Joplin, Mo. - The Missouri Southern Women's basketball team will start their 2015-16 season on the road as they head to Weatherford, Oklahoma to take part in the MIAA/GAC Challenge hosted by Southwestern Oklahoma State University.

Southern is coming off their first 20 win season since the 1995-96 season when they went 23-6 and finished fifth in the NCAA D-II South Central Regional. The Lions return a second team All-MIAA performer in senior guard/forward Sharese Jones. Jones led the Lions in both scoring (13.7 ppg) and rebounding (7.3 rpg) last season. Joining Jones in returning to the Lions squad are senior guards Kenya Wilson-Brown who will take over the point guard position for coach Ronda Hubbard, Tami Morice, and center Verjell Bowleg. Sophomores Jordan Dinyer (center), Jenson Maydew (forward), Dru Clark (guard), Anna Hignight (guard), and Kayla Kivinski (guard) also return for Southern. Joining Southern this season are JUCO transfer guard Deb Holcomb, senior guard Sayna Azad, sophomore forward Bri Shavers, freshman guard Chelsey Henry and freshman forward Desirea Buerge.

The Lions open with Oklahoma Baptist on Friday at noon before facing host Southwestern Oklahoma State on Saturday evening at 5:30 p.m. Live stats for both days can be found at http://www.sidearmstats.com/swosu/wbball.

Oklahoma Baptist Series Notes
The series is tied at 1-1 with each team winning in their home arena. The Bison won 90-87 in overtime in Shawnee, Okla. on Nov. 26, 1996; while the Lions won 64-61 in Robert Ellis Young Gym on Dec. 2, 1996.
This is the first ever meeting on a neutral site as OBU enters the NCAA D-2 ranks as a member of the Great American Conference. Under head coach Ronda Hubbard the Lions are 1-1 in season openers, losing at Drury 75-54 in 2013 and defeating Oklahoma Panhandle 83-47 at home in 2014. In the 14 years that Coach Hubbard has been on staff at Southern the Lions are 7-7 in season openers, 0-1 in netural site season openers. The lone netural site game as a season opener was in 2002, a 62-56 loss to Central Oklahoma in the Northeastern State Lady Reds Classic.

Southwestern Oklahoma State Series Notes
The Lions lead the series over Southwestern Oklahoma State 3-2. The first meeting between the two schools was in the 1982 NAIA National Championship game in Kansas City, Missouri which the Bulldogs won 80-45. 21 years would pass before Southern and Southwestern Oklahoma would meet again as the Lions won 86-80 in Joplin. Two years later the two teams squared off twice in the 05-06 season as Southwestern Oklahoma State won in Joplin 58-52 before the Lions would get revenenge in the Pittsburg State Pizza Hut/Comfort Inn Classic just eight days later, 69-61. The final meeting betweeen the two schools came in 2013 as Southern started an eight game winning streak by defeating SWOSU 99-83 inside The Leggett & Platt Athletic Center.

The Coaches
MSSU: Ronda Hubbard, 39-15 (3rd Season)
OBU:  Casi Bays, 69-26 (4th Season)
SWOSU:  Kelsi Musick, 90-80 (7th Season)

Projected Starters:
Missouri Southern Possible Starters 
    11    Kenya Wilson-Brown    G    5-5    Sr.    Arlington, Texas    
    14    Tami Morice    G    5-11    Sr.    Naperville, Ill.    
    23    Jordan Dinyer    C    6-1    So.    Hallsville, Mo.
    24    Deb Holcomb    G    5-7    Jr.   Dallas, Texas
    44    Sharese Jones    G    5-8    Sr.    St. Charles, Mo.
        
Oklahoma Baptist Possible Starters
     3    Kiara Moore    G    5-7    Jr.    Little Rock, Ark.
    10    Cameerah Graves    G    5-7    Jr.   Edmond, Okla.
    20    McKenzie Cooper    G    5-9    So.  Shawnee, Okla.
    21    Tasha Edge    F    6-0    So.    Aurora, Colo.
    44    Arielle Cooper    F    5-11    Sr.    Edmond, Okla.

Southwestern Oklahoma Possible Starters
     5    Kylie Franz    F    5-10    R-Jr Piedmont, Okla.
    21    Nina Gregory    F    5-10    Sr.  Clovis, Calif.
    22    Jade Jones    G    5-6    So.   Pond Creek, Okla.
    23    Jennifer Williams    G    5-8    Sr. Clinton, Okla.
    24    Jessica Penner    F    6-0    Sr. Cordell, Okla.