Joplin, Mo. - The Missouri Southern women's basketball team welcomes the Southwest Baptist Bearcats into Joplin tomorrow for a 1:30 pm MIAA contest for the final time as the Bearcats transition into the GLVC for all sports next season.
 
Game Information
Date:  Saturday January 12, 2019
Tip-Off: 1:30 pm
Location: Joplin, Mo.  
Site: Leggett and Platt Athletic Center
Series Record: MSSU, leads 43-24
 
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 
Southwest Baptist

• Picked to finish 11th in MIAA preseason poll
• National Rankings (301schools):
  • 35th in scoring offense (76.4)
  • 41st in field goal percentage (44.0)
• Return ten players from last year's squad, including All-MIAA recipient senior forward Caylee Richardson (3rd) who averaged 16.3 points and 8.7 rebounds last year for the Bearcats
• Has won the last three meetings against the Lions (two at home)
• Still searching for its first win of 2019 with the last victory coming on December 29 at home against Missouri Baptist

 
 
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 (4) has moved up a spot while UCM (19) dropped four spots after losing to FHSU by ten at home. ESU, Pittsburg State, and Lindenwood all received votes to round out the MIAA representation surrounding the National Coaches' 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 remains second in points per game (18.6) while climbing up two spots to third in shooting percentage (.440).
 
Welcome to the Club
Henry soared over the 1,000 career-point barrier against Illinois-Springfield and now stands in 13th on the MSSU All-Time scoring list with 1,093 after posting a career-high 35 points to lead the Lions over Lincoln in overtime last weekend. She is now 20 points away from catching up to Caryn Shumaker (1,113) and then 47 off Becky Fly (1,140).
 
It's not how high, but how you position yourself to possess the basketball 
The Lions have quietly outrebounded every single opponent but four through 15 games. Southern ranks in the NCAA Division II top-20 in one category. They rank 13th in total rebounds (637) as a front court presence of 5'10 Chasidee Owens (103), 6'2 Jordan Schoenberger (90), and 6'3 Zoe Campbell (84) have thought for 277 of the team's 611 rebounds with seven 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).
 
To be the BEST, you have to BEAT the BEST!
As the Lions enter the second half of the 2018-19 season, they will have to prepare for the second toughest schedule going forward according to NCAA statistics. The Lions' future opponents currently have a combined record of 133-64, calculating to the second highest winning percentage of .675. Fellow MIAA member Northeastern State is only team that has a tougher schedule where opponents have a winning percentage of .732. Six other MIAA programs around out the top-ten, including Pittsburg State (3), Central Oklahoma (4), Nebraska-Kearney (5), Northwest Missouri State (6), Missouri Western (7), and Fort Hays State (10).
 
Up Next
The Lions travel to the state of Oklahoma for a two-game stretch versus Northeastern State (1/17) at 5:30 pm and Central Oklahoma (1/19) at 1:30 pm to conclude both season series.