Joplin, Mo. - The Missouri Southern women's basketball team (13-13, 5-11 MIAA) closes out the regular season on a three-game road trip that begins tomorrow at 5:00 pm against the Emporia State Lady Hornets (20-6, 11-5 MIAA). 
 
Game Information
Date: Saturday February 23, 2019
Tip-Off: 5:00 pm
Location: Emporia, Kan.  
Site: White Auditorium
Series Record: ESU, leads 55-25
 
Media Coverage
MSSU Radio:  Fox Sports Joplin 101.3 FM, 107.9 FM, AM 1560, 1340 AM; 88.7 FM KXMS
Audio:  http://radio.securenetsystems.net/v5/WMBH
Webcast: http://themiaanetwork.com/mssulions/
Live Stats: https://esuhornets.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):
  • 12th in blocked shots (122)
  • 15th in block shots per game (4.9)
  • 18th in steals (265)
  • 20th in three-point field goals per game (8.5)
  • 21st in three-point field goals made (213)
  • 23rd in steals per game (10.6)
  • 33rd in three-point field goal percentage (.357)
  • 34th in three-point field goals attempted (597)
  • 42nd in personal fouls per game (15.6)
  • 45th in scoring margin (11.3)
  • 47th in scoring offense (73.6)
• 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 4-1 against the WBCA Top 25 with wins over Southwestern Oklahoma State (20), Fort Hays State (9), Pittsburg State (23), and Central Missouri (24)

 
 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) and UCM (24) saw no change while Lindenwood receives 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 fourth in the MIAA averaging 16.5 points per game.
 
Welcome to the Club
Henry soared over the 1,000 career-point barrier against Illinois-Springfield and has pushed her way safely into the top-10 with 1,249 points (8th) on the MSSU All-Time scoring list while being seven points from Patti (Killian) Coleman (1,256) for seventh with three games in the regular season to go before postseason play.
 
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).
 
Among the 17% (Top-50 out of 301 teams)
35th in blocks                          (106)
49th in block shots per game (4.1)
50th in rebounds                     (1,033)
 
Up Next
The Lions travel for a MIAA tilt with nationally ranked Fort Hayes State on Thursday, Feb. 28 at 5:30 pm before playing the final game of the regular season at Nebraska-Kearney on Saturday. Mar. 2 at 2:00 pm.