Joplin, Mo.—The Missouri Southern women's basketball team is set to host the Northeastern State RiverHawks inside Leggett & Platt Athletic Center tomorrow. Tip-off from Robert Corn Court is set for 5:30 pm and is the home opener for the Lions.

Game Information
Teams: Missouri Southern (1-3, 1-3 MIAA) vs. Northeastern State (2-0, 2-0 MIAA)
Date: Thursday, Dec. 3, 2020
Tip-Off: 5:30 p.m.
Location: Joplin, Mo.
Site: Robert Corn Court inside Leggett & Platt Athletic Center
Series Record: NSU, leads 17-16
 
Coaches
MSSU: Ronnie Ressel, 48-71 (5th Season)
NSU: Fala Bullock, 120-129 (9th Season Overall), 23-60 (4th Season at NSU)

 
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. 

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 114 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.

Anchors Down
Backed by the blocking and disruptive abilities of Campbell and Stokes the Lions finished the  2019-20 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. The Lions are limiting opponents to 36.1 percent from the floor and 30.1 from the three-point line in the early part of the season.

Bench Spark
Freshman guard Kaitlin Hunnicutt has provided a scoring spark off the bench with her ability to stretch the court with her three point shooting. Connecting on a team-high nine made three pointers and the team leader in scoring average with 11.3. In the first game Hunnicutt announced herself to the Pride as she finished with 14 points while connecting on four three pointers from the bench. 

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.

RiverHawks Returners
Coming back this season is Cenia Hayes after being named honorable mention by the MIAA after leading the team with 14.7 points per game connecting on a team-high 59 three pointers as well. Shae Sanchez played the most minuets last season will be back after averaging 12.3 points per game chipping in with 43 assists last season. Morgan Lee, Maegan Lee, Zaria Collins, and Cielo McClain round out the returners from this past season.

1000-Point Scorer Face-Off
This will be the first match up of the year for the Lions were the opposing team has a career 1,000 point scorer. Cenia Hayes and Carley Turnbull are averaging at least 10 points per game while shooting over 40 percent from the field this season. Both are also team leaders in steals so far with Hayes leading the MIAA and Turnbull coming in third in the category.