Joplin, Mo. - The Missouri Southern women's basketball team hits the road for its second meeting against the Northeastern State RiverHawks tomorrow at 5:30 pm.
 
Game Information
Date:  Thursday January 17, 2019
Tip-Off: 5:30 pm
Location: Tahlequah, Okla.  
Site: NSU Event Center
Series Record: NSU, leads 16-15
 
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://goriverhawksgo.com/sidearmstats/wbball/summary
 
Picking Up the Scent: Five Components on Opponents 
Northeastern State

• Picked 12th in the MIAA preseason poll
• National Rankings (301 schools):
  • 11th in free-throw percentage (78.1)
  • Bailee Eldred is first (93.2) and Cenia Hayes (92.0) is sixth in free-throw percentage
  • Joi Bertrand is 15th in blocked shots (38) and 19th in blocks per game (2.53)
• Return six total players, including All-MIAA honorable mention recipient senior forward Cailyn Long who part of the 1,000-point club at NSU while ranking sixth in the MIAA in three-point field goals per game (2.1)
• Head coach Fala Bullock has recorded three winning seasons in her coaching career with two 20 plus-win seasons at Armstrong State (21-8) and Central Georgia (25-6) and looking to duplicate those at NSU
• Fell to the Lions earlier in the season by nine on the road while Hayes scored a team-high 18 points and Long added 15

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 (3) moved up another spot while Lindenwood (24) cracked the top-25 for the first time this year with an 11-1 record. UCM dropped out, but is second in votes as Pittsburg State is the leading vote getter not ranked 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 is currently the top scorer in the MIAA, averaging 18.5 points per game while shooting 43.5 percent from the field for fourth in the conference.
 
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 1,111 after posting a career-high 35 points to lead the Lions over Lincoln in overtime a couple weeks ago, followed by a pair of performances of scoring over 18 points against UCM and Southwest Baptist. She is now two points away from passing Caryn Shumaker (1,113) in 12th and then 29 off Becky Fly (1,140) in 11th.
 
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 third toughest schedule going forward according to NCAA statistics. The Lions' future opponents currently have a combined record of 137-66, calculating to the third highest winning percentage of .675. Fellow MIAA members Lincoln (1) and Northeastern State (2) are the only teams with a
tougher schedule where opponents have a winning percentage of .722 and .699 respectively. Three other MIAA programs are in the top-ten, including Nebraska-Kearney (6), Pittsburg State (8), and Fort Hays State (9).

Among the 17% (Top-50 out of 301 teams)
17th in total rebounds                                                              (676)
28th in free throws made                                                         (232)
29th in rebound margin                                                           (7.5)
30th in total blocked shots                                                       (64)
40th in free throw attempts and rebounds per game                (42.25)
42nd in defensive rebounds per game                                     (29)
47th in blocked shots per game                                               (4.0)
 
Up Next
The Lions continue their trip through Oklahoma as they make a stop in Edmond to face Central Oklahoma this Saturday at 1:30 pm.