Joplin, Mo. -- The Missouri Southern men's basketball team will be back inside the Leggett & Platt Athletic Center tomorrow night as the Lions play host to No. 3 Northwest Missouri State. Tip off from Robert Corn Court is slated for 7:30 pm.
Game Information
Teams: Missouri Southern (8-6, 8-6 MIAA) vs. #3 Northwest Missouri State (12-1, 12-1 MIAA)
Date: Feb. 2, 2021
Tip-Off: 7:30 pm
Location: Joplin, Mo.
Site: Robert Corn Court inside the Leggett & Platt Athletic Center
Series Record: NWMSU leads 37-24
Coaches: Jeff Boschee (132-67 overall/at MSSU - 7th year). Ben McCollum (284-77 overall/at NWMO - 12th 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 37-24, but Southern has won 12 of the last 25 games, including the only defeat the Bearcats had all of 2016-17 when they won a National Championship. Missouri Southern is 17-9 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. The Lions are 2-4 against Northwest Missouri in MIAA Tournament history.
MIAA Team Stat Leaders
The Lions rank lead the league in total blocks and total rebounds, while ranking second total rebounds per game, total assists, rebound margin, defensive rebounds per game, blocks per game and assists per game. The Lions rank third in three pointers per game.
NCAA Team Stat Leaders
Southern leads Division II in total blocks, while ranking second in total rebounds, ninth in both total assists and free throw attempts and 11th in free throws made. The Lions rank 16th in three point field goal attempts, 19th in defensive rebounds per game and 20th in blocks per game.
MIAA Individual Stat Leaders
Cam Martin leads the MIAA in free thrwo attempts, scoring, total field goal attempts, total field goals made and total points, while ranking second in total rebounds and free throws made and third in total blocks. Stan Scott leads the MIAA in blocks per game, while RJ Smith is third in offensive rebounds per game.
NCAA Individual Stat Leaders
Martin ranks in the top tne nationally in eight different categories including leading D2 in free throw attempts. Martin ranks second in total points and total field goals made, while ranking third in scoring and total field goal attempts, fifth in total rebounds and free throws made and seventh in double-double's. Martin also ranks 16th in total minutes and 19th in defensive rebounds per game. Stan Scott ranks 10th in total blocks and 20th in double-double's. RJ SMith is 12th in total rebounds.
See Stan Score
Stan Scott obliterated his previous career-high in scoring against Fort Hays State as the senior scored 32 points on the evening. His previous career high was 20. Stan went 11-of-20 from the field and added ten rebounds on the night.
New Career Highs
Against Newman, both Kyle Young (23 points) and Stan Scott (19 points) set their individual career-highs for single-game scoring. Lawson Jenkins set his individual single-game record for points with 14 against Rogers State.
He's On Fire
Christian Bundy started the game at Rogers State 6-of-6 from the field and 4-of-4 from the three-point line and finished with a career-high 25 points, as well as his first double-double of the season with 10 rebounds.
Score Some Points Young One
Lawson Jenkins has been making the most out of his insertion into the starting lineup and the freshman went out and had a career game at Northastern State as he scored 29 points on 7-of-12 from the field and 9-of-10 from the free throw line.
Records Watch
Cam Martin sits in five different MSSU career categories for the Lions. Martin currently has the top career scoring average at 23.7, while ranking third in career field goal percentage (.592), fourth in career scoring (1,825), and fifth in career rebounds (717) and blocks (94).
Cam You Score A Lot
Cam Martin put himself amongst the Missouri Southern single-season scoring leaders when 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 eclipsed his total from that season with 746 last year and is the only player in Southern history to do that twice in a career.
Cam You Score A Lot II
Cam Martin set the MSSU single-game scoring record at Missouri Western in 2019-20 as he scored 54 points against the Griffons. The 54 points was the most scored in Division II that year and Cam was one of only four players to hit the 50-point plateau last year. Martin had two of the top-eight scoring games that season in Division II.
The Century Mark
Jeff Boschee won his 100th career game at Missouri Southern against Washburn in the 2019 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 was 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 248-straight games since Arkansas Tech in 2012-13.
20-Win Seasons
The win against Central Missouri in 2020 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.
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 67-15 in Jeff Boschee's tenure at home.
Active NCAA Career Leaders
Cam Martin is in rare company among the active career leaders in NCAA Division II. Martin currently is the active career leader in total points, scoring average, field goals made, free throws made, free throws attempted and double-double's. Martin ranks fourth in active career rebounds, while also leading Division II among the group of individuals with 1,500 points and 600 rebounds, a group that has only five members.
Rare Air
With just 14 points and three rebounds, Cam Martin will become only the second player in MSSU history to record 1,700 points and 700 rebounds, joining John Thomas who finished his career with 1,700 points and 1,536 rebounds.
Lions In The Pros
Currently, there are nine active former Lions playing professionally in Europe or overseas. Skyler Bowlin (Iraklis - Greece), Elyjah Clark (Ankara Basket - Turkey), Enis Memic (Spars - Bosina), Vincent Ateba (Saint Vallier - France), Keane Thomann (BAC - Denmark), Marquis Addison (Sibiu - Romania), CJ Carr (Fjolnir - Iceland), JJ Cratit (TSV - Germany) and Jordan Talbert (Wolmirsted - Germany) all are playing professionally.
Home Sweet Home
Missouri Southern can count on some of the best fan support in Division II. Last season, the Lions ranked 7th nationally in home attendance, averaging 1,809 fans per game. That number was second-best in the MIAA.
D1 Transfers
Southern welcomes in two Division I transfers to this year's team in RJ Smith and Yagizhan Selcuk. Smith came to the Lions from Sam Houston State where he started all 31 games a season ago. Selcuk came to Southern from Montana where he saw limited action as a sophomore.
How Do You Say That?
Newcomer Yagizhan Selcuk will most likely have to pronounce his name for many PA announcers this year, but to help out, we call him Yagi for short. You can pronounce his name Yagi Sell-Chook.
Reachin' A Grand
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 1,825 points in his career and is in 4th place on the all-time scoring list, passing Elyjah Clark who had 1,813 points. Next up on the list is Carl Tyler with 1,902 points for fourth-place all-time.
Up Next
The Lions will be back at home hosting Lincoln on Thursday and Central Missouri on Saturday.
