MSSU Women's Basketball

As One Season Ends, Another Begins

2011-03-13T19:52:00.008-05:00

Today's post is written by Assistant Coach Marcus Moeller:

A common truth that shows up in many aspects of life is the idea that when one season ends, another begins. The most obvious example of this is the weather. You never hear people talk about the seasons of weather "ending". What you hear, is the seasons are "changing". "Ending" is used to refer to something that stops or ceases to exist. "Changing" is used to signify the ushering in of something new, whatever is next. When Fall ends, Winter begins. When Spring ends, Summer begins. The same is true in the calendar of college basketball programs.

A little over a week ago our season ended at the conference tournament in Kansas City. We finished the regular season with an overall record of 17-9 and finished in a tie for 3rd place in the final MIAA standings. Although our season ended, another one began. For the coaching staff, the season changes to a recruiting season. You don't have to look very hard at high school state tournaments or junior college regional and national tournaments, to see college coaches sitting and looking for the next big star of their program.

The returning players take several weeks off to rest, recuperate, and rejuvenate from a long season and prepare for the next season of their lives...post-season. The post-season is all about the individual. This is one of the rare season's of a student athlete's life that they should focus on themselves. As coaches we design workouts that really focus on what things each individual player needs to work on in order to improve as a player. The goal is always to improve the individual now so the team will improve later.

For those seniors that are done with their playing careers, it becomes a season of graduation and moving into the "real world". Even if the student athlete has another year to complete their degree requirements, they begin to turn their attention to preparing to enter their chosen career field. Whether an internship or a job, they begin to get a taste of life after basketball.

There are always seasons of life that you don't want to see change. This has been one of those season for our basketball program. With many successes on and off the court and amazing people to experience those successes with, we hate to see the season change. We are so thankful to have gone through this season and look forward to experiencing many more just like it.

Until next time...It's a GREAT day to be a LION!!

Marcus Moeller
Assistant Coach

Season 1: 2-2...Season 2: 15-7...Season 3: ???

2011-02-27T18:04:00.017-06:00

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

10 days, 18 hours, 32 minutes, 21 seconds and counting

2011-02-20T16:42:00.007-06:00

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

Home Is Where the Hoop Is

2011-02-13T16:39:00.006-06:00

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

The week the anomaly became normal

2011-02-06T14:06:00.005-06:00

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

Why do the regional polls matter?

2011-01-30T18:10:00.009-06:00

Today's post is written by Assistant Coach Marcus Moeller:

Last Wednesday the first regional polls were unveiled, and we debuted at 9th. At the same time, our Men's team here at Southern, debuted 1st. That being said, it has caused quite the excitement on campus and in the surrounding Joplin community. The other thing it has done is cause many people to ask me why the regional polls matter. So, here is your "Reader's Digest version" of how the postseason works for basketball at the NCAA Division 2 level.

The nation is split into 8 regions. Your regional assignment is dictated by the conference that you participate in. Our region, the South Central Region, is comprised of 3 conferences: The MIAA, Lonestar, and Heartland. Beginning the last week of January, there is a weekly regional poll that comes out that ranks the top 10 teams. At the end of the season, the 3 conference tournament winners receive an automatic bid to the Regional tournament, while the remaining 5 spots are dictated by the next 5 highest ranked teams in the final regional poll. Those 8 teams make up the field of the regional tournament. The regional tourney is hosted by the top seed in the region. At that point there are 64 teams left playing postseason basketball (8 teams in 8 regions), and that marks the beginning of the NCAA tourney.

From there, it is a "win or go home", single loss elimination tournament. Once the winner of each Region has been decided, the 8 surviving teams converge on a predesignated site and participate in the "The Elite Eight". The Elite Eight is Division's 2's version of "The Final Four" in that all of the games are played at the same site. This year's Elite Eight, like last year, will be held in St. Joseph, MO at the St. Joseph Civic Arena.

One thing that we always talk about as a team is to focus on what we CAN control. We CAN NOT control where we are ranked by the regional pollsters, but we CAN control each game that we play. Our focus is on each game that we play. There is no better preparation for postseason play, than the MIAA regular season. There are a 2 things that are always true about the teams that qualify for the NCAA tournament from the MIAA conference: 1.) they are battle tested, and 2.) they have earned their spot in the tournament. The most obvious example came just last year when the team that won the National Championship, Emporia State University, came from our conference, but was unable to win the regular season or conference tournament championship!

After a tough road loss at the Univ of Central Missouri on Wednesday, we were able to rebound with a good win at home over Southwest Baptist yesterday. we currently sit in 4th in the MIAA standings, just 2 games out of first place. Last night was a GREAT environment for our annual Pink Night and we are so thankful for all of the support we receive from the community. This week we have 2 very big road games against Lincoln Univ (Wednesday) and Missouri Western Univ (Saturday). If you've never listened to our games when we go on the road, you're missing out on one of the premier play-by-play commentators in college sports. Brash overstatement, you say? I challenge you to follow us on the road by clicking "LISTEN LIVE" at mssulions.com as Kevin Greim gives the sights and sounds of all of our games. You will not be disappointed.

Until next time...It's a GREAT day to be a LION!!

Marcus Moeller
Assistant Coach

The 80/20 rule and "The Grind"

2011-01-23T18:04:00.006-06:00

Today's post is written by Assistant Coach Marcus Moeller:

This post is part 2 of the 2 part mini-series concerning the final 11 games of the season! Be sure to read Part 1 entitled "Round 2...The secret is out" first!!

I have long been a believer in the the 80/20 rule. I believe this is a rule, not only to live by, but to use as a measuring stick for a person to measure their own strengths, weaknesses, victories and failures. The 80/20 says that "20% of life is made up of what happens to you, the remaining 80% is how you react to what happens to you." There are so many areas of life that this truth shows up. For our basketball team, we have began a stretch of games that will test the 80% portion of that ratio. This stretch of games has become known amongst coaches in the league as "The Grind".

"The Grind" refers to the last 5 weeks of the conference schedule, because for 5 straight weeks, the teams in the league will play every Wednesday and Saturday without coming up for air. We have finished non-conference play, we have finished the NCAA mandated "dead period" from Dec 20-26th, we have finished Christmas break...there are no breaks left before the MIAA tournament in Kansas City (March 3rd-6th). For players and coaches in the league, this is the time of the year that their physical and mental stamina is tested to it's limits.

Affectionately terming this stretch of games as "the grind" is actually very fitting when you look at