, giving them the first lead of the game. Cam Williams then pushed that lead with a good three pointer. A couple minutes later, Williams drained another three to make it 10-6 MSSU. Illinois Springfield fought back to make it a tie game near the midway point of the first half.

After UIS took the lead, Winston Dessesow successfully converted the and-one opportunity, cutting the deficit to 29-27. He hit another jumper late in the period, and Avery Taggart made a three, keeping the Lions close at 39-36. Just before the half, Vinson Sigmon Jr. made a bucket on an assist from Ibn Loyal, making the score 45-38 UIS.

Missouri Southern's portion of the second half was kicked off by Darius Dawswon. A few minutes later, Sam Thompson made a layup, then followed up with a three-point play on a good layup and made free throw from the foul. Illinois Springfield pushed their lead over double digits, but another basket from Thompson and a layup from Vinson Sigmon Jr. cut the deficit back to 10 at the 9:55 mark. The Prairie Stars built on their lead for the remainder of the game, ending in a 96-77 final.

Sam Thompson led the Lions with 15 points on 7-12 shooting from the field. He also had 7 rebounds, 2 assists, and a steal on the day. Darius Dawson had a similar stat line, finishing with 14 points on 6-9 shooting, with a team-high 8 rebounds. Cam Williams and Winston Dessesow each finished with 12 points, and Parker Long led the Lions with 3 assists.

Continuing play in the Double Tree Thanksgiving Classic, the Lions will take on the hosts of the tournament in the Drury Panthers Wednesday evening. Tipoff is scheduled for 8:45 PM on November 22.

The Missouri Southern men's basketball season is presented by Arvest Bank, a proud supporter of Lion Athletics.

Diamond's Grace Frazier among four MSSU women's basketball recruits

(From Missouri Southern Athletics)

Missouri Southern women's basketball coach Ronnie Ressel has announced the signing of four recruits for the 2024-25 season.

Grace Frazier
Diamond, Mo.

Frazier prepped at Diamond High School where she was coached by Marty Atnip. As a Wildcat, the 5-foot-3 guard averaged 24.1 points, 4.5 assists, 4.3 rebounds and 3.7 steals in her junior year, as well as hitting the 1,000 point milestone. Frazier was named an All-Conference selection all three years at Diamond, as well as named the Player of the Year in her conference her junior year. 

Frazier assisted the Wildcats in becoming district champions in 2023, the first time they had accomplished such since 1986, as well as putting up 40 points in her final game of her junior season in the Class 3 sectional game. Frazier is four-time letter winner in basketball, at point guard, and softball, at catcher, as well as a one-time letter winner in volleyball, at Libero.

Coach Ressel on Grace, "Grace is a young lady that can score at all 3 levels. She has great range from 3, can get to the basket and finish in multiple ways and has a solid mid-range-floater game. Grace sees the floor extremely well and does a great job of getting her teammates open shots."

Grace is the daughter of Lora and James Frazier and is currently undecided on a major at Southern.

Ava Pautz
Phoenix, Ariz.

Pautz prepped at Notre Dame Preparatory for coach Patricia Hollerbach where she was a four-year letter winner for the Saints as a multi-position player. The 5-foot-10 forward averaged 18.5 points, 8.5 rebounds, 2.2 steals and 3.1 assists her junior year. Pautz was a two-time regional player of the year and All-Conference selection, as well as the offensive player of the year her sophomore year. Pautz assisted the Saints in winning two regional championships where she also joined the 1,000 point club.

Coach Ressel on Ava, "Ava is an extremely versatile player. Offensively she is very good at getting to the basket or finishing with a mid range jump shot. Ava has the ability to guard multiple positions on the floor."

Ava is the daughter of DelRae Urban and Bart Pautz and intends to major in Broadcast Journalism at Southern.

Delaney Roller
Fayetteville, Ark.

