Joplin, Mo. --  The Missouri Southern women's basketball team is set to host the Missouri Western Griffons inside the Leggett & Platt Athletic Center tomorrow. Tip-off from Robert Corn Court is set for 1:30 pm.

Game Information
Teams:  Missouri Southern (3-3, 3-3 MIAA) vs. Missouri Western (2-3, 2-3 MIAA)
Date: Dec. 19, 2020
Tip-Off: 1:30 pm
Location: Joplin, Mo.
Site: Robert Corn Court inside Leggett & Platt Athletic Center
Series Record:  Griffons, Leads the series 59-34

Coaches
MSSU: Ronnie Ressel, 50-71 (5th Season)
MWSU: Candi Whitaker, 23-13 (2nd Season at Missouri Western), 

Media Coverage
MSSU Radio: Mike McClure - Play by play - Fox Sports Joplin - 101.3, 107.9 FM, AM 1560 & 1340; KXMS 88.7 FM
Live Audio/Video/Stats - https://www.mssulions.com/coverage
Lions on Facebook:  Facebook.com/mososports
Lions on Twitter: @mososports; @MssuWbb

MIAA 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 Champions 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.

D2SIDA Preseason Poll
The poll was released Dec. 1, and featured Emporia State, Central Missouri and Nebraska-Kearney from the MIAA while the GAC was represented by Southeastern Oklahoma State and the NSIC had Minnesota-Duluth and Sioux Falls to represent the Central Region teams and the next poll will be coming in January.

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 2019-20 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 117 career blocks and counting.

Block Party Understudy
Sophomore center Madi Stokes had a freshman campaign to remember as a defensive force down low. The Cassville, Missouri native had 33 blocks during the 2019-20 season finishing fifth in the MIAA overall and eighth 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.

Stoked To Block You
Sophomore center Madi Stokes ended last  season with 33 blocks finishing fifth in the MIAA and eighth in Division II for freshman. This season she is already at 17 after playing in six games, and leads Division II in the category.

Anchors Down 
The Lions are limiting opponents to 37.2 percent from the floor  and 31.6 percent from the three-point line this season. Led individually by Madi Stokes Division II leading block total (17) and Carley Turnbull having eight steals already the Lions are primmed to shut down teams down low and on the perimeter. While ranking atop the MIAA in team blocks and tied for third in steals so far. 

Bench Sparks
Freshman guard Kaitlin Hunnicutt  and junior guard/forward Amaya Johns are bringing it off the bench this season. Johns is second on the team in scoring averaging 10.5 per game in 15.8 minuets per game, while Hunnicutt has a team-high 11 made threes in the early going and has a scoring average of 9.7 per game in 22.5 minuets per game. Johns scored 21 points last time out against Rogers State going 7-of-9 from the field, 1-0f-2 from behind the three point line and 6-of-6 from the charity stripe. Hunnicutt announced herself to the Pride in the season opener against Central Oklahoma as she connected on four three pointers and finished the game with 14 points.

1,000-Point Scorer Joins the Pride
Carley Turnbull comes to Southern having already scored over 1,000 points in her career, at Monmouth College a Division III institution in Illinois. She 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. Turnbull is already off to a hot start for the Lions finishing the season opener against Central Oklahoma with a team-high 15 points and snatched away two steals. Turnbull turned a dominate performance against Northeastern State in the home opener posting 27 points, while collecting five rebounds, dishing out four assists, blocking a shot and getting two steals.

Athlete of the Week
Senior guard/forward Carley Turnbull became the latest Lion to be named MIAA Athlete of the Week after averaging 25 points, 5.5 rebounds, 3 assists and a steal per game leading the Lions to wins over Northeastern State and Rogers State on home court in week three of the season. Turnbull was efficient from the field shooting 51.3 percent and was 82 percent from the charity stripe. The last Lion to win this award was Chelsey Henry in Jan. 2018.

Well Rested Lions
Coming into the game the Lions will have 14 days between contests after last playing against Rogers State December 5th. After this game the Lions will be off until the new year as they will kick off 2021 against the Gorillas of Pittsburg State January 9th in Pittsburg, Kan.

Griffons Returners
Picked to finish sixth in the MIAA preseason coaches poll the Griffons are currently 3-3 sitting in ninth. Returning MIAA first-teamer Corbyn Cunningham is yet to play this season after averaging a team-high 5.7 points and 8.3 rebounds a game last season. Mychaell Gray is the next most experienced Griffon picking up 11 starts last season and Logan Hughes started in two contest last season as a freshman. 

Last Game Report
Evans Camille led the Griffons with 15 points in the game against Pittsburg State going 7-of-11 from the field had six rebounds and two steals. Brionna Budgetts connected on a team-high three point attempts and finished with 12 points. Jordan Cunningham led the Griffons in bench scoring with 10 points after going 3-of-5 from the field, 2-of-3 from behind the three point line and 2-for-2 from the free throw line.