Joplin, Mo. -- The 22nd-ranked Missouri Southern men's basketball team will finish off the regular season as the Lions play host to Lincoln on Saturday afternoon. Tip off from Robert Corn Court inside the Leggett & Platt Athletic Center is slated for 3:30 pm.
Game Information
Teams: #22 Missouri Southern (20-7, 13-5 MIAA) VS. Lincoln (10-17, 7-11 MIAA)
Date: Feb. 29, 2020
Tip-Off: 3:30 pm
Location: Joplin, Mo.
Site: Robert Corn Court/Leggett & Platt Athletic Center
Series Record: Southern leads 29-11
Coaches: Jeff Boschee (121-60 overall/at MSSU - 6th year). John Moseley (80-94 overall/at Lincoln - 6th 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
The Lions lead the series between the two teams by a margin of 29-11. Southern is 13-5 at home against the Blue Tigers, while the Lions are 15-5 in Jefferson City. The Lions and Lincoln have split neutral site games, both at Pittsburg. The Lions and Blue Tigers have played in four overtime games in the series with the two teams splitting the games.The Lions have won 19 of the last 22 games against the Blue Tigers.
MIAA Team Stat Leaders
The Lions, as a team, lead the MIAA in defensive rebounds per game, rebound margin, scoring and total rebounds per game, while ranking second in three point attempts, field goal percentage, scoring margin, three point field goals per game, three point percentage and total rebounds.
MIAA Individual Stat Leaders
Cam Martin leads the MIAA in defensive rebounds, free throw attempts, free throws made, scoring, total field goal attempts, total field goals made and total points.
Records Watch
Cam Martin sits in three different MSSU 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 23.4, while ranking third in career field goal percentage (.591) and fourth in free throw shooting (.821). Jennings is second in career three point percentage (.433), while Clark is the career leader in three's (353) and is fourth in free throw shooting (.821). With a game played against Lincoln, Clark will have played in the most games ever by a Lion at 121. He is currently tied with three others for No. 1.
Cam You Score A lot
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. Martin needs just 40 more points to become the only player to ever score 700 or more points twice in a career.
Cam You Score A lot III
Cam Martin set the MSSU single-game scoring record at Missouri Western last week as he scored 54 points against the Griffons. The 54 points is the most scored in Division II this year and Cam is one of only four players to hit the 50-point plateau this year. Martin has two of the top-eight scoring games this season in Division II.
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 230-straight games since Arkansas Tech in 2012-13.
20-Win Seasons
The win against Central Missouri gave the Lions 20 wins for the third-straight season and the fifth time in the last seven seasons. It is the fourth 20-win season in Jeff Boschee's six years as a head coach.
Start Your Engines
With his start at Emporia State, Elyjah Clark is the new career leader in games started at MSSU. Clark has now started in 119 career games.
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 65-14 in Jeff Boschee's tenure at home.
Player Of The Week
For the seventh time this season and the third week in a row, Cam Martin was named the MIAA Player of the Week after averaging 1.5 rebounds 1.5 blocks and 0.5 assists while shooting 65 percent from the field and 87 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 6th nationally in home attendance, averaging 1,806 fans per game. That number is second-best in the MIAA.
National Ranking
The Lions are ranked No. 22 in the NABC poll this week and 24th in the D2 SID's Poll. In the history of the NABC Poll, the Lions have been ranked 76 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 353 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 1,739 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 1,372 points in his career at Southern. He was the 23rd Lion to do so in the program's history and sits at 13th 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 1,380 points in his career and is just behind Matt Olson in 11th 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 352 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 game, the Lions will wait to see how the rest of the league plays out before finding out who they will play and what seed they will be in next week's MIAA Basketball Tournament. The Championships will be played at historical Municipal Auditorium in Kansas City.
