Joplin, Mo. - The Missouri Southern women's basketball team (13-15, 5-13 MIAA) concludes its three-game road trip against Nebraska-Kearney (15-12, 8-10 MIAA) tomorrow afternoon at 2:00 pm. With a win and a Southwest Baptist loss, MSSU will clinch its spot into the MIAA tournament as the tenth seed heading to Kansas City.
 
Game Information
Date: Saturday March 2, 2019
Tip-Off: 2:00 pm
Location: Kearney, Nebr.    
Site: Health and Sports Center
Series Record: MSSU, leads 19-16
 
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://lopers.com/sidearmstats/wbball/summary
 
 
Picking Up the Scent: Five Components on Opponents
Nebraska-Kearney  

• Picked 9th in the MIAA preseason poll
• Return only three players, including All-MIAA recipient in sophomore guard Kelsey Sanger (HM) who is second on the team in points per game (10.7)
• The team scored its first 20-win season since the 2008-09 season and 17th time in program history
• In her first season at the Helm of the Lopers, head coach Carrie Eighmey led them to their first winning season since 2009 and previously cumulated a 96-61 record at NAIA Hastings College while winning 20-plus games in two out of three seasons there
• Is 2-4 in the last six since facing the Lions back on Feb. 7 and is currently in a three-way tie for sixth with Central Oklahoma and Missouri Western

 
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 is now fifth in the MIAA averaging 16.4 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 1,280 points (7th) and now is trailing Melissa Grider (1,353) by 73 points for sixth on the MSSU All-Time scoring list with one game to go in the regular season 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)
43rd in blocks                         (113)