Joplin, Mo. – The Missouri Southern women's basketball team will take to the road to win their second straight game on Thursday night when they travel to Jefferson City, Mo. to take on the Lincoln Blue Tigers.
Game Information
Date: January 16, 2020
Tip-Off: 5:30 PM
Location: Jefferson City, Mo.
Site: Jason Gym (1,538)
Series: Lions lead 34-5
Media Coverage
MSSU Radio: Fox Sports Joplin 101.3, 107.9 and AM 1560; 88.7 FM KXMS
Audio: https://radio.securenetsystems.net/v5/index.cfm?stationCallSign=WMBH
Webcast: https://www.themiaanetwork.com/mssulions
Live Stats: http://www.mssulions.com
Lions on the Prowl
MSSU enters Thursday's contest with a 4-10 overall record and an 1-5 MIAA record. On Saturday, the Lions snapped a three-game losing streak, and won their first confernce win of the season.
Destiny Cozart (14.9),
Chasidee Owens (15.3) and
Zoe Campbell (11.3) pace the Lions as the three players who average triple digit scoring in the 14 games this season. Campbell leads the team in rebounds per game (7.6) and blocks (42).
Streaking past the Bue Tigers
Lincoln enters Thursday's contest with a 3-11 overall record and an 0-5 MIAA record. The Blue Tigers are looking to snap a three-game losing streak as they have lost all games that came at the turn of the decade. They fell to Newman (82-46), Central Oklahoma (88-57) and Central Missouri (82-60). They are led by two players who average double digits per game. Kaloni Pryear is the overall leader with a 16.3 points per game while Vivian Chigbu is close behind with a 12.1 points per game average. Chigbu has 8.5 rebounds per game.
Stop the Polls
The Lions were picked to finish 9th in the MIAA after going 14-16 overall and 6-13 in MIAA play during the 2018-19 campaign. Defending Conference Campions Fort Hays State was picked to win the MIAA with 10 first-place votes while Central Missouri received the other four first-place vote and was picked second. Washburn (3), Pittsburg State (4), and Emporia State (5) rounded out the top-5.
Send It Back
One goal that coach Ressel set for the Lions heading into the season was to improve on defense. Thus far as opponents try to shoot from the paint, the Lions have been preventing many shots from even reaching the rim with 77 combined blocks and a 5.9 average per contest for seventh and fourth in the nation, respectively. Both marks also place them first among MIAA programs with Northwest Missouri trailing by 20 (57) in second.
Front and Center... and Sending it Back
After observing as a freshman and figuring things out on the court as a sophomore, junior center
Zoe Campbell from Caloundra, Australia has become a force in the front court. Campbell ranks fifth nationally in total blocks (42) and fifth in blocks per game (3.2) while leading the MIAA in both categories. With two blocks on Thursday, she second in all-time in career blocks (93), just 16 away from the all-time record of 109 by Caryn Schumaker (87-91). She is now tied with Brianna Volmer (2005-06) for the top single-season mark in MSSU history. She set the school record for blocks in one game (7) at Harding. She is also seventh in the MIAA in rebounds per game (7.7) with 74 defensive that ties her fourth in the league.
Take the Long Way Home
Another dimension on the defense that MSSU wanted to sure up was around the perimeter and the team has certainly done its job by limiting opponents to 31.7-clip on 284 attempts from three-point range, which ranks tenth in the MIAA at three-point field-goal defense. The Lions defense is ranked sixth in total field-goal defense by holding opponents to 38.3 percent shooting from the field on 895 attempts.
Second From Three
In her second year at Southern, senior
Destiny Cozart has earned the sharpshooter medal for the Lions as she has hit 42 treys on the season to sit second in the MIAA. She was fire in the final 30 seconds of last Monday's contest at Nebraska Kearney as she hit three triples in a 21 second span. Her 32.3 percent from deep has her fourth in the MIAA as she averages 3.0 triples per game.
Up Next
The Lions stay on the road for two more games as they will take on Central Missouri on Saturday (Jan. 18) at 1 p.m. They will close out the road trip the following Saturday (Jan. 25) when they travel to Pittsburg State.
