Joplin, Mo. -- The Missouri Southern women's basketball team will wrap up this week with a home game against Northeastern State tomorrow, the Lions are receiving votes in the latest WBCA poll and are currently on a six game winning streak. Tip-off from the Leggett & Platt Athletic Center is set for 1:30 PM on Saturday.
Game Information
Teams: Missouri Southern (13-5, 10-3 MIAA) vs. Northeastern State (4-14, 2-10 MIAA)
Dates: Jan. 29, 2021
Tip-Off: 1:30 PM
Location: Joplin, Mo.
Site: Leggett & Platt Athletic Center
Series Record: Lions leads 19-17, 14-5 in Joplin
Coaches
MSSU: Ronnie Ressel, 69-87 (6th Season Overall / at MSSU)
NSU: Nala Suiaunoa, 128-164 (11th Season Overall), 31-90 (5th Season at NSU)
Media Coverage
MSSU Radio: Mike McClure - Play by play - SOMO Sports Joplin - 101.3, AM 1560 & KXMS 88.7 FM
Audio/Video/Stats - https://www.mssulions.com/coverage
Lions on Facebook: Facebook.com/mososports
Lions on Twitter: @mososports; @MssuWbb
RiverHawks Scout
Northeastern State was picked to finish 11th in the MIAA preseason polls after finishing 10th in the final MIAA standings going 6-16 overall. The Lee twins (Morgan and Maegan) are back and this year's team has a third Lee (Courtney) of no relation on the team to fill out the trio. Maleeah Langstaff is the focal point on offense leading the team with 17.1 points and 9.6 rebounds a game, and is this past week's athlete of the week after notching a double-double and the fifth triple-double this season in Division II. Against Pittsburg State on Thursday the RiverHawks lost 71-69 on a buzzer beater but were led by Langstaff's double-double of 26 points and 10 rebounds while adding a team-high four assists. Morgan Lee went 4-of-7 from three ending up with 11 points and Ashton Hackler added 12 points and six rebounds as well. The RiverHawks won the rebounding battle and shot 70% from three in the second half and scored 40 points in the paint as well.
Catching People's Attention
Following their first appearance in the D2SIDA Regional Poll in the 2021-22 season after a 3-0 week that saw Lacy Stokes named MIAA WBB Athlete of the Week, the Lions went on the road and took down #2 Fort Hays State and #14 Nebraska-Kearney. The Lions are now receiving votes in the WBCA poll and beat ranked opponents back-to-back for the first time since taking out #4 Emporia State and #9 Washburn at home during the 2003-04 season. Riding a five game winning streak the Lions are looking to be ranked in the top-25 for the first time since Dec. 16, 2014 where the Lions were ranked #22.
2021-22 Preseason MIAA Polls
The Lions were picked to finish 9th in the MIAA Coaches Poll and 10th in the Media Poll after going 9-14 overall and 9-13 in MIAA play during the 2020-21 campaign. The defending MIAA regular season champions Fort Hays State was picked to win the conference in both the media and coaches poll this season. Central Missouri who made it to the Final Four this past season was picked second in the coaches and tied with Fort Hays for first in the media poll. Picked third and fourth in both polls were Nebraska-Kearney and Emporia State. Each of the top-four teams made it to the Central Regional Tournament this past season. Rounding out the top eight teams were Central Oklahoma, Washburn, Pittsburg State and Missouri Western in both polls.
That's A Lot Of Games
The Lions' are on a streak of 624 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.
All-MIAA
Madi Stokes was an All-MIAA honorable and All-Defensive Team selection last season after being the only player to average a double-double and ended the regular season leading the conference in blocks.
To The Extreme Stokes
This season the Lions will have two student-athletes with the last name Stokes (no relation) and they are the shortest and tallest player on the roster in Madi Stokes (6' 3") and Lacy Stokes (5'4").
Running It Back Again
Mount Vernon high school product Lacy Stokes has a familiar face to play with again as Cameron Call transferred to MSSU from Division I Illinois State. The pair were part of three consecutive district championships at Mount Vernon high school, before Lacy led the Mountaineers to a Class 4 Runners-up finish this past season. Call holds the three-point record with 210 made in her high school career and in her junior season connected on 91 threes a school record. Stokes as a senior averaged 25.8 points, 6.5 rebounds, 5.2 assists and 6.1 steals per game, had over 100 wins in her high school career and have over 2,000 points at point guard.
