Joplin, Mo. -- The 14th-ranked Missouri Southern men's basketball team will gear up for a pair of tough MIAA games this week as Southern plays host to No. 1 Northwest Missouri on Thursday and Missouri Western on Saturday. Tip off on Thursday is slated for 7:30 pm and Saturday for 3:30 pm.
Game Information
Teams: #14 Missouri Southern (18-4, 11-2 MIAA) vs. #1 Northwest Missouri (22-1, 12-1 MIAA)/Missouri Western (13-11/9-4)
Date: Feb. 13/15, 2020
Tip-Off: 7:30/3:30 pm
Location: Joplin, Mo.
Site: Robert Corn Court/Leggett & Platt Athletic Center
Series Record: Northwest leads 33-26, Southern leads MWSU 51-44
Coaches: Jeff Boschee (119-57 overall/at MSSU - 6th year). Ben McCollum (263-76 overall/at NWMO - 11th year); Sundance Wicks (25-29 overall/at MWSU - 2nd year)
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; @mssumensbball
The Series
Northwest leads the overall series 33-26, but Southern has won 13 of the last 23 games, including the only defeat the Bearcats had all of 2016-17 when they won a National Championship. The two teams have split the last six games.Missouri Southern is 18-8 at home against Northwest Missouri, while the Lions are 6-21 in Maryville. Northwest has won all but one of the neutral site games.While many of the games have been close, Northwest's biggest victory margin was 27 points, in the 2006 MIAA Tournament. Southern's most-lopsided win was a 93-67 decision on January 29, 2000.
Southern leads the series with Western 51-44. The, Lions have won the last 18-of-22 match-ups. Southern is 37-11 at home, but just 13-33 in St. Joseph. Western dominated the series from 1988-1999 when the Griffons won 16-of-21 games. The Lions, however, have won 22 of the last 33 games. The 95 games played against Western is the third-most the Lions have played against a single school, behind Pittsburg State (103) and Southwest Baptist (97).
MIAA Team Stat Leaders
The Lions, as a team, lead the MIAA in defensive rebounds per game, offensive rebounds per game, rebound margin, scoring, three point defense and total rebounds.
MIAA Individual Stat Leaders
Cam Martin leads the MIAA in free throw attempts and free throws made, while ranking second in defensive rebounds, double-double's, scoring, rebounding, total field goals made, total points and total rebounds. Reggie Tharp ranks second in assist to turnover ratio.
NCAA Team Stat Leaders
The Lions, as a team, rank tenth in scoring margin, while ranking 11th in rebound margin. Southern ranks 25th in defensive rebounds, while ranking 29th in both scoring and three pointers per game.
NCAA Individual Stat Leaders
Cam Martin ranks ranks 24th in scoring, while ranking 27th in defensive rebounds, double-double's and free throws made. He ranks 25th in free throw attempts, 30th in total points, 32nd in rebounds and 34th in total rebounds.
Streak Stopper
Coming into the 2018-19 Elyjah Clark had made a three pointer in 47-straight games, dating back to his freshman season. Clark, however, missed out on a three in the first game of the year, and ran another streak to 37 games before he failed to make a three against Culver-Stockton this year.
Records Watch
Cam Martin sits in three different career categories, while Parker Jennings and Elyjah Clark also have their names in the record book. Martin currently has the top career scoring average at 22.3, while ranking third in career field goal percentage (.589). Jennings is second in career three point percentage (.433), while Clark is the career leader in three's (342) and is fourth in free throw shooting (.821).
Cam You Score A Lot?
Cam Martin tied a MSSU single-game record with 49 points at Minnesota State in 2018-19. The mark tied Carl Tyler from 1984. Martin nearly set the NCAA Tournament scoring record against Washburn in 2019 as he finished with 46 points, eight off the record of 54.
Cam You Score A lot II
Cam Martin put himself amongst the Missouri Southern single-season scoring leaders as he became only the second Lion to ever score 700 or more points, joining Taevaunn Prince in that category last season. He finished with 720 which is the second most scored in a single-season at MSSU.
The Century Mark
Jeff Boschee won his 100th career game at Missouri Southern against Washburn in the NCAA Tournament. He became the quickest to 100 wins in MSSU history. The previous mark was Frank Davis who reached 100 wins in 161 games. Boschee did it in 152 games.
