Joplin, Mo. – After a successful week that saw Missouri Southern State University go 2-1, the Lions had a full week to prepare for their Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletic Association (MIAA) game at Pittsburg State University on Saturday.
Game Information
Date: January 25, 2020
Tip-Off: 1:30 PM
Location: Pittsburg, Kan.
Site: John Lance Arena
Series: PSU leads 52-42
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 Saturday's contest with a 5-11 overall record and an 2-6 MIAA record. The Lions are looking to get back on the winning side of things as they fell in their last game at Central Missouri.
Destiny Cozart (14.3),
Chasidee Owens (15.9) and
Zoe Campbell (10.5) 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 (7.5) and blocks (47).
Gorillas in the Mix
Pitt State enters this week sitting in seventh in the MIAA with a 9-7 overall and 5-3 in conference. They lost two of their last three as they fell to Central Central (88-86) and Central Missouri (72-50) before defeating Lincoln (84-63). So far this season their biggest win streak is three games.
Gorillas Make the Hoops
Pitt State has four players averaging in double figures on the season: sophomore guard Tristan Gegg (17.9 ppg), senior forward Athena Alvarado (15.3 ppg), junior guard Maya Williams (13.1 ppg) and and sophomore guard Kaylee DaMitz (12.7 ppg). Gegg leads the MIAA in scoring, ranks third in the conference in 3-point field goal percentage (.361) and fourth in the MIAA in 3-point field goals (2.7 pg). Senior forward Meghan Maher is averaging 6.4 points 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 92 combined blocks and a 5.8 average per contest for seventh and fourth in the nation, respectively. Both marks also place them first among MIAA programs with Central Missouri trailing by 22 (70) 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 (47) and eighth in blocks per game (3.2) while leading the MIAA in both categories. With two blocks earlier this month, she second in all-time in career blocks (95), just 14 away from the all-time record of 109 by Caryn Schumaker (87-91). She now has the top single-season mark in MSSU history by passing Brianna Volmer (2005-06) who had 42. She set the school record for blocks in one game (7) at Harding. She is also ninth in the MIAA in rebounds per game (7.5) with 89 defensive that ties her for fifth 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 31.8-clip on 308 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 37.9 percent shooting from the field on 961 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 43 treys on the season to sit second in the MIAA. She was fire in the final 30 seconds of January's contest at Nebraska Kearney as she hit three triples in a 21 second span. Her 32.1 percent from deep has her fourth in the MIAA as she averages 2.9 triples per game.
