Lions men's basketball ranks 17th nationally in Division II attendance
Joplin, Mo. -- The Missouri Southern men's basketball team saw an average of more than 1,900 fans pack the Leggett & Platt Athletic Center this season and for the second-straight season rank in the top 20 of all of Division II in attendance.
The Lions averaged 1,923 fans per game this season and ranked 17th nationally in Division II. Southern moves up a spot from a season ago, when the Lions ranked 18th nationally, averaging 1,801 fans per game.
Southern was one of six MIAA teams in the top 25 nationlly. Fort Hays and Washburn ranked seventh and eighth, respectively, while Central Missouri was 14th, Southern was 17th, Emporia State was 20th and Missouri Western was 24th.
The MIAA led all of Division II in attendance for the third-straight year. As a conference the MIAA drew 243,582 fans to 149 games to lead all Division II conferences in average attendance at 1,635 fans per game. The MIAA's total attendance was better than seven NCAA Division I conferences while the average attendance bested four D-I leagues.
The Lions finished the season 22-8 and qualified for their second-straight NCAA Division II South Central Regional.
NCAA Division II Men's Basketball Attendance
| Rank | G/S | Total | Avg. |
| 1. Northern St. | 15 | 50,726 | 3,382 |
| 2. Midwestern St. | 17 | 52,604 | 3,094 |
| 3. Dixie St. | 12 | 33,089 | 2,757 |
| 4. Augustana (SD) | 12 | 32,538 | 2,712 |
| 5. Ky. Wesleyan | 18 | 47,145 | 2,619 |
| 6. Winona St. | 15 | 36,475 | 2,432 |
| 7. Fort Hays St. | 15 | 35,556 | 2,370 |
| 8. Washburn | 13 | 30,722 | 2,363 |
| 9. Grand Canyon | 16 | 36,442 | 2,278 |
| 10. West Ga. | 13 | 28,920 | 2,225 |
| 11. Virginia St. | 10 | 22,092 | 2,209 |
| 12. Bellarmine | 15 | 32,514 | 2,168 |
| 13. Tarleton St. | 19 | 39,483 | 2,078 |
| 14. Central Mo. | 15 | 30,677 | 2,045 |
| 15. Fayetteville St. | 11 | 22,317 | 2,029 |
| 16. Benedict | 13 | 25,494 | 1,961 |
| 17. Mo. Southern St. | 12 | 23,077 | 1,923 |
| 18. N.M. Highlands | 12 | 22,953 | 1,913 |
| 19. Winston-Salem | 13 | 24,594 | 1,892 |
| 20. Emporia State | 13 | 24,203 | 1,862 |
| 21. Ala.-Huntsville | 14 | 25,213 | 1,801 |
| 22. Northern Ky. | 16 | 28,743 | 1,796 |
| 23. Southwest Minn. St. | 12 | 21,133 | 1,761 |
| 24. Mo. Western St. | 14 | 24,644 | 1,760 |
| 25. St. Cloud St. | 16 | 27,972 | 1,748 |
MIAA Teams in Bold
Conferences
| Rank | Teams | G/S | Total | Avg. |
| 1. MIAA | 11 | 149 | 243,582 | 1,635 |
| 2. NSIC | 14 | 190 | 269,266 | 1,417 |
| 3. CIAA | 12 | 139 | 168,098 | 1,209 |
| 4. Gulf South | 8 | 106 | 120,872 | 1,140 |
| 5. Lone Star | 10 | 136 | 154,811 | 1,138 |
| 6. GLVC | 15 | 218 | 236,175 | 1,083 |
| 7. PacWest | 8 | 105 | 95,470 | 909 |
| 8. SIAC | 13 | 166 | 150,865 | 909 |
| 9. RMAC | 14 | 194 | 160,468 | 827 |
| 10. Peach Belt | 13 | 187 | 143,463 | 767 |