Madi Is So 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. Last season she had 50 blocks the second most in a single-season at MSSU. She ranked 10th in Division II for blocks (1st among Sophomores) and finished second in the MIAA after the postseason concluded while leading the MIAA in blocks for a majority of the season. Tied the school record of seven at Rogers State (Jan 28, 2021). Has now passed Jenson Maydew (14-18) and Caryn Schumaker (87-91) to be second in career blocks just seven blocks away from passing Zoe Campbell (17-21) for the school record.
Swatting At A Historic Rate
Madi Stokes has quickly rose up the career blocking list at MSSU having the best blocks per game total at 1.71 per game ahead of Joyce Falls (1986-88) who had a 1.69 blocks per game average.
Madi Has It
Last season Madi Stokes led the MIAA in blocks per game (2.17) and rebounds per game (10.5), second in blocks (50), defensive rebounds per game (8.2) and total rebounds (242). Fifth in double-doubles (7) and was eighth in offensive rebounds per game (2.3) last season. Ranked 10th in Division II for blocks, 15th in defensive rebounds per game, 19th in blocks per game, 21st in rebounds per game and 34th in double-doubles.
20-20 Clubbing
Madi Stokes against Emporia State (Jan. 16, 2021) 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). For the 2020-21 season only Stokes, Ritz (Wheeling) and Zyaire Ewing (Delta St.) Achieved a 20 points - 20 rebound game.
Crossing The Century Mark
The Lions secured a 103-58 home victory over Lincoln on December 18th in the last game of 2021 for the program. Reaching the 100 point total for the second time during Ronnie Ressel's tenure with the other coming on December 30, 2017 at home against Graceland in a 100-44 win. This was the most points scored by the Lions inside the Leggett & Platt Athletic Center since a 104-28 win over Ozark Christian on December 6, 2005.
A 30-20 What A Feat
Madi Stokes became the first player to achieve a 30 point - 20 rebound game in Southern's history at Rogers State (Jan. 28, 2021). 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 of the 2020-21 season in Division II, Ritz (Wheeling) and Danielle Norquest (West Florida) also accomplished the feat later on in the season.
Freshman Scoring Record Had L&P Stoked
Lacy Stokes set a new school record for freshman scoring with 33 last time out against Central Oklahoma (Dec. 2nd) that powered the Lions to a 81-74 win. Lacy is the first freshman since the 1984-85 season to have 30+ points and one of only four freshman or sophomores to score 30+ points in a game for the Lions since the 84-85 season.
Lacy Floods The Box Score To Open Season
Freshman point guard Lacy Stokes opened her collegiate career with 25 points, seven rebounds, six assists, and four steals. Lacy repeated the trick with a 21 point, eight assist, seven rebound, three steal and a block game while playing 42 minutes of an overtime loss to Harding (Nov. 13th).
Freshman Had A Historic Start
Lacy Stokes became the first freshman since Joyce Falls (1986-87) to begin a season with back-to-back 20+ point games. Stokes' 25 points against Henderson State (Nov. 12th) rank seventh among all Missouri Southern players in a season opening game since the 1984-85 season and the first to score 25+ points since Jasmine Lovejoy scored the second most points in a season opener finishing with a double-double of 36 points and 15 rebounds against Arkansas-Fort Smith (Nov. 16, 2010)
Athlete Of The Week (Week Nine)
Freshman guard Lacy Stokes won the MIAA Athlete of the Week for Week Nine after leading the Lions to a 3-0 week and averaged 20.3 points, 6.6 assists, 6.0 rebounds and 3.7 steals a game while shooting 46.3 percent from the field and 77.3 percent from free throws, picking up wins over Northeastern State, Washburn and Emporia State.
