Joplin, Mo. -- The Missouri Southern women's basketball team will close out the regular season this week playing host to Washburn on Thursday and Central Oklahoma on Saturday. Tip off from Robert Corn Court inside the Leggett & Platt Athletic Center is set for 5:30 pm on Thursday and 1:30 pm on Saturday.
Game Information
Teams: Missouri Southern (7-13) vs. Washburn (10-10) / (RV) Central Oklahoma (13-6)
Date: Feb. 25 / 27, 2021
Tip-Off: 5:30 pm/ 1:30 pm
Location: Joplin, Mo.
Site: Robert Corn Court inside the Leggett & Platt Athletic Center
Series Record: Washburn leads 52-28 / Central Oklahoma leads 16-14
Coaches
MSSU: Ronnie Ressel, 54-81 (5th Season)
WU: Ron McHenry, 474-162 (21st Season)
UCO: Guy Hardaker, 280-155 (15th Season)
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; @MssuWbb
MIAA Preseason Poll
The Lions were picked to finish 10th in the MIAA after going 10-18 overall and 7-12 in MIAA play during the 2019-20 campaign. Emporia State was picked to win the MIAA with 4 first-place votes with Nebraska-Kearney picking up 6 first-place votes in second and defending Conference Champions Central Missouri rounding out the top three with 3 first-place votes. Pittsburg State was projected to finish fourth while Fort Hays State picked up the other first-place vote and rounded out the top-five.
Block Party From Down Under
Senior center Zoe Campbell erupted for a school record 62 blocks to lead the MIAA and finish the year 21st in Division II. The Caloundra, Australia native set new single-game, single-season and career block records during the 2019-20 season. Campbell increased her block total each season at southern, going from 11 as a freshman to 40 as a sophomore and 62 this past season. Currently Campbell is at 117 career blocks.
That's A Lot Of Games
The Lions' are on a streak of 604 games of having made at least one made three. The last game where they were shutout was Nov. 20, 1999 in Tahlequah, Okla playing Southern Arkansas losing 68-53.
Stoked To Block You
Sophomore center Madi Stokes had a freshman campaign to remember as a defensive force down low. The Cassville, Missouri native had 33 blocks during the 2019-20 season finishing fifth in the MIAA overall and eighth in Division II for freshman. This season she is at 43 blocks, and is sixth in Division II in the category while leading the MIAA by two. Tied the school record of seven at Rogers State (Jan 28), fifth in career blocks at Southern passing Marie Scott (95-97), and passed Brianna Volmer's (05-06) tally last game (Pitt St., Feb. 20) for second most blocks in a single-season.
Stokes Has It
Stokes is leading the MIAA in blocks (43), blocks per game (2.15) total rebounds (213) rebounds per game (10.7) and defensive rebounds per game (8.2). Sits fourth in double-doubles (6), and seventh in offensive rebounds per game (2.5). In Division II ranks fourth for total rebounds, sixth for blocked shots, 14th in defensive rebounds, 18th for rebounds per game and 20th in blocks per game.
20-20 Thought We Were Done
Stokes against Emporia State (Jan. 16) finishing with 21 points and 22 rebounds (10 offensive) becoming the third member of the 20-20 club at Southern. The most recent since Marie Scott had a 24 point 22 rebound game (Nov. 24, 1995) in a 81-71 win over Missouri Valley. The last time anyone in the MIAA had a 20-20 game was Vivian Essuon who had 20 points and 23 rebounds against Missouri Western Jan. 7, 2012. Stokes was the second player to achieve the feat in Division II as Lilly Ritz did it the same day putting up 22 points and 25 rebounds (10 offensive).
30-20 New Club Who Dis
Stokes is the first player to achieve a 30 point - 20 rebound game in Southern's history at Rogers State. Putting up a career-high 31 points shooting 13-of-19 from the field and pulling down 21 rebounds and blocking a single-game tying seven blocks in the overtime win. It is the first 30-20 game this season in Division II.