Roller prepped at Har-Ber High School for coach Kimberly Jenkins where she was a two-year letter winner for the Wildcats as a shooting guard. The 5-foot-9 guard totaled 657 points, 182 rebounds, 105 assists, 52 steals and 13 blocks in two years of action. Roller was a two-time All-Conference selection, where she assisted the Wildcats to two-straight conference championships as the varsity captain.

Coach Ressel on Delaney, "Delaney is a big time shooter that competes on both ends of the floor. She is a big time competitor with a great work ethic that continues to work and improve her game every day."

Delaney is the daughter of Kristin and Josh Roller and intends to major in Business at Southern.

Makenna Yokley
Collinsville, Okla.

Yokley prepped at Owasso High School where she was coached by Kendall Woodward. As a Ram, the 6-foot-1 forward averaged 14.6 points, 6.5 rebounds and 3 assists in her junior year. Yokley was named an All-Conference selection her sophomore and junior year. Yokley was awarded the Joe Lawson All-Tournament team her sophomore year, and selected to the Tulsa World All-World team, Tulsa World Miss Inside, Skiatook Invitational Tournament MVP and Bishop Kelley All-Tournament team as a junior. Academically, Yokley was selected to the Academic All-Conference her junior year. Yokley is four-time letter winner in basketball, at power forward, and track, at the 400 meter.

Coach Ressel on Makenna, "Makenna is a physical kid that can score around the basket in a variety of ways. She can step out and shoot the 3 or put the ball on the floor and get to the basket. She will be a tough matchup for our opponents."

Makenna is the daughter of Laura and Brad Yokley and intends to major in Kinesiology at Southern.

"I am extremely excited to welcome these 4 young ladies to the Lion Family. They are exactly the type of young ladies that we want to represent our program and our university. They all do a great job in the classroom and on the basketball floor," stated Coach Ressel.

The Missouri Southern women's basketball season is presented by People's Bank of Seneca, a proud supporter of Lion Athletics.

Ten MSSU football players earn All-MIAA honors

(From Missouri Southern Athletics)

Kansas City, Mo. - The MIAA announced the 2023 football postseason awards Tuesday morning, following the completion of the regular season last weekend. Missouri Southern had 10 players earn All-MIAA honors.

Leading the way for the Lions was Deontay Campbell, earning second-team honors at tight end. His six receiving touchdowns puts him seventh in the MIAA standings, which includes wide receivers as well. Additionally, Campbell ranks 15th in the MIAA in receiving yards with 498, and 16th in receiving yards per game at 45.3.

Campbell started in all 11 games for the Lions, recording 90+ receiving yards in two games, 50+ receiving yards in four games, and had 25+ receiving yards in all but one contest. His multi-touchdown game came against #3 Pittsburg State, one of those being a one-handed snag, something he did throughout the season. In MSSU history, Campbell's six touchdowns ties him for 10th all-time in a single-season.

Kenneth Fehrman (offensive line), Drake Reese (kicker), Jaedon Stoshak (wide receiver), and Colton Winder (linebacker) were all selected to the third-team.

Fehrman was a leader of the MSSU offense that ranked fourth in the MIAA and 24th nationally in third down conversion percentage (45.2%). The passing offense was also one of the top in the conference, as they led the MIAA and ranked sixth in the nation with only eight sacks allowed all year. Along the same lines, opponents only had 20 tackles for loss all year, the best in the MIAA and second best in the nation.

Reese had the longest field goal in the MIAA this year, nailing a 49-yard field goal at Washburn. The next game Reese made a 48-yard field goal, also the second longest field goal in the conference. His 49 kicking points this year ties him for fourth most in a single-season in MSSU history.

Stoshak led the Lions in most of the receiving categories, ranking seventh in the MIAA in both receiving yards (688) and receiving yards per game (62.5). He was Sampson's favorite target, hauling in a team-high 41 catches. Stoshak crosses the century mark twice, saving his best performance for last with a 7 reception, 112 yard, 1 touchdown game against Missouri Western. All game long, Stoshak made crucial catches that led to the comeback, upset victory.