Bench Sparks Turned Starters
Redshirt freshman guard Kaitlin Hunnicutt and junior guard/forward Amaya Johns brought it off the bench this past season and are now in the starting lineup regularly. Hunnicutt was fourth on the team in scoring averaging 6.7 points a game, and connected on 26 threes. Her season-high of 15 was on the road against Pittsburg State (Jan. 9, 2021) . Johns led all bench scoring with 7.7 per game in 14 minutes a game. Her season-high of 21 points happened at home against Rogers State (Dec. 5, 2020) 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. This season Hunnicutt is averaging 7.4 points and 2.8 rebounds a game while connecting on a team-high 30 threes so far and is shooting 39.5 percent from three. This season Johns is averaging 11.3 points and pulling down 4.7 rebounds a game.
Den Of Thieves
This season Lacy Stokes, Kaitlin Hunnicutt, Layne Skiles and Brooke Stauffer have established themselves as top talents in stealing the ball from the opposition. Stokes leads the MIAA with 3.33 steals a game and 60 total steals while Skiles and Stauffer have 17 steals and Hunnicutt has 18 to rank in the top-25 in the MIAA. Hunnicutt became the first Lion since Krista Clark (Dec. 30, 2017) to have a game with 5 or more steals in the Lions 84-65 win at Rogers State and Stokes repeated the feat against McKendree (Dec.13).
Historic Thievery
Lacy Stokes is her first season in the Green and Gold is having a season to remember already posting 6 steals against Lincoln (Dec.18) and Missouri Western (Jan. 3) while having a 5 steal game against McKendree (Dec. 13) and Washburn (Jan. 13). Stokes is the first Lion since Alexis Fitzpatrick (2013-14) to have two 6+ steal games in a season and is also the first freshman since Jayme Callahan (1998-99) to have two 6+ steal games in a season. No freshman has ever had three games of 6 or more steals in school history.
Giving And Taking Of The Ball
True freshman Lacy Stokes is adept at passing and stealing the ball highlighted by the fact that she leads the MIAA in steals (60),steals per game (3.33), assists (105) and assist per game (5.8) and is second in assist-turnover ratio (3.50).Across Division II she leads freshman in steals, steals per game, assist-to-turnover ratio, assists per game and assists.
Who Wants To Get Blocked
This season the lions feature two of the premier shot blockers in the MIAA in redshirt guard/forward Hailey Grant and sophomore center Madi Stokes. Stokes leads the team with 30 (Second in MIAA) and Grant has 18 (Ninth in MIAA) blocks on the season. The pairing pace the Lions who average 4.1 blocks per game with 73 blocks to lead the MIAA in blocks per game and blocks.
Bench Mob Scores
This season the Lions have averaged 24.6 points per game as a bench unit and are led by sophomore center Madi Stokes who averages 11.6 points and 7.0 rebounds a game while blocking 30 shots and is shooting .588 from the field (77-131). Sophomore guard Cameron Call is second averaging 6.3 points per game and is shooting .344 from three (21-61) and has dished out 16 assists while averaging 20.3 minutes a game. As a unit the Lions scored 41 of their 74 points in the win against Missouri S&T (Nov. 20) as freshman guard Mia Topping finished with 12 points and Cameron Call added 11 points, both career-highs. The Lions against McKendree (Dec. 13) scored 55 of their 92 points from the bench with Stokes leading all scorers with 19 points and Call adding 13 of her own. Maleigha Landers connected on three from deep for nine points, Anna Hall scored eight, Mia Topping connected on two three's and Hailey Grant came away with career-highs in rebounds (10) and assists (7).
Let It Fly
This season the Lions are returning their top three-point shooters from 2020-21 in Layne Skiles and Kaitlin Hunnicutt while having Brooke Stauffer, Kaiulani Jones, Amaya Johns and Hailey Grant as capable shooters along with Division I Transfer Cameron Call to stretch the floor this season.
Three's A Raining
In the 103-58 home win over Lincoln the Lions tied two school records for three point shooting. going 14-34 from deep the Lions achieved 14 made threes for the fourth time in school history and the first since January 25, 2003 at Truman State in which they set a school record with 34 attempts from deep as well. Jacquie Rzeszut went 7-16 and Katie Deen was 4-11 in that game against Truman.
