Joplin, Mo.—The Missouri Southern State University women's basketball team continues the opening week road trip against Newman, for the Lions this will be the second game of the season while the Jets are playing in their first. Tip off from Fugate Gymnasium in Wichita, Kan. is scheduled for 1:30 pm.

Game Information
Teams: Missouri Southern (0-1, 0-1 MIAA) at Newman (0-0, 0-0 MIAA)
Date: Thursday, Nov. 19, 2020
Tip-Off: 1:30 p.m.
Location: Wichita, Kan.
Site: Fugate Gymnasium
Series Record: Southern, leads 6-1
 
Coaches
MSSU: Ronnie Ressel, 47-69 (5th Season)
NU: Darin Spence, 117-107 (9th Season)
 
Media Coverage
MSSU Radio: Fox Sports Joplin 101.3, 107.9 and AM 1560
Live Coverage: https://www.mssulions.com/coverage
 

Preseason Poll

The Lions were picked to finish 10th in the MIAA after going 10-18 overall and 7-12 in MIAA play during the 2019-20 campaign. Emporia State was picked to win the MIAA with 4 first-place votes with Nebraska-Kearney picking up 6 first-place votes in second and defending Conference Campions Central Missouri rounding out the top three with 3 first-place votes. Pittsburg State was projected to finish fourth while Fort Hays State picked up the other first-place vote and rounded out the top-five.

Block Party From Down Under

Senior center Zoe Campbell erupted for a school record 62 blocks to lead the MIAA and finish the year 21st in Division II. The Caloundra, Australia native set new single-game, single-season and career block records during the season. Campbell has increased her block total each season at southern, going from 11 as a freshman to 40 as a sophomore and 62 this past season. Currently Campbell is at 113 career blocks and counting.

Block Party Understudy

Sophomore center Madi Stokes had a freshman campaign to remember as a defensive force down low. The Cassiville, Missouri native had 33 blocks on the season finishing fifth in the MIAA overall and eigth in Division II for freshman. Stokes and Campbell paced the Lions to lead the MIAA with 5.11 blocks per game and had 95 of the teams 143 blocks. 

Anchors Down

Backed by the blocking and disruptive abilities of Campbell and Stokes the Lions finished the season with the fourth best total field-goal defense in the MIAA limiting opponents to shooting 38.7 percent on 1,705 attempts. The Lions make sure to protect the perimeter as well limiting opponents to 32.1 percent from 582 attempts from three-point range. 

Efficient From Deep

Junior guard Kai Jones started off the season recovering from an injury but by season's end started the last eight games and shot 43.5 percent from behind the three-point line during that span to go along with 50 percent from the field. Helping the Lions to win key games down the stretch to ensure postseason play once again.

1,000-Point Scorer Joins the Pride

Carley Turnbull will suit up for the Lions for the first time and would have already scored over 1,000 points in her career. At Monmouth College a Division III institution in Illinois, Turnbull averaged 14.5 points per game and pulled down 5.9 rebounds per game over her three years for the Fighting Scots, finishing with 1,131 points.

Newman Returners

The Jets said goodbye to leading scorer Kaitlyn Potter last year. Potter finished the season third in the MIAA in scoring with 16.8, and was second in three pointers made (90). Back for this season are six seniors, two juniors and sophomores. The leading returning in scoring is Madison Birnbaum who averaged 6.6 while hauling in 4.4 rebounds a game off the bench. Abbey George is back after leading the Jets in rebounding last year with 4.6 per game coming mostly off the bench. And the leading marksmen returning is Haley Albers who connected on 35 three pointers last season playing mostly as a starter. 

Year Two 

Year one of the Jets in the MIAA almost included a postseason appearance just missing out by one win. Year Two looks for the Jets to get back into postseason play once again, while the polls picked them to finish eleventh in the preseason. Bringing back five girls that have at least started 10 games from this past season and having the flexibility of having different lineups in key situations should make the Jets a hard opponent to crack with all they throw at you.