Joplin, Mo. -- The Missouri Southern men's basketball program will play the Number 1 ranked team in the country for just the third time since joining the NCAA ranks as the Lions travel to Northwest
Game Information
Teams: Missouri Southern (10-3, 4-0 MIAA) at No. 1 Northwest Missouri (12-0, 4-0 MIAA)
Date: Thursday, Jan. 5, 2017
Tip-Off: 7:30 pm
Location: Maryville, Mo.
Site: Bearcat Arena (2,500)
Series Record: Northwest leads 30-21
Coaches: Jeff Boschee (48-26 overall/at MSSU). Ben McCollum (153-70 overall/at NWMO)
Media Coverage
MSSU Radio: Mike McClure - Play by play - ESPN Joplin - 101.3, 103.5 FM, AM 1560; KXMS 88.7 FM
Internet Audio: www.mssulions.com
Live Video: www.mssulions.com
Live Stats: www.mssulions.com
Lions on Facebook: Facebook.com/mososports
Lions on Twitter: @mososports; @mssumensbball
The Series
Northwest leads the overall series 30-21, but Southern has won nine of the last 15 games. Missouri Southern is 15-10 at home against Northwest Missouri, while the Lions are 5-17 in Maryville. Northwest has won all but one of the neutral site games. While many of the games have been close, Northwest's biggest victory margin was 27 points, in the 2006 MIAA Tournament. Southern's most-lopsided win was a 93-67 decision on January 29, 2000. Five out of the last nine games have been decided by a basket or less.
NCAA Individual Stat Leaders
CJ Carr is fifth nationally in total steals, while ranking 13th in steals per game. He ranks 14th in both total assists and total field goal attempts, while ranking 16th in total points, 23rd in both assists per game and scoring. He ranks 24th in free throws made and 31st in total field goals made.
NCAA Team Stat Leaders
Southern ranks seventh in turnover margin, while ranking 10th in free throw percentage and 15th in free throws made. The team ranks 18th in turnovers forced, while ranking 24th in scoring, 31st in free throws attempted, 34th in total steals, 42nd in steals per game, 45th in turnovers per game, 48th in total threes made and 54th in three point attempts.
MIAA Individual Leaders
Carr leads the MIAA in assists per game, steals per game, total assists and total steals. He ranks second in total points, total three point attempts and free throws made, while ranking third in scoring and three point field goal attempts.
MIAA Team Stat Leaders
The Lions lead the MIAA scoring, offensive rebounds, turnovers forced and turnover margin. The team ranks second in total steals, steals per game, three pointers per game, total rebounds and free throw attempts.
There's Our Rebounds
For the seventh time this season (sixth in a row), the Lions won the rebound battle as they held a 48-38 advantage against Randall. In the last six games for the Lions, Southern has out rebounded its opponents by a margin of 8.5, including 3.0 on the offensive boards. Those offensive rebounds have led to 15.8 second-chance points per game over the last six for the Lions.
LJ's Night At The Boards
LJ Ross had a career-night against Nebraska-Kearney as the junior from Tulsa had 19 rebounds in the game against the Lopers, besting his previous career-high of 13 set earlier in the year against Minnesota State.
Red-Hot Freshman
Elyjah Clark is second on the team in scoring this year with 13.7 points per game and he ranks 19th in the MIAA in that category. However, he is the top-scoring freshman in the entire MIAA.
Give Me That Ball
The Lions lead the MIAA in turnover margin, while ranking second in turnovers forced and third fewest turnovers themselves. Southern is forcing 18.2 turnovers per game this year, with a turnover margin of 6.2.
Let's Try That Again
The Lions lead the MIAA in offensive rebounds this year, averaging 13.5 offensive boards per game. That equates to 15.8 second-chance points a game.
Three Point Streak
The Lions failed to make a three-pointer at Arkansas Tech in their match-up in 2012-13. It was the first time in 403 games that Southern had failed to hit a three pointer, dating back to Jan. 20, 1999 against Missouri S&T. The Lions have had a three in 125-straight games since Arkansas Tech in 2012-13.
High Scoring Affair
The Lions scored the second-highest points of the season against Randall when they scored 105 points. The 37-point margin of victory is the most since the Lions defeated Avila by 41 points in the 13-14 season (108-67).
Game of Firsts
Against Arkansas Tech, the Lions scored 90 plus points and lost for the first time this year and just the second time under Jeff Boschee. They also allowed 100 plus points at home for the first time since the 2009 season.
New Starting Five
For the first time in program history (since joining the NCAA), the Missouri Southern men's basketball program started five entirely new players to the roster the first two games to the season this year. All five players in the starting lineup did not play last year at MSSU.
Giant Killers
The Missouri Southern men's basketball team has faced off with the Number 1 ranked team in Division II twice in the school's NCAA history. The team has won both games (1998-99 vs. Pittsburg State, and 1999-2000 vs. Florida Southern). The PSU game was the last home game in Young Gym and the FSU game was in the Elite 8.
Keep Em Low
The Lions held Lindenwood to just 55 points which is a season-low for any MSSU opponent. The 55 points are the lowest allowed in a single-game for Southern since 48 in the 2014-15 season against Benedictine and the lowest against an MIAA opponent since 54 against Northeastern State on Jan. of 2015.
4-0 Start To MIAA
MSSU is off to a 4-0 start in league play for the first time since the 2010-11 season when the Lions went 4-0 to start MIAA play.
New School Record
The Lions set a new school record with 42 attempted three pointers against Missouri S&T. The mark surpassed the 34 set last season against Washburn.
Lions On The Radio
The majority of the Lions games this season can be heard on the Missouri Southern Radio Network in Joplin. Partnering with ESPN Joplin, the Lions can be heard on 101.3 FM, 103.5 FM, 88.7 FM and AM 1560.
Lions on TV
All Missouri Southern conference home games will be brought to you live this season courtesy of KGCS TV in Joplin. Fans can catch the action over the air live on Digital Channel 22 as well as on local cable systems.
Up Next
The Lions will be back in action on this Saturday when the Lions travel to Missouri Western. Tip off from St. Joseph is slated for 4 pm.