Winder was the team's leading tackler with 71 total tackles, although he played in just eight contests. That averages out to 8.9 per contest, which led the MIAA. His 344 career total tackles ranks eighth in MSSU history. In three of his eight contests, Winder recorded double-digit tackles, finishing with 15 against #5 Northwest Missouri, 14 against Washburn, and 17 against #3 Pittsburg State.

Southern had six individuals earn honorable mention honors: Ife Current (defensive back), Ian McSwain (defensive back), Luke Sampson (quarterback), Joaquin Tapusoa (offensive line), and Dylan Wright (defensive line).

Current was part of the Southern secondary that was third in the MIAA in passing yards allowed. On the year, Current finished with 51 total tackles, 37 solo, 2.5 for loss, 1 interception, and 5 pass break ups.

McSwain was just named MIAA Co-Defensive Player of the Week for his momentum shifting pick-six against Missouri Western. His interception returned for a touchdown helped the defense as a whole lead the conference defensive touchdowns, also fifth in the country. He had three interceptions on the year, fifth most in the conference, returning those interceptions for 81 yards (fourth in the MIAA).

Sampson ended the year with a career game against Missouri Western, throwing for 374 yards and 4 touchdowns. In total, Sampson threw 25 touchdowns, tying him for most in a single-season in Southern history. He was efficient with the ball, ranking third in the MIAA and 21st in the NCAA at 155.9, and led the conference with an average of 20 yards per completion. Only seven interceptions were thrown by Sampson, and he only had one multi-interception game. On the flip side, he threw multiple touchdowns in nine of the eleven contests.

Tapusoa was another member of the stagnant offensive line that gave up just eight sacks and 20 tackles for loss this year, both leading the MIAA.

Wright was an anchor on the defensive side of the ball, plugging running holes and applying pass pressure. One of his biggest plays of the year came against #3 Pittsburg State, as he returned a fumble recovery 26 yards for a defensive touchdown. That defensive touchdown was one of MSSU's five on the year, ranking first in the MIAA and fifth in the NCAA.

The complete All-MIAA team is listed below.

2023 MIAA POSTSEASON AWARDS
Offensive Player of the Year - Zach Zebrowski, Quarterback - Central Missouri
Defensive Player of the Year - Dakari Streeter, Defensive Lineman - Missouri Western
Special Teams Player of the Year - Ross Brungardt, Punter/Kicker - Emporia State
Freshman of the Year - Seth Cromwell, Running Back - Missouri Western
Coach of the Year - Josh Lamberson - Central Missouri

FIRST TEAM
Quarterback - Braden Gleason - Emporia State*
Quarterback - Zach Zebrowski - Central Missouri*
Running Back - Jay Harris - Northwest Missouri
Wide Receiver - Tyler Kahmann - Emporia State
Wide Receiver - Arkell Smith - Central Missouri*
Wide Receiver - Jaylen Varner - Emporia State
Tight End/Fullback - Devon Garrison - Pittsburg State
All-Purpose Back - Marcellous Hawkins - Central Missouri
Offensive Line - Gabe Clark - Central Missouri*
Offensive Line - Sherman Deaton - Emporia State
Offensive Line - Layne Grantham - Central Oklahoma
Offensive Line - Trase Jeffries - Pittsburg State*
Offensive Line - Keith Russell - Missouri Western*
Kicker - Cody Watson - Missouri Western

Defensive Line - Jake Fisher - Northwest Missouri
Defensive Line - Dubem Okonkwo - Pittsburg State
Defensive Line - David Olajiga - Central Missouri
Defensive Line - Dakari Streeter - Missouri Western*
Defensive Line - Jordan Williams - Emporia State
Linebacker - Jack Barkley - Pittsburg State
Linebacker - Alex Gaskill - Pittsburg State
Linebacker - John Johnson - Fort Hays State
Defensive Back - Michael Lacey - Pittsburg State*
Defensive Back - Wyryor Noil - Central Missouri
Defensive Back - Rico Payton - Pittsburg State
Defensive Back - Cahleel Smith - Northwest Missouri
Punter - Ross Brungardt - Emporia State*
*Indicates unanimous selection

