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.