Joplin, Mo. - The Missouri Southern women's basketball team (13-14, 5-12 MIAA) hits the road to face off with No. 3 Fort Hays State (25-1, 16-1) tomorrow night at 5:30 pm.
 
Game Information
Date: Thursday February 28, 2019
Tip-Off: 5:30 pm
Location: Hays, Kan.   
Site: Gross Memorial Coliseum
Series Record: FHSU, leads 31-18
 
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://fhsuathletics.com/sidearmstats/wbball/summary
 
Picking Up the Scent: Five Components on Opponents
Fort Hays State

• Picked Second with one first-place vote in the MIAA preseason poll

            (MIAA 2018-19 Regular Season Champs)

• National Rankings (301 schools - Top-20):
  • 1st in turnovers per game (10.6)
  • 2nd in  fewest turnovers (274)
  • 4th in scoring margin (23.3)
  • 8th in assist turnover ratio, blocked shots per game, and turnover margin (1.33/5.2/8.31)
  • 9th in block shots (136)
  • 11th in free throws made (425)
  • 12th in scoring defense (54.7)
  • 15th in scoring (78.1)
  • 22nd in free throw percentage (.759)
  • 28th in rebound margin (7.3)
  • 39th in steals per game (9.9)
  • 40th in steals (257)
• Return 11 players, including All-MIAA recipients senior forward Tatyana Legette (2^nd), senior guard Carly Heim (HM), junior guard Kacey Kennett (HM), and junior forward Lanie Page (HM) with three of them currently averaging double figures in scoring (Legette, Page, & Kennett)
• Only loss this season came back on January 16 in a three-point loss to Emporia State on the road and where the team shot 30-percent from the field while Heim went scoreless in 29 minutes of play
• The Tigers haven't had a losing season since the beginning of the decade (2010-11) and from that point on have registered eight seasons of 20-plus wins, including 30 games in 2014-15

 
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) moves up one while UCM (24) saw no change 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 16.6 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 1,268 points (7th) and now is trailing Melissa Grider (1,353) by 85 points for sixth on the MSSU All-Time scoring list with two games to go 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)
42nd in blocks                         (109)
 
Up Next
The Lions wrap up the 2018-19 regular season on the road versus at Nebraska-Kearney for a 2:00 pm contest on Saturday.