Joplin, Mo. - The Missouri Southern women's basketball team welcomes in the Tabor College (Kan.) Blue Jays of the Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference (KCAC) for the final non-conference matchup of the season to close out 2018.
 
Game Information
Date:  Saturday December 29, 2018
Tip-Off: 1:30 pm
Location: Joplin, Mo.
Site: Leggett and Platt Athletic Center  
Series Record: First Meeting
 
Media Coverage
MSSU Radio: Fox Sports Joplin 101.3, AM 1560; 88.7 FM KXMS
Audio:  http://radio.securenetsystems.net/v5/WMBH
Webcast: http://themiaanetwork.com/mssulions/
Live Stats: https://mssulions.com/sidearmstats/wbball/summary
 
Picking Up the Scent: Five Components on Opponents 
Tabor College

• Picked to win the KCAC at No. 1 in the preseason poll
• NAIA Rankings:
  • 4th in free-throw percentage (.792)
  • 7th in scoring defense per game (54.3)
  • 12th in total rebound defense (33)
  • 20th in turnover margin (3.7)
• Return 10 total players including All-KCAC selections in junior guards Taylor Deniston (2nd), Morgan Ediger (3rd), Tristen Leiszler (HM), and All-Freshman guard Sammy Jo Peterson
• The Blue Jays have won the KCAC tournament title four times along with two conference regular-season championships and won 20 or more games in the last five years after finishing 7-21 in coach Reed's first season at the helm
• Third-straight game on the road against a team from the MIAA when the Blue Jays step on the court to take on the Lions

 
Quick Notes
Stop the Polls 
The Lions were picked to finish 10th in the MIAA after going 11-17 overall and 8-11 in MIAA play during the 2017-18 campaign. Defending NCAA Champions Central Missouri was picked to win the MIAA with 13 first-place votes while Fort Hays received the remaining first place vote and was picked second. Emporia State (3), Washburn (4), and Central Oklahoma (5) rounded out the top-5. FHSU (6), UCM (15), UCO (22), and ESU (23) remain in their same positions coming out of the holiday break in representing the MIAA in the coaches' National poll. 
 
Leader of the Pride 
Guard Chelsey Henry returns as the only senior from last year's squad and will be looked upon to make sure that all nine newcomers understand what it means to compete in what is the MIAA. After sitting out the first three games of the season, the Neosho native has climbed up the conference leader board to fourth in points per game (16.5) and fifth in shooting percentage (.440).
 
Welcome to the Club
Henry soared over the 1,000 career-point barrier after scoring a team-high 22 points against Illinois-Springfield ten days ago. She comes into tomorrow's game against Tabor at 1,002 points and only 20 points behind Sonya Harlin for 13th on the All-Time list. 
 
It's not how high, but how you position yourself to possess the basketball 
The Lions have quietly outrebounded every single opponent but one through 11 games. Southern ranks in the NCAA Division II top-20 in three categories. They rank eighth in rebound margin (12.2), 16th for rebounds per game (45.3), and 19th in total rebounds (498). A front court presence of 5'10 Chasidee Owens (85), 6'2 Jordan Schoenberger (73), and 6'3 Zoe Campbell (62) have thought for 220 of the team's 498 rebounds with six double-digit stretches between the trio. 
 
How many Transfers are we going to take before passing? FOUR!!! 
With eight players departing, the coaching staff mapped out the entire college basketball landscape in order to find four transfers and they did in the shape of 6'1 forward Laure Assena (Lipscomb University), 5'10 guard Chasidee Owens (Ouachita Baptist), 5'8 guard Destiny Cozart (John A. Logan), and 6'2 center Jordan Schoenberger (Independence CC).

 Up Next
The Lions open 2019 on the road for a pair of MIAA contests versus Lindenwood (1/3) next Thursday at 5:30 pm and Lincoln (1/5) at 1:00 pm on Saturday.