Joplin, Mo. -- The 19th-ranked Missouri Southern men's basketball team will go back out on the road when the Lions take on Washburn tomorrow night. Tip off from Lee Arena is slated for 7:30 pm.
Game Information
Teams: #19 Missouri Southern (16-4, 9-2 MIAA) at Washburn (12-8, 7-4 MIAA)
Date: Feb. 6, 2020
Tip-Off: 7:30 pm
Location: Topeka, Kan.
Site: Lee Arena
Series Record: Washburn leads 48-34
Coaches: Jeff Boschee (117-57 overall/at MSSU - 6th year). Brett Ballard (54-22 overall/at WU - 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
Washburn holds a 48-34 lead in the series, but Southern has won 18 out of the last 23 games. The Lions lead 20-19 in games played in Joplin, and Washburn holds a 29-11 vs. MSSU in Topeka. The Lions lead 3-1, on neutral floors. The Lions have had few winning streaks in the series. The longest, five games, is the current streak and also spanned the years of 2007-09. The Ichabods won 11-straight from February 1984 through February 1989. Missouri Southern's most convincing victory was 37 points, 110-73, in 2013-14. Washburn's largest victory margin was 38 points, 94-56, and came in the 88-89 season. The Lions have won all three of the meetings in the NCAA Tournament, including last year. Two of the games have went OT.
MIAA Team Stat Leaders
The Lions, as a team, lead the MIAA in assists per game, defensive rebounds per game, offensive rebounds per game, rebound margin, scoring, total assists and total rebounds per game.
MIAA Individual Stat Leaders
Cam Martin leads the MIAA in free throw attempts and made, while ranking second in defensive rebounds, double-doubles, scoring, rebounds, total field goals, total points and total rebounds. Reggie Tharp is second in assist to turnover ratio, while Braelon Walker is second in three point percentage.
NCAA Team Stat Leaders
The Lions, as a team, rank tenth in rebound margin and scoring margin, while ranking 23rd in three pointers per game, 26th in defensive rebounds per game, 32nd in assist to turnover ratio, 33rd in assists per game and total three pointers made, 34th in field goal percentage, 35th in three point percentage, 36th in rebound margin and scoring defense, and 38th in total rebounds.
NCAA Individual Stat Leaders
Cam Martin ranks 18th in double-double's, 27th in free throw attempts, 28th in defensive rebounds per game, 30th in both free throws made and rebounding, 32nd in scoring and 33rd in total rebounds. Braelon Walker is 19th in three point percentage.
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 22.1, while ranking fourth in career field goal percentage (.588). Jennings is second in career three point percentage (.438), while Clark is the career leader in three's (339) and is fifth in free throw shooting (.816).
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 224-straight games since Arkansas Tech in 2012-13.
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 fourth time this season, Cam Martin was named the MIAA Player of the Week after his 37 point, 13 rebound performance at PSU.
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. 19 in the NABC poll this week and 21st in the D2 SID's Poll. In the history of the NABC Poll, the Lions have been ranked 73 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 339 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 1,659 in his career and was the 22nd person in MSSU history to crack the 1,000 point plateau. Clark has moved into 7th place all-time, passing Chris Tucker. Next up is Skyler Bowlin with 1,664 points for 6th place.
Reachin' A Grand II
Kinzer Lambert went over the 1,000 point plateau last season and currently has 1,253 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 1,148 points in his career and has passed Mario Williams for 17th 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 339 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
Southern will continue its road trip with a game at Emporia State this Saturday at 3:30 pm.
