Joplin, Mo. – The Missouri Southern women's basketball team blocked a school-record 11 shots and made 12 three-pointers as the Lions took out visiting Lincoln 85-49 on Senior Day at the Leggett & Platt Athletic Center.
 
The Lions (10-17, 7-12 MIAA) were led offensively by Destiny Cozart as she finished with 24 points and six rebounds. Kaiulani Jones scored 19 and hit all five three pointers she took, while Jordan Schoenberger and Emily Kuntze scored eight points each. Madi Stokes scored six points and added ten rebounds and six blocks.
 
Lincoln (3-25, 0-19 MIAA) was led by 18 points from Kaloni Pryear.
 
Southern jumped out to a 15-2 lead early on after hitting three from downtown and Southern pushed its lead to 27-7 after a three-point play from Kuntze with 1:58 left in the first quarter. After a three from Kuntze and a late jumper from the Blue Tigers, the Lions led 30-9 after one.
 
Cozart opened the second quarter with a three and then after a pair of threes from Jones and another from Cozart, the Lions led by 30 (45-15) with 5:50 left in the quarter. A jumper from Megan Jackson with just under a minute to go proved to be the final of the half and Southern went into the locker room, leading 49-20.
 
Both teams were cold to start the third quarter with the first points coming from a jumper from Schoenberger with 7:08 left on the clock. A pair of freebies from Layne Skiles gave the Lions a 56-25 lead with just under five to play and a bucket from Stokes with 53 second left pushed the Southern lead to 34 (64-30). A pair of free throws as the quarter was winding down gave the Lions a 68-32 lead going to the fourth.
 
A jumper from Buch with 6:57 left in the game pushed the Lions' lead to 39 (74-35) and that proved to be the largest of the game.
 
The Lions out rebounded Lincoln 43-355 and shot 47 percent from the field in the game, while making 44 percent of their three's and 93 percent from the free throw line. The Lions forced 16 turnovers and scored 20 points off the miscues.
 
The Lions will open up the 2020 MIAA Basketball Tournament next week on Wednesday afternoon at noon as Southern will be the No. 9 seed and will take on the No. 8 seed inside historic Municipal Auditorium.
 
Stay tuned to mssulions.com as the official announcement of the brackets will be made by the MIAA this evening and will be posted as soon as it's available.