Anchors Down
The Lions are limiting opponents to 38.8 percent from the floor and 34.6 percent from the three-point line this season. Led individually by Madi Stokes 43 blocks and Carley Turnbull having 19 steals the Lions are primmed to shut down teams down low and on the perimeter. Against Washburn the Lions defense pitched a shutout from the long ball as the Ichabods' didn't connect on any of their attempts (0-8).
Bench Sparks
Freshman guard Kaitlin Hunnicutt and junior guard/forward Amaya Johns are bringing it off the bench this season. Johns leads the bench scoring effort with 7.5 points per game in 14 minutes a game. Her season-high of 21 points happened at home against Rogers State shooting 7-of-9 from the field, 1-of-2 from the three point line and a perfect 6-of-6 from the free throw line. Hunnicutt leads the team in made three's with 23 so far and is second in bench scoring with 7.2 in 21 minutes per game. Her season-high of 15 was on the road against Pittsburg State.
1,000-Point Scorer Joins the Pride
Carley Turnbull comes to Southern having already scored over 1,000 points in her career, at Monmouth College a Division III institution in Illinois. She averaged 14.5 points per game and pulled down 5.9 rebounds per game over her three years for the Fighting Scots, finishing with 1,131 points. Turnbull is already off to a hot start for the Lions finishing the season opener against Central Oklahoma with a team-high 15 points and snatched away two steals. Turnbull turned a dominate performance against Northeastern State in the home opener posting 27 points, while collecting five rebounds, dishing out four assists, blocking a shot and getting two steals.
Athlete of the Week
Senior guard/forward Carley Turnbull became the latest Lion to be named MIAA Athlete of the Week (Week 3) after averaging 25 points, 5.5 rebounds, 3 assists and a steal per game leading the Lions to wins over Northeastern State and Rogers State on home court in week three of the season. Turnbull was efficient from the field shooting 51.3 percent and was 82 percent from the charity stripe. The last Lion to win this award was Chelsey Henry in Jan. 2018.
Round Two
Both match ups this week are against teams that the Lions lost to earlier in the season. Central Oklahoma made two free throws with eight seconds reaming in the season opener to win as Carley Turnbull finished with a team-high 15 points shooting 5-of-8 from the field, 1-of-1 from deep and 4-of-5 from the free throw line while getting two steals, Megan Jackson had a career-high 11 points going 4-of-4 from the field and 3-of-4 from the stripe. Kaitlin Hunnicutt announced herself to the Pride family with 14 points off the bench and connecting on four three's , and as a sign of things to come Madi Stokes had 11 rebounds and six points. For the Bronchos Kelsey Johnson had 30 points and 11 rebounds, Avery Allen posted 17 points and Jaci Littell added 12 more for Central Oklahoma.
Against Washburn the Lions were led by Carley Turnbull's 15 points and eight rebounds while Madi Stokes narrowly missed out on a double-double with 10 rebounds and nine points. For the Ichabods Abby Oliver had 19, Hunter Bentley finished with 15 and Nuri Barrientos had 12 points and 11 rebounds. The Ichabods didn't connect on a three pointer during the game but got 14 points from fast breaks.
Who's In, Who's Out
The final week of the 2020-21 regular season is here and the MIAA boasts five teams that are receiving national attention and are making up the top five in the conference standings. Fort Hays State (#5/7), is in first after being selected fifth in the preseason poll, Central Missouri (#15) is second, Nebraska - Kearney (#14/RV) is third, Emporia State (RV) is fourth followed by Central Oklahoma (RV), Pittsburg State and Washburn to round out the top seven and all the schools that have secured a berth in the MIAA Tournament. Lincoln, Newman and Rogers State are out of contention for a berth.
Final Showdowns
Four teams are fighting for the eighth spot in the conference standings, Northwest Missouri, Missouri Southern, Missouri Western and Northeastern State. As of 6pm today (Feb. 24) the standings are Northwest Mo. eighth, Southern ninth, Western tenth, and NSU eleventh with Northwest holding the tiebreaker advantages against the Lions and Western. The Lions have the tiebreaker advantage against NSU, and NSU has the tiebreaker advantage against Western and Northwest. Western is playing three games this week due to prior COVID related rescheduling, Southern and Northwest have two games and NSU is playing Rogers State Saturday to end the season.
