Joplin, Mo. - The Missouri Southern women's basketball team (11-7, 3-5 MIAA) welcomes in Washburn (11-5, 6-1 MIAA) for the first time this season at 5:30 pm tomorrow night.
Game Information
Date: Wednesday January 23, 2019
Tip-Off: 5:30 pm
Location: Joplin, Mo.
Site: Leggett and Platt Athletic Center
Series Record: WU, leads 47-28
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
Washburn
- Picked Fourth in the MIAA preseason poll
- National Rankings (301 schools - Top-50):
- 32nd in field-goal percentage defense (35.8)
- 34th in scoring defense (57.9)
- Return ten total players, including one of two All-MIAA recipients in junior guard Reagan Phelan, who is currently 38th in assists per game (4.6) on the national level
- Head coach Ron McHenry has registered 17-straight winning seasons:
- 1: National Championship in 2004-05 (35-2 record)
- 2: Elite eight and regional final appearances
- 3: 30-plus win seasons
- 8: MIAA Tournament championships
- 13: 20-plus win seasons
- Have won nine of their last ten with the only loss coming last Saturday against nationally ranked Fort Hays State
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 (8) dropped five spots after losing its first game on the road against ESU by three points. Pittsburg State (23) enters the rankings for the first time this season while UCM (25) climbed back in and Lindenwood is receiving 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 is currently second in the MIAA averaging 17.4 points per game while shooting 42.2 percent from the field for third in the conference.
Welcome to the Club
Henry soared over the 1,000 career-point barrier against Illinois-Springfield and now stands in 12th on the MSSU All-Time scoring list with 1,131 after scoring seven points against Central Oklahoma. She is now nine away from tying Becky Fly (1,140) for 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 toughest schedule going forward according to NCAA statistics. The Lions' future opponents currently have a combined record of 136-52, calculating highest winning percentage of .723. Fellow MIAA members Northeastern State (5) and Pittsburg State (6) also fall into the top-ten as well against a schedule of a .670 and .667 winning percentage respectively.
Among the 17% (Top-50 out of 301 teams)
14th in total rebounds (753)
22nd in free throws made (264)
28th in blocked shots (73)
35th in rebound margin (6.5)
46th total rebounds per game (41.83)
47th in defensive rebounds per game (29)
Up Next
The Lions remain at home to face Emporia State this Saturday for a 1:30 pm tip.
