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Today's post was written by Assistant Coach Marcus Moeller:
The NCAA Division II season has been officially underway for 7 days. The week had ups and downs, but we learned a lot and were able to end on a high note. Last Sunday we opened our season on the road in Tahlequah, OK. We faced a veteran NSU RiverHawks team and went home on the losing end of a hard fought game.
You can learn a lot about the maturity of a basketball team by watching how they respond to a loss. Needless to say, the following couple days were important for our team. After taking Monday off, we got back at it with an intense practice on Tuesday. We really stressed the little things. It was very important that we go back to focusing on simple things like catching and passing the basketball, making layups, making free throws, valuing the basketball…Tuesday through Thursday we worked very hard to correct some of the things that really plagued us vs. NSU. While it is safe to say that it wasn’t the best 3 days of practices we’ve ever had, it was obvious that we were making strides in the right direction. Winning on the road takes mental toughness and we grew in that area during these practices.
On Thursday evening, after practice, it was off to Emporia, Kansas to play in the ESU Tip-Off Classic. We had 2 quality opponents ahead of us (Evangel University--#21 in NIAA Division 1 poll-- and Eastern New Mexico University) and we knew we must play inspired, with lots of energy and emotion in order to get the results we wanted. Friday night we faced Evangel. Using our defense to create for our offense, we came away with a 79-43 win. Our defensive effort and intensity was finally starting to get closer to the “Southern Way” of playing defense.
I stated earlier that “You can learn a lot about the maturity of a basketball team by watching how they respond to a loss.” Well, it might be true that you can learn MORE about the maturity of a basketball team by watching how they respond to a win. Saturday was another great opportunity for our basketball team to prove their maturity. The challenge before us was a fast and athletic Eastern New Mexico team. The first half was a see-saw affair that saw the Zias hit a buzzer beating 3, sending us to the locker room with only a 4 point lead. However, fueled by a great start to the second half, we were able to pull away and win the contest 76-58. We were headed home 2-1 on the season! After the contest we learned that Michelle Hedgecock (Averaged 11.5 pts and 8.5 rbs) and Jasmine Lovejoy (Averaged 15.5 pts) had been named to the all-tournament team. Congrats ladies!
This weekend was GREAT for our team. Now we have 4 days to prepare for the Pizza Hut/Fairfield Inn Classic held in our very own Leggett and Platt Athletic Center. Can’t wait to come back and play in front of our AWESOME fans!
Until next time…It’s a GREAT day to be a LION!!
Marcus Moeller
Assistant Coach
Today's post is written by Jr. guard Jasmine Lovejoy:
Hello everyone, my name is Jasmine Lovejoy and I am a junior guard from Northeast Community College in Norfolk, Nebraska. I am originally from Springfield, Massachusetts. I am very proud to be from Springfield because of the major role that basketball has played in its history. One interesting thing that a lot of people may not know is that basketball was founded and invented there, and is also where the basketball Hall of Fame is.
Growing up it was very important for me to play a sport. Being from that area, I chose the sport that everyone else chooses…basketball. When I was younger, I watched a lot of old basketball games that had players who were inducted into the Hall of Fame. Watching current and future Hall of Famers really made me take basketball more seriously. It really made me strive to become a better player. As I got older, I began to understand how important it is to be from the area called “the birth place of basketball.” I felt very fortunate that the game that I have grown to love has the same birthplace as me!!
After all the positives, there were actually a few negatives to growing up in Springfield. The most glaring negative was the expectation and standard placed on me to be a GREAT basketball player. The other negative in that area was the number of all girls teams (or lack thereof). There were tons and tons of boy’s teams growing up, but very few all girls teams.
I am very thankful to have grown up in Springfield. It really causes me to appreciate the game of basketball and its historical significance.
I am so excited for our season to get started. I hope to see everyone out in the stands!
Until next time…It’s a GREAT day to be a LION!!
Jasmine Lovejoy
Jr. Shooting Guard
Today's post is written by Jr. Shooting Guard Afton Baldwin:
My name is Afton Baldwin and I am a junior here at Missouri Southern. I am an elementary education major from Nevada, Missouri. I have lived in Nevada my whole life and wouldn't want to live anywhere else. It's the perfect place for me. I have two wonderful parents, Mark and Penny Baldwin and three siblings, Bridget (22), Austin (18), and Carolyne (10). We have seven pets (two dogs and five cats). I am very close to my family and enjoy going home and seeing them.
I went to Nevada High School where I played basketball for Brent Bartlett. He is a great coach. He taught me how to play the game of basketball and I really enjoyed playing for him.Out of high school I chose to continue my playing career at Crowder College in Neosho, Missouri. I chose to go there mainly because it was only an hour and 15 minutes from home.
Another reason I chose Crowder was because my sister, Bridget, went to school there for two years on a softball scholarship and she really enjoyed it. I also really liked being on a campus small enough to walk everywhere. Finally, I really enjoyed the people at Crowder. Playing for Coach Tina Robbins was a great experience and one I am very thankful for.
As my sophomore year at Crowder got into full swing I realized that I was serious enough about basketball that I wanted to continue playing at the next level. My desire to stay close to home had not changed and I was looking for a great program that was within a couple hours of home. I chose to come to Missouri Southern just a few weeks before school started and I'm so glad that I did!! I used to come to the basketball camps here at Southern when I was in high school (from my freshman-senior year). As a result, I've been familiar with the basketball program here at Southern for quite awhile.
Coming to Southern is one of the best decisions I have ever made. This is definitely the hardest I've ever worked on the basketball floor. Our practices are tough, but I enjoy seeing the daily improvement. Our coaches really push us toward excellence everyday we step onto the court. I feel very lucky to be a part of this team and I'm excited to see how well we do this year!
Until next time…It’s a GREAT day to be a LION!!
Afton Baldwin
Jr. Shooting Guard
Nevada, MO
