Joplin, Mo. - The Missouri Southern women's basketball team (12-11, 4-9 MIAA) hosts the No. 5 Fort Hays State Tigers (20-1, 11-1 MIAA) tomorrow afternoon for a 1:30 pm tilt as part of the official Pink Game.
Game Information
Date: Saturday February 9, 2019
Tip-Off: 1:30 pm
Location: Joplin, Mo.
Site: Leggett and Platt Athletic Center
Series Record: FHSU, leads 30-18
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://mssulions.com/sidearmstats/wbball/summary
Picking Up the Scent: Five Components on Opponents
Fort Hays State
- Picked 2nd with one first-place vote in the MIAA preseason poll
- National Rankings (301 schools - Top-20):
- 1st in turnovers per game (10.7)
- 4th in fewest turnovers and scoring margin (225/24.1)
- 6th in fewest fouls and free throws made (265/365)
- 7th in personal fouls per game (12.6)
- 8th in blocked shots (113)
- 9th in scoring defense (54.3)
- 11th in assist-to-turnover ratio (1.28)
- 16th in scoring offense (78.5)
- Return 11 players, including All-MIAA recipients senior forward Tatyana Legette (2nd), 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 (5) moved up a spot into the top-5 and UCM (21) jumped two spots while Lindenwood continues to receive 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 now second in the MIAA averaging 16.9 points per game while shooting 41.4 percent from the field in dropping a couple spots to fifth in the conference.
Welcome to the Club
Henry soared over the 1,000 career-point barrier against Illinois-Springfield and now stands in 11th on the MSSU All-Time scoring list with 1,203, trailing Erin Rice (1,220) by 17 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 second toughest schedule going forward according to NCAA statistics. The Lions' future opponents currently have a combined record of 112-33, calculating the highest winning percentage of .772. Fellow MIAA members Northeastern State (2) and Pittsburg State (5) also fall into the top-ten as well.
Among the 17% (Top-50 out of 301 teams)
25th in rebounds (925)
32nd in blocks (92)
Up Next
The Lions travel up the road to take on its cross-state rival Pittsburg State on Feb. 16 at 1:30 pm before battling them three days later for home contest on Feb. 19 at 5:30 pm.
