Joplin, Mo. - The Missouri Southern Women's basketball program is ready to open the 2023-24 season this weekend. On Friday, the Lions will face the Harding Lady Bisons, and they'll play the Henderson State Reddies on Saturday. Both games will be played at White Auditorium in Emporia, Kansas in the MIAA/GAC Crossover.

Game One Information
Teams: Missouri Southern (season opening weekend) vs Harding (season opening weekend)
Date: November 10
Tip-Off: 1:00 PM
Location: Emporia, Kan.
Site: White Auditorium
Series Record: Lions trail 6-1 | Last Meeting: 2022-23, MSSU won 68-66

Coaches
MSSU: Ronnie Ressel | 8th season at MSSU | 109-96 record
HU: Tim Kirby | 19th season at HU | 350-170 record

Game Two Information
Teams: Missouri Southern (season opening weekend) vs Henderson State (season opening weekend)
Date: November 11
Tip-Off: 11:00 AM
Location: Emporia, Kan.
Site: White Auditorium
Series Record: Lions trail 3-2 | Last meeting: 2022-23, MSSU won 74-59

Coaches
MSSU: Ronnie Ressel | 8th season at MSSU | 109-96 record
HSU: Jill Thomas | 11th season at HSU | 147-125 record

Media Coverage
Live Audio/Video/Stats - https://www.mssulions.com/coverage
Lions on Facebook:  Facebook.com/mssuwbb
Lions on Twitter: @mssuwbb; @mososports
Lions on Instagram: @mssuwbb

Scouting the Lions
The Lions begin the season with a MIAA/ GAC crossover at White Auditorium, located in Emporia, Kansas. Last season the Lions finished 29-7 overall with a 16-6 MIAA record, advancing to the NCAA Division-II Regional Championship after defeating division rivals Pittsburg State 73-64. 

Last season the Lions won a school record 29 games, won their first MIAA Tournament since 1996 and made their first Regional Championship game appearance since 1994, finishing 18th nationally. Four Lions were named All-MIAA at the end of last year. One of those four return this year in Kryslyn Jones. • In total, Southern returns two starters and six total squad members from the 2022-23 season.

Scouting the Lady Bisons
The Lady Bisons were ranked second in the GAC coaches preseason poll following their highest-winning season, 25-7 (19-3 GAC), since joining Division-II in 2015. After finishing second in the Great American Conference to Southern Nazarene in the regular season standings, the Lady Bisons fought their way into the GAC Tournament Championship game in which they eventually fell to the Crimson Storm, 57-46. 

Harding returns a pair of All-GAC selections in Sage Hawley and Rory Geer. Hawley captured the Player of the Year accolade after ranking in the top 10 nationally in rebounding and blocks. Her 19.5 points ranked second in the league and 17th nationally. Geer added 10.4 points and 7.4 rebounds per game in her first season with the Lady Bisons.

Scouting the Reddies
The Reddies were ranked fifth in the GAC coaches preseason poll following a 17-12 (14-8 GAC) record in the 2022-23 season. After finishing third in the Great American Conference to Southern Nazarene and Harding in the regular season standings, the Reddies fought their way into the GAC Tournament quarterfinals in which they eventually fell to Ouachita Baptist University, 70-53. 

The Reddies return nine players from last year's squad that finished 17-12 overall and 14-8 in conference games, earning the three-seed at the GAC Tournament. Among the returners, HSU brings back First-Team All-GAC Ashley Farrar. The Green Forest, Ark. native tallied the second most points across the league last year with 560 - the fifth most points in a season by a Reddie - and averaged 19.3 points per game. 

Along with Farrar, HSU also returns a handful of experience with upperclassmen JJ Eddens, Bobbi Bazzle, Jadah Pickens and Eryka Patton all back. In addition, Henderson St. added four new faces in the offseason, including Tori Gittens from Charleston Southern and Makenna Winans from Oral Roberts, along with freshmen Sam Basson and Natalie Cardenas.

The Missouri Southern women's basketball season is presented by People's Bank of Seneca, a proud supporter of Lion Athletics.

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