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Today's post is written by Assistant Coach Marcus Moeller:
The college basketball schedule is divided into 3 seasons. The first season is the non-conference portion of the schedule. The second season is the conference schedule. The third season is the post-season. We have concluded the first 2 seasons of the year, and what a ride it has been!!
We started the year by playing 2 VERY good basketball teams. Our first assignment was to travel down to play the Univ of Arkansas Ft. Smith (UAFS). After a 2 point loss in Ft. Smith, we returned to Joplin and hosted #22 ranked Northeastern State University. At the conclusion of 2 games, we were 0-2. If you look at the success those 2 teams have had this year, it is very apparent that we played 2 great teams. UAFS finished their season with a 21-5 record and Northeastern State finished the regular season 23-3 and is currently ranked #10 in the country and #1 in the South Central Region. We were able to rebound and finish our non-conference schedule by going 2-0 in our Thanksgiving Classic. Season 1 record? 2-2.
The depth of talent, coaches, and teams in the MIAA makes it the premier league in the country; and for that reason, we knew Season 2 was going to be a long and grueling one. Looking back on the conference portion of our schedule, I believe very confidently that the 1st game was THE turning point of the season. You might be confused about that because, if you remember, we went to Truman and lost that game by 13 points. However, what happened in the locker room (which will remain in the locker room as an intimate event in the lives of our players) set the tone for the rest of our season. From there, we rattled off an impressive 6 game winning streak (culminating with an 8 point victory over rival Pittsburg State) and solidified ourselves as one of the top teams in the league.
Any 22 game conference schedule is going to be packed with plenty of "ups and downs". The "ups" for us, far outweighed the "downs". We were able to win 5 road games (a great number in the MIAA) and finished an impressive 10-1 at home in conference play (12-2 overall). A couple road wins that stick out are Missouri Western and Fort Hays, because those are 2 places that historically we have not played well. We are blessed with great support at home and we were very happy to be able to treat our fans to wins over 2 nationally ranked opponents (Defending National Champion #20 Emporia State and #18 Northwest Missouri). Season 2 Record? 15-7 and tied for 3rd in the final conference standings.
The post-season is what college basketball is all about and for us, Season 3 kicks off Friday at 2:15pm at the historic Municipal Auditorium as we take on 5th seeded Pittsburg State (Emporia State held the tiebreaker over us, meaning we are seeded 4th). To see a rundown of the MIAA conference tournament and see a link to the bracket, click HERE. The MIAA hosts a first class event in downtown Kansas City every year in early March, and I would hope that you are making plans to come see some GREAT basketball this weekend! Season 3 record? To be determined...
Until next time...It's a GREAT day to be a LION!!
Marcus Moeller Assistant Coach
Today's post is written by Assistant Coach Marcus Moeller:
At the time I am writing this post, the MIAA website tells me that we are EXACTLY 10 days, 18 hours, 32 minutes and 21 seconds from the tip off of the 2011 MIAA Basketball Championships. In the words of NY Jets Inside Linebacker Bart Scott, we "CAN'T WAIT!!" (click here to see what I mean). With 1 week remaining in the regular season, so many emotions, feelings, and thoughts come to mind. The heated conference race, the crucial regional polls, and a chance to finish with a GREAT home record are all in the forefront of our minds. The other thing that naturally comes with the end of a season is watching the seniors play their final games at home.
This week marks the last 2 games that Afton Baldwin, Lindsey Rujawitz, LaTice Jones and Jasmine Lovejoy will ever play in the Leggett and Platt Athletic Center on our campus. All 4 of these young ladies transferred in from different junior colleges (Crowder CC, Lewis and Clark CC, State Fair CC, and Northeast (Neb) College respectively). One of the drawbacks to recruiting junior college transfers is that you only get to coach them for 2 years. Often, those 2 years go by extremely fast. It can be difficult to get 2 year players to really buy into the program and the system. We are very fortunate this group of seniors bought in from the very beginning by embracing the work ethic and coachability we demand from our players.
We consider the opportunity to play at Missouri Southern and represent this institution, athletic department, and basketball program a huge honor. We are very selective of the young ladies we invite into our family. Afton, Lindsey, LaTice, and Jasmine have been GREAT representatives of our program both on and off the court. I am going to put off listing all of their accomplishments because, fortunately for us, their careers aren't quite over yet!!
This is a HUGE week for our program. We currently sit in a tie for 3rd place in the MIAA and are looking forward to finishing the year at home with games on Wednesday (Univ of Nebraska Omaha) and Saturday (Northwest Missouri State Univ). Saturday is Senior Day (tip off at 1:00pm) and we would love for you to come out and show your support to our very special group of seniors. There is no better way for you to say "thank you", than by coming and cheering us on as we play our last regular season game of the year!!
Until next time...It's a GREAT day to be a LION!!
Marcus Moeller
Assistant Coach
Today's Post is written by Assistant Coach Marcus Moeller:
It's an interesting debate as to the importance of winning at home vs. the importance of winning on the road. You often hear people say "you have to win your home games". Then, undoubtedly, someone will follow that with this comment, "yeah, but it's crucial to win on the road." Neither of those statements clearly define which is more important. So, which IS more important, winning at home or winning on the road?