SECOND TEAM
Quarterback - Chad Dodson, Jr. - Pittsburg State
Running Back - Marcellous Hawkins - Central Missouri
Wide Receiver - Demarcus Gregory - Central Missouri
Wide Receiver - Kashan Griffin - Northwest Missouri
Wide Receiver - Jack Pospisil - Central Missouri
Wide Receiver - Trevor Watts - Fort Hays State
Tight End/Fullback - Deontay Campbell - Missouri Southern
All-Purpose Back - Billy Ross, Jr. - Emporia State
Offensive Line - Evan Clark - Missouri Western
Offensive Line - Andrew Funk - Washburn
Offensive Line - Zane Madison - Pittsburg State
Offensive Line - Derec Weyer - Northwest Missouri
Offensive Line - Liam Wortmann - Central Missouri
Kicker - Austin Schmidt - Pittsburg State
Kick/Punter Returner - DJ Bell - Washburn

Defensive Line - Kobe Clayborne - Northwest Missouri
Defensive Line - Weston King - Central Missouri
Defensive Line - Myles Menges - Fort Hays State
Defensive Line - CJ Ravenell - Missouri Western
Defensive Line - Tell Spies - Nebraska Kearney
Linebacker - Cale Miller - Central Missouri
Linebacker - Anthony Villanueva - Missouri Western
Linebacker - Isaac Vollstedt - Northwest Missouri
Defensive Back - Curtis Appleton - Central Missouri
Defensive Back - Jaylen Fuksa - Pittsburg State
Defensive Back - Trae Holmes - Missouri Western
Defensive Back - Jaaron Joseph - Emporia State
Defensive Back - Mason Perez - Fort Hays State
Defensive Back - Kobe Rome - Fort Hays State
Defensive Back - Montrell Wilson - Emporia State
Punter - Grayson Miller - Central Oklahoma
- Reflects ties in voting

THIRD TEAM
Quarterback - Jack Dawson - Fort Hays State
Quarterback - Mike Hohensee - Northwest Missouri
Running Back - Seth Cromwell - Missouri Western
Wide Receiver - Jonas Bennett - Missouri Western
Wide Receiver - Kolbe Katsis - Pittsburg State
Wide Receiver - Jaedon Stoshak - Missouri Southern
Tight End/Fullback - Oscar Hammond - Central Oklahoma
All-Purpose Back - Brandon Hall - Missouri Western
Offensive Line - Kenny Fehrman - Missouri Southern
Offensive Line - Carlos Guzman - Emporia State
Offensive Line - Hunter Hays - Nebraska Kearney
Offensive Line - Brenden McClure - Missouri Western
Offensive Line - Josh Shaw - Fort Hays State
Kicker - Drake Reese - Missouri Southern
Kick/Punter Returner - Kolbe Katsis - Pittsburg State

Defensive Line - Ryland Miller - Emporia State
Defensive Line - Cole Sample - Pittsburg State
Defensive Line - Parrish Terry - Fort Hays State
Defensive Line - Jason Wallace - Fort Hays State
Defensive Line - Noah West - Central Oklahoma
Linebacker - Chance Rodriguez - Emporia State
Linebacker - Makel Williams - Fort Hays State
Linebacker - Colton Winder - Missouri Southern
Defensive Back - Charles Gadie - Northwest Missouri
Defensive Back - Jordan Rogers - Pittsburg State
Defensive Back - Armani Webster - Nebraska Kearney
Defensive Back - Tay Williams - Missouri Western
Punter - Evan Williams - Missouri Western

