Joplin, Mo. - The Missouri Southern women's basketball (11-8, 3-6 MIAA) team takes on Emporia State (13-5, 4-4 MIAA) tomorrow afternoon at 1:30 pm for the first game of two that the two teams will play this season.
 
Game Information
Date:  Saturday January 26, 2019
Tip-Off: 1:30 pm
Location: Joplin, Mo.  
Site: Leggett and Platt Athletic Center
Series Record: ESU, leads 54-25
 
 
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 
Emporia State

• Picked Third in the MIAA preseason poll
• National Rankings (301 schools - Top-50):
  • 16th in three-point field goals made (154)
  • 19th in blocked shots (82)
  • 21st in three-point field goal defense (.268)
  • 22nd in three-point field goals per game (8.6)
  • 24th in three-point field goal percentage (.368)
  • 25th in block shots per game (4.6)
  • 34th in steals (182)
  • 37th in three-point field goals attempted (418)
  • 39th in personal fouls per game (15.6)
  • 49th in steals per game (10.1)
• Return ten total players, including both All-MIAA recipients in senior forward Tyra Jones (3rd) and junior guard Jessica Wayne (Defensive). Wayne currently ranks sixth in the nation in steals (58) and ninth in steals per game (3.22)
• Head coach Toby Wynn spent 13 seasons at the helm of Seward Community College in Liberal, Kansas where he led the Lady Saints to four Jayhawk Conference regular season championships and two Region VI Tournament titles, checking out with a 349-84 record (four 30-win seasons)
• Are 3-1 against the WBCA Top 25 with wins over Southwestern Oklahoma State (20), Fort Hays State (9), and Pittsburg State (23)

 
 
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 remains second in the MIAA averaging 16.9 points per game while shooting 41.9 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 12th on the MSSU All-Time scoring list with 1,141 after scoring ten points against Washburn on Wednesday night, surpassing Becky Fly (1,140) for 11th and now trailing Erin Rice (1,220) by 79 points for a spot in the top ten. 
 
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 127-49, calculating highest winning percentage of .722. Fellow MIAA members Northeastern State (4) and Pittsburg State (7) also fall into the top-ten as well against a schedule of a .676 and .655 winning percentage respectively.
 
Among the 17% (Top-50 out of 301 teams)
17th in total rebounds                                                              (780)
25th in free throws made                                                         (276)
27th in blocked shots                                                               (77)
33rd in free throw attempts                                                      (392)
50th in rebound margin                                                            (5.5)
 
Up Next
Lions hit the road to face Missouri Western on Jan. 31 at 5:30 pm before stopping in Maryville, Missouri for a 1:30 pm contest against Northwest Missouri on Feb. 2.