Joplin, Mo. -- The Missouri Southern women's basketball team is set to host the Rogers State Hillcats inside the Leggett & Platt Athletic Center tomorrow. Tip-off from Robert Corn Court is set for 1:30 pm.
Game Information
Teams: Missouri Southern (2-3, 2-3 MIAA) vs. Rogers State (1-2, 1-2 MIAA)
Date: Dec. 5, 2020
Tip-Off: 1:30 pm
Location: Joplin, Mo.
Site: Robert Corn Court inside Leggett & Platt Athletic Center
Series Record: Southern leads 3-0
Coaches
MSSU: Ronnie Ressel, 49-71 (5th Season)
RSU: Kyle Bent, 113-78 (7th Season Overall), 19-40 (3rd Season @ Rogers State)
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.
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 12 after playing in five games, she leads the MIAA by seven blocks and is the best in Division II.
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.
Anchors Down II
The Lions are limiting opponents to 35.4 percent from the floor and 28.9 percent from the three-point line this season. Led individually by Madi Stokes Division II leading block total (12) 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 steals in the early going.
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 ten made three pointers leading the bench in scoring average with 11.0. 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. 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.
Hillcats Returners
Coming into the season the Hillcats will have seven players back from last season's (4-24 Overall, 2-17 MIAA). Samariah Thompson is the leading scorer this season averaging 22.7 points per game after averaging 8.7 a season ago.
Two Game Offense
Early in the season a pattern is emerging that junior center Maya Buckhanon who transferred in from Division I Memphis and junior guard Samariah Thompson like to score. In the game against Pittsburg State both finished with at least 20 points for the first time this season and both are averaging more than 14 points a game. Buckhanon is shooting 60 percent from the field and has four blocks already. Thompson has a team-high six made three pointers and has gone 24-of-27 from the free throw line.