HONORABLE MENTION
Central Missouri: Price Morgan - WR; Reed Kaburick - OL; Josh Bean - DL; Noah Blair - DB
Central Oklahoma: Terrill Davis - WR; Andrew Carney - APB; Montriel Lee - OL; Connor Johnson - LB
Emporia State: Tommy Zimmerman - TE/FB; Dante Smith-Posey - OL; Trevion Mitchell - OL; Maquay Shaw - DL; Rafe Goucher - DL
Fort Hays State: Jayden Horace - WR; Cale Cormaney - TE/FB; Dawson Reynolds - OL; Kofi KariKari - OL; Carson Arndt - K; Trevion Mitchell - DB; Sam Brandt - DB
Missouri Southern: Luke Sampson - QB; Joaquin Tapusoa - OL; Dylan Wright - DL; Ife Current - DB; Ian McSwain - DB
Missouri Western: Armani Edden - QB; Will Schwartrz - TE/FB; James Lucio - OL; Jalen Lampley - K/P Ret.; Brandon Johnson - DL; Kienen Gaskin - LB; Brayden Wright - DB
Nebraska Kearney: TJ Davis - QB; Quillan Felton - DL; Zach Schlager - LB; Tre O'Guinn - DB
Northeastern State: Makarios Brown - LB; Tyler Crawford - P
Northwest Missouri: Tank Young - APB; Wes Merriman - OL; Jake Winslow - OL; Noah Guastella - K; Clayton Power - DL; Bryce Krone - LB; Andrew Dumas - LB
Pittsburg State: Antwan Squire - RB; Noah Hernandez - APB; Drew Daniels - OL; Ryan Medeiros - K/P Ret; Luke Jennings - LB
Washburn: DJ Bell - WR; Chase McCoy - DL; Patrick Altenor - DL

Missouri Southern men defeat Central Christian 92-56 in home opener

(From Missouri Southern Athletics)

The Missouri Southern men's basketball team played in their home opener Monday evening, hosting the Central Christian College Tigers from McPherson, Kansas. Fifteen Lions appeared in the contest, as MSSU came out with the dominating win, 92-56. With the win, Southern improves to 2-1 to start the season.

Off to a quick start, the Lions took an early 6-0 lead on a pair of Vinson Sigmon Jr. free throws, a dunk by Darius Dawson, and a layup from Sam Thompson. Later in the first, the Lions had a stretch of four made three pointers, the first coming from Sigmon Jr., followed by Lawson Jenkins, then Winston Dessesow, and again from Jenkins. Dessesow's three put him over 1,000 career points scored, and that stretch pushed MSSU's lead to 11.

Central Christian cut that lead back to five with 7:18 left in the half, but Missouri Southern went on a 15-0 for the remainder of that time. Momentum was gained by the Lions as Cam Williams stole the ball and threw it down for a dunk on the other end. Dawson, Sigmon Jr., and Dessesow got in on that scoring run, as Dessesow nailed a three as time expired to give MSSU a 43-23 lead heading into halftime.

The visitors finally broke Southern's run on their first possession of the second period, but Vinson Sigmon Jr. answered back with a three. Following a few more baskets by the Lions, Sigmon Jr. hit another three to push the lead to 30.

As the clock ticked under the nine minute mark, Prince Agbaeze blocked a Tiger jumper, and Martin Macenis took the rebound to the other end for a layup to extend the lead to 40. Just as CCC chipped away at the deficit, Justin Duff drained a three and Agbaeze threw down a dunk to keep it at 40. After a couple of Dylan Owens free throws and another three by Duff, Harrison Lewis made a layup at the 4:03 mark to give the Lions their biggest lead of the night at 43. The final few minutes consisted of quick back and forth action, ending in a 92-56 Southern victory.

The team shot 54.1% from the field and 48.0% from beyond the arc. Leading the team in scoring was Vinson Sigmon Jr., finishing with 16 points. He also had 6 rebounds and a pair of steals. Winston Dessesow hit a career milestone, scoring his 1,000th point on his first basket of the game. In total, he had 15 points on 6-9 shooting from the field. Also in double digits was Justin Duff (11 points), Lawson Jenkins (11 points), and Sam Thompson (10 points). Martin Macenis led the Lions with 9 rebounds and 4 assists, and also went 4-5 from the field in just 14 minutes. Avery Taggart also had 4 assists.

Off for a little over the week, the team will be back in action on Tuesday, November 21. They'll travel east on highway 44 to play in the Double Tree Thanksgiving Classic hosted by Drury in Springfield. Tuesday's game will be against Illinois Springfield at 3:15 PM, followed by a 7:45 PM tipoff against Drury on Wednesday.

Sallie Beard Named NCAA Division II Gold Award Finalist

(From Missouri Southern Athletics)

The NCAA has announced the finalists for the Division II Gold Award, one of those being Missouri Southern's own Sallie Beard. In total, the pool of finalists was narrowed down from 231 to 45, selected by the Division II conferences. Along with Sallie Beard, Jerry Hughes of Central Missouri was chosen to represent the MIAA.

The NCAA Division II Gold Award recognizes one male and one female who have made a lasting and positive impact in Division II. This award is part of the yearlong celebration of the division's 50th anniversary that launched in August and will last through June.

Sallie Beard served as both coach and athletics director at Missouri Southern State for 37 years. She created women's athletics there when she started and coached the first women's basketball, softball and tennis teams in 1974. 

Two years later, she added the women's track and field program. Beard served as the women's athletics director for 25 years before being named the AD for both the men's and women's programs in 2001, making her the first woman in the MIAA to serve in that capacity. 

Under her direction, Missouri Southern State athletes consistently ranked among the academic leaders in the MIAA. Nationally, Beard served on numerous NCAA Division II committees, including the Management Council, as well as on the Association-wide Committee on Women's Athletics. 

From 1999 to 2001, she served as MIAA president, the first athletics director to be chosen for that position. Beard was inducted into the MIAA Hall of Fame in 2010 (inaugural class) and the Missouri Sports Hall of Fame in 2017. In 2014, she received the Nike Lifetime Achievement Award from Women Leaders in Sports.

Of these 45 finalists, two overall winners will be selected by the NCAA Division II Management Council Identity Subcommittee, and they will be recognized at the 2024 NCAA Convention in Phoenix.

MSSU men's basketball home opener Monday against Central Christian College

(From MSSU Athletics)

The Missouri Southern men's basketball team returns from their season opening tournament in Kansas City this past weekend to host their home opener Monday evening. With a 7:00 PM tipoff, the Lions will play host to the Central Christian College Tigers.

Game Information

Teams: Missouri Southern (1-1) vs Central Christian College (2-3)
Date: November 13
Tip-Off: 7:00 PM
Location: Joplin, Mo.
Site: Leggett and Platt Athletic Center
Series Record: MSSU leads 1-0 | 89-44 final score on 11/26/22

Coaches
MSSU: Sam McMahon | 2nd season at MSSU | 18-14 record
CCC: Tony Romero | 15th season at CCC | 230-201 record

Media Coverage
MSSU Radio: Mike McClure - Play by play - SOMO Sports Radio - 101.3 FM / 1560 AM
Live Audio/Video/Stats - https://www.mssulions.com/coverage
Lions on Facebook: Facebook.com/mssumbb
Lions on Twitter: @mssumensbball; @mososports
Lions on Instagram: @mssumensbball

Scouting the Lions
Missouri Southern split their opening tournament with Minnesota State Moorhead and Bemidji State, giving them a 1-1 start to the year. On Friday, the Lions fell 99-81 to MSU Moorhead, the 2022-23 NSIC tournament champions. The next afternoon, MSSU bounced back with a 69-61 victory over Bemidji State.