We talk a lot with our team about what it takes to win on the road. Our goal is always to defend extremely well, be physical, and shoot layups and free throws on the offensive end of the floor. When we have established those areas to our advantage, we've had success. When we have been unable to control the game in those areas, we have walked away on the losing end. Road wins are a huge lift to a team's energy and emotion. There is a great feeling walking to the bus to go home, knowing that the whole trip was worth it, because we came away with the win.
Playing at home is exhilarating. We are fortunate to have GREAT fan support from the community of Joplin. We have played several very intense, tight ball games on our home floor. In fact, 3 of our last 4 games in the Leggett and Platt Athletic Center have gone to overtime. We are very proud of our undefeated record in overtime this year. We owe a lot of that to our home crowd and their support!
Yesterday, we took on #20 Emporia State, the defending National Champions, on our home floor. The Lady Hornets were 1 game up in the conference standings and ranked 3 spots ahead of us in the most recent Regional poll heading into yesterday's contest. Needless to say, this was a HUGE game for us. In what turned out to be an extremely intense back and forth game, we were able to come away with a 82-74 victory in overtime. Senior Jasmine Lovejoy's career high 38 points helped lead the way in the biggest win of our season; a win that happened at home.
So, is it bigger to win your road games, or your home games? My answer is this...it depends on what you want. To be considered a GOOD team...you must take care of your home court. To be considered a GREAT team...you must win BOTH on the road AND at home. We are very proud of our 10-2 record at home. We are proud to have won several big road games. BUT, there are 4 games left in our season...2 on the road, and 2 at home. Guess what? We want to be considered GREAT.
Until next time...It's a GREAT day to be a LION!!
Marcus Moeller
Assistant Coach
Today's post is written by Assistant Coach Marcus Moeller:
Webster defines the word "anomaly" to be any occurrence that is strange, unusual, or unique. It can also mean a discrepancy or deviation from an established rule, trend or pattern. This past week, perhaps more than any week I can ever remember, has been a week of anomalies for this city and our basketball program. Let me explain...
1.) Anomaly #1.....The Weather. I have lived in Joplin for over 25 years and have never experienced anything like the type of winter storm that engulfed the Midwest this week. Sure, there were the ice storms of 2006 and 2008, but this was completely different. Somewhere in the ballpark of 20 inches fell in Joplin within the span of 16 straight hours and brought the entire community (and all surrounding communities) to a complete and utter standstill. Anytime the term "winter blizzard" is used in Joplin (which, as I recall, is...NEVER) it isn't a good sign. At this point (3pm on Sunday), the city streets are FAR from cleared and our campus is still packed snow-filled parking lots and sidewalks. The "worst winter storm in Joplin since 1942" was definitely a unique occurrence.
2.) Anomaly #2....The (lack of) Practice. The thing that is so crippling about such a massive amount of snowfall is the inability to move it. Joplin does not have the equipment, resources, etc. to get this type of snow moved in a timely fashion (which is understandable considering the last time a storm like this hit, it was 1942). As a result, schools, businesses, and all travel was left at a standstill. In fact, we were completely unable to practice on Tuesday. You see, fearing the forecasts were true, all of our girls stayed on campus Monday night to ensure they could make it to the gym on Tuesday, regardless of the conditions. Late Monday night, the snow came and, much to their applause, school was canceled. With classes canceled, we were scheduled to practice at 1:00pm and the girls were completely prepared to find their way to the gym. There was just 1 minor problem...the coaches couldn't get there. All 4 of our staff were completely snowed in, with no chance navigating through the elements to get to the gym. Practice was canceled. In our program this is definitely a deviation from an established rule, trend or pattern.
3.) Anomaly #3....The Win. The road trip started off on the right foot with a win at Lincoln Univ on Thursday night. Thankful to come away with a road win that night, we turned our attention to the #9 team in the region, Missouri Western. The game, to be played at 5:30 on Saturday evening in St. Joseph, MO, had some rather bothersome statistics looming over it. You see, in the history of Missouri Southern Women's Basketball, the all-time record when playing at Missouri Western was 2-28. However, even that statistic is rather misleading when you realize that due to some NCAA sanctions at Missouri Western, 1 of those wins was a considered a "vacated win" by Western. Essentially, when the horn sounded to mark the completion of a game played in their gym, our program had been on the winning side of the score only 1 time(not to mention, it had been 17 years since that 1 win). The Cubs have the billy goat, the Red Sox have the curse of the Bambino....we have the curse of playing at Missouri Western.
After a Friday practice and Saturday shootaround on their floor, we felt ready to compete. After taking a 5 point lead into halftime, we found ourselves trailing by 2 points with under 5 minutes to go and the game hanging in the balance. Finishing the game with a GREAT defensive effort, solid free throw shooting, and a complete dominance in the rebounding margin, we were able to secure the win. Road game reveal character...this game (and entire road trip) revealed a lot about the character of our basketball team. So I guess, if an anomaly really is "any occurrence that is strange, unusual or unique" or "a discrepancy or deviation from an established rule, trend or pattern", then yeah, I'd say this particular win fits the description.
Road wins are so important for any team with big goals and dreams for their season. We have another HUGE one coming up this Wednesday at Pitt State Univ. We are looking forward to another GREAT rivalry game and would love to have you there! And if the last 7 days is an indicator, you never know...you may just see something that hasn't happened in a long time.
Until next time...It's a GREAT day to be a LION!!
Marcus Moeller
Assistant Coach