Skiles Creates A Historic Quadfecta
It is not every day you set a new standard but against Northeastern State (Jan. 11, 2022) Layne Skiles did that. Skiles who currently has 659 points, 107 three's, 118 free throws and 109 assists in her career becoming the first Lion to have 500+ points, 100+ three's, free throws and assists in a career. Became the 14th Lion to have 100+ three's, the 52nd to have 500+ points and 100+ free throws and the 53rd Lion to have 100+ career assists since 1984-85. Looking to become the 26th Lion to have 700+ points and 300+ rebounds in a career, currently with 659 points and 308 rebounds.
Climb The Three Point Ladder
Layne Skiles in her career is 107-288 (37.2) from three, ranking 8th in percentage with at least 1 make per game, 13th in makes and16th in attempts in MSSU history.
Madi Joins 500 Career Point, Rebounds Club Against #2 Tigers
Currently Madi Stokes has 585 career points and has pulled down 517 rebounds so far in her career, becoming the 13th Lion to have 500+ career points and rebounds and passed Caryn Schumaker (1987-91) in career blocks against #14 Nebraska-Kearney to have the most blocks to go with 500 points and rebounds in a career.
NCAA Stat Rankings (As of Jan. 27)
TEAM: As a team the Lions rank 28th in Division II in assist-turnover ratio (1.08), 29th in blocks (73), 31st in three's made and attempted (136-412), 35th in scoring offense (73.6), 37th in assists (274), 39th in scoring margin (+12.4), 42nd in blocks per game (4.1) and defensive rebounds per game (28.6), 42nd in three's made per game (7.6), 43rd in rebounds (730), 46th in field goal percentage defense (36.4) and 48th in fewest turnovers per game (14.1).
Lacy Stokes: In Division II ranks second in assist-turnover ratio (3.50), third in free throws attempted (125) and steals (60), fifth in assists (105), seventh in steals per game (3.33), eighth in assists per game (5.8), ninth in free throws made (89) and 20th in field goals attempted (266).
Madi Stokes: In Division II ranks 16th in field goal percentage (58.8, going 77-131), 25th in blocks per game (2.0) and 35th in blocks (30).
NCAA Stat Rankings (As of Jan. 27)
Lacy Stokes: Leads Division II freshman in assist-turnover ratio (3.50), assists per game (5.8), assists (105), steals (60) and steals per game (3.33). Second in free throws made (89), third in free throws attempted (125), fifth in field goals attempted (266), sixth in points per game (16.8), 11th in minutes played (582:29) and 12th in field goals made (98).
Madi Stokes: Leads Division II among sophomores in blocks (30), blocks per game (2.00), and field goal percentage (58.8, going 77-131).
MIAA Stat Rankings (As of Jan. 27)
TEAM: Leads the MIAA in blocks (73), blocks per game (4.1), defensive rebounds per game (28.6) and field goal percentage defense (36.4). Second in rebounds per game (40.56), three point defense (27.4) and three's attempted (412). Third in offensive rebounds per game (11.9), three's made (136), three's a game (7.6) and turnovers forced (17.11). Fourth in assists (274), assists per game (15.2), rebounds (730), scoring margin (+12.4), scoring offense (73.6) and turnover margin (+3.06). Fifth in assist-turnover ratio (1.08), three point percentage (33.0) and win loss percentage (72.2). Sixth in free throws made and attempted (239-338), scoring defense (61.2) and steals per game (8.1).
Lacy Stokes: Leads the MIAA in assists (105), assists per game (5.8), free throws attempted (125), steals (60) and steals per game (3.33). Second in assist-turnover ratio (3.50), fourth in free throws made (89), fifth in field goals attempted (266), seventh in minutes played per game (32.36) and points per game(16.8), ninth in field goals made (98), 10th in field goal percentage among qualified shooters (36.8), 11th in total minutes played (582:29), 13th in free throw percentage among qualified shooters (71.2).
Madi Stokes: Leads the MIAA in field goal percentage going 77-131 (58.8) and blocks per game (2.00), second in blocks (30), sixth in defensive rebounds per game (5.3) and seventh in rebounds per game (7.0).
Hailey Grant: Ranks ninth in the MIAA in blocks (18) and blocks per game (1.00).
Kaitlin Hunnicutt: Ranks eighth in the MIAA in three's made (30) and is ninth in three's made per game (1.67).