Bevo Francis Watchlist
For the second year in a row, Cam Martin has been named to the Bevo Francis Award Watchlist. The award goes to the best player in small school basketball which encompasses Division II, Division III, and the NAIA.
Three-Point Streak
The Lions failed to make a three-pointer at Arkansas Tech in their match-up in 2012-13. It was the first time in 403 games that Southern had failed to hit a three pointer, dating back to Jan. 20, 1999 against Missouri S&T. The Lions have had a three in 226-straight games since Arkansas Tech in 2012-13.
Start Your Engines
With his start at Washburn, Elyjah Clark has tied the MSSU career record for starts with 113. With the start at Emporia State, Elyjah will have yet, another record all to his own at MSSU.
Perfection
For just the third time in program history, the Lions went perfect at home during the 2018-19 season (13-0). Only the 1969-70 (11-0) and the 1999-2000 (18-0) teams were also perfect at home. The Lions are 63-13 in Jeff Boschee's tenure at home.
Player Of The Week
For the fifth time this season, Cam Martin was named the MIAA Player of the Week after 28.5 points, 8.0 rebounds, 2.0 blocks and 1.5 assists, while shooting 62 percent from the field and 82 percent from the free throw line.
Three's Company
The Lions broke the MSSU single-game 3-point record with 22 3's against Washburn in the NCAA Tournament in 2018-19. The 22 3's was one three-pointer off of the NCAA Tournament record of 23 in a single-game.
Home Sweet Home
Missouri Southern can count on some of the best fan support in Division II. This season, the Lions rank 9th nationally in home attendance, averaging 1,716 fans per game. That number is second-best in the MIAA.
National Ranking
The Lions are ranked No. 14 in the NABC poll this week and 14th in the D2 SID's Poll. In the history of the NABC Poll, the Lions have been ranked 74 times, including 23-consecutive weeks at one time. The team has been No. 1 once (in the 2011 season).
Professional Lions
The Lions have nine former players playing professionally either in Europe or in the NBA's G-League. Marquis Addison plays in Switzerland for Geneve, while Skyler Bowlin plays in Germany for S. Oliver Wurzburg. Cameron Cornelius plays in Romania for CSM Focsani, while Vincent Ateba plays in France for Orcheisien BC. Keane Thomann plays in Denmark for EBAA, while Enis Memic plays in Bosnia for Spars, while Jordan Talbert plays in Germany for Wolmirstedt. Taevaunn Prince plays in Spain for Ponferrada CDP. CJ Carr plays in the NBA's G-League for the Iowa Wolves, an affiliate of the Minnesota Timberwolves.
Record-Breaking Sniper
Senior Elyjah Clark already has the Missouri Southern single-season record for three pointers with 110. Clark broke the career record against Fort Hays State in 2018-19 and has 342 career three pointers now as a senior. With the rest of the season left to play, Clark now can target the MIAA record of 370.
Reachin' A Grand
Elyjah Clark went over 1,000 points in his career with 18 points against Minnesota-Crookston in 2018-19. He currently has 1,681 in his career and was the 22nd person in MSSU history to crack the 1,000 point plateau. Clark has moved into 5th place all-time, passing Skyler Bowlin and Marquis Addison. Next up is John Thomas with 1,770 for 4th place.
Reachin' A Grand II
Kinzer Lambert went over the 1,000 point plateau last season and currently has 1,291 points in his career at Southern. He was the 23rd Lion to do so in the program's history and sits at 14th place on the scoring list in MSSU history.
Reachin' A Grand III
Cam Martin went over the 1,000 point plateau with his 26 points against Nebraska-Kearney on Jan. 6, 2020. Martin accomplished the feat in 45 games, the fastest Lion to hit that mark. He currently has 1,205 points in his career and is just behind Kinzer Lambert in 15th place.
A Grand Ole Time
With Cam Martin getting his 1,000th point this season, the Lions have three members on the squad that have 1,000 career points. It is the first time in school history a team has had three different 1,000 point scorers at the same time.
Elyjah For Three
Clark has the top-three single-season three-point totals in MSSU history and his 342 threes made in his three-plus year career rank first. He also tied the single-game record for three's made with nine and has the season and career record for three pointers per game, while also holding the MSSU season and career record for consecutive games with a three (47).
Up Next
After this series, the Lions will go back on the road to play at Northwest Missouri and Missouri Western next week.