Darius Dawson recorded the team's first double-double of the year against Bemidji State, recording 16 points and 10 rebounds. Heading into Monday's contest, Winston Dessesow is one point shy of 1,000 in his career. He also jumped to 5th in career three point field goals made.

Scoring is currently led by Darius Dawson with 13.5 points per game, with Cam Williams right behind at 13.0 per contest. Dawson also leads the Lions with 9.0 rebounds per game, and blocks with 3 total. Several Lions have two steals this year, Dawson, Dessesow, and Williams, and Vinson Sigmon Jr. has a team-high seven assists on the year.

Scouting the Tigers
The Central Christian College Tigers enter Monday's contest with a 2-3 record in 2023-24. To begin the year, the Tigers faced Southwestern College where they fell to the Builders 80-69 on the road. In their home opener, CCC nearly hit the century mark with a strong 97-73 victory over Kansas Christian College. Their other win this year came the following game against Manhattan Christian College, 81-61. Following that win, the Tigers have lost two straight, the first to McPherson College 65-79, and the second to Manhattan Christian at their place, 78-74.

Leading the Tigers is head coach Tony Romero. A few years ago, Romero hit 200 wins with the program, now holding a 230-201 record at CCC. His roots run deep in McPherson, as Romero started four years for the Tigers from 2000-04.

In their brief season, the Tigers are led in scoring by Chris Whitten, averaging 20.0 points per game. A couple more are averaging double digits in the scoring column, Omari Maulana (14.2) and Jevarrick Butler (12.4). Butler is also averaging 7.2 rebounds per game, just behind Andre Shelby with a team-high 7.6 rebounds per contest. Additionally, Shelby leads the team with 12 steals, 12 assists, and 7 blocks.

MSSU football season ends with 47-41 double overtime win over Missouri Western

(From MSSU Athletics)

The Missouri Southern football team ended their 2023 regular season Saturday afternoon with a contest against #19 Missouri Western. 

Prior to kickoff, 17 Lion seniors were recognized for their contributions to the team. Down 34-26 with 32 seconds left in regulation, the Lions completed the comeback and upset the Griffons in double overtime, 47-41. That marks the team's first double overtime win since 2001.

After winning the toss, the Lions chose to defer to the second half, giving the Griffons the first possession. The Missouri Southern defense held strong, forcing Missouri Western to punt after three unsuccessful attempts at a first down. MWSU took a 7-0 lead with a touchdown on their second drive. Facing a third down on their own 17-yard line, the Griffons turned it over on an interception by Carmelo Hollingsworth, nearly taking it to the house. A few plays later, Luke Sampson found Nick Panella for a 3-yard touchdown to even the score at 7-7.

The visitors had a strong second quarter, extending their lead to 24-7 with 2:54 left before half. Southern used nearly all of that time to put together a scoring drive before the break, as Luke Sampson threw his second touchdown pass of the day, this time to David Bethune for 17 yards. That drive was highlighted by a 23-yard reception by Deontay Campbell. The score read 24-13 in favor of the Griffons at halftime.

Missouri Western scored midway through the third, then the Lions began a strong drive of their own. Ja'Veon Marlow kicked things off with 22 yards on the ground, followed by a pass interference call. Luke Sampson then hit Ezekiel Lang for 15 yards, and Jaedon Stoshak for a 16-yard touchdown, 31-20 Griffons.

A Griffon field goal extended that lead to 34-20 early in the fourth. The visitors began another offensive drive with 8:25 left on the clock, facing a third down and five. Ian McSwain read the quarterback's eyes, jumping the route for a 50-yard pick-six. With a stop on third down, the Lion defense forced the Griffons to punt, giving MSSU the ball on their 19-yard line with 32 seconds left. Luke Sampson connected with Ezekiel Lang for 12 yards to start the drive, then found Akeem Gilmore for 17 yards. Back-to-back completions to Jaedon Stoshak put the Lions on the 16-yard line. As the clock ticked down to three seconds, Luke Sampson found Deontay Campbell in the end zone for a touchdown. For the two-point conversion, Sampson hit Ezekiel Lang to tie the game at 34-34 and force overtime.

The overtime coin toss was won by Missouri Western and they elected to play defense first. On the first play of the extra period, Sampson connected with Campbell again, setting the Lions up with a first and goal on the 2-yard line. Shortly after, Akeem Gilmore pounded it in for a touchdown 41-34 Lions. Western was able to answer, forcing a second overtime.

With the first offensive possession of the second overtime period, Missouri Western was facing a third down from the 11-yard line, when Nick Kruse came down with an interception to give Southern possession. On the first play, Luke Sampson hit Jaedon Stoshak to set MSSU up on the 4-yard line. Anthodius Ashley ended the game with a touchdown run on the next play, 47-41 Lions.

Luke Sampson had another career day, breaking his career high he set last week with 374 passing yards. He also set his career high with four passing touchdowns, tied for fourth most in a single game in MSSU history. Senior Jaedon Stoshak was the leading receiver on the night, hauling in 7 receptions for 112 yards and a touchdown. Deontay Campbell was a major threat as well, catching 6 passes for 94 yards and a touchdown.







The defense was a team effort, led by Evrin Hawkins and Colton Bass each with 9 tackles. Ian McSwain had 8 tackles, and a 50-yard interception return for a touchdown. Carmelo Hollingsworth and Nick Kruse each recorded an interception.

With the win, the Lions finish 5-6 (4-6 MIAA), the most wins in program history since 2013. Additionally, Luke Sampson tied the single-season passing touchdowns record with 25. He also put his name on a few other top-10 single-season categories: pass completions (9th, 174 comp.), passing yardage (5th, 2,514 yards), and passer rating (3rd, 155.9). Each with 6 receiving touchdowns, Jaedon Stoshak and Deontay Campbell tie for 10th in single-season receiving touchdowns. Drake Reese tied for fourth in kick scoring, ending the year with 59 points.

MSSU football falls to Emporia State 63-28

(From Missouri Southern Athletics)

Emporia, Kan. - The Lions were back on the road Saturday afternoon, taking on the Emporia State Hornets on their home turf. Although not currently ranked, the Hornets have been in the top 25 this season, and were picked third in both preseason MIAA polls. ESU went on to win Saturday's contest 63-28, dropping MSSU to 4-6 (3-6 MIAA).

After finding themselves down early, the Lions responded with a 26-yard touchdown pass from Luke Sampson to David Bethune. That play was set up by a 45-yard completion to Daion Gaston on a 3rd and 9 earlier in the drive.

On the opening drive of the second half, Anthodius Ashley made his way into the end zone to make the score 42-14. That drive featured back-to-back 37-yard passes to Jaedon Stoshak and Ezekiel Lang. Later in the third, Stoshak returned a kickoff 46 yards to set MSSU up for an eventual 27-yard touchdown pass from Sampson to David Bethune once again.

Sampson connected with Deontay Campbell for 35 yards early in the fourth, then hit another tight end in Dmitri Lloyd for the touchdown, 56-28 ESU.

Redshirt Sophomore quarterback Luke Sampson had a career high in passing yards (315) and completions (22), while tying his career high touchdown passes (3). His passes were spread to eight different receivers, with Daion Gaston leading the way with 77 yards on 4 receptions. David Bethune made the most of his receptions, scoring on both catches.

Colton Bass led the Southern defense, recording double digits with 10 tackles. A trio of Lions finished with eight tackles, Evrin Hawkins, Carmelo Hollingsworth, and Dillon Ramella.

The Lions will wrap up their 2023 schedule with a home contest next Saturday, November 11 as they play host to the Missouri Western Griffons for Senior Day. Kickoff is scheduled for 2:00 PM at Fred G. Hughes Stadium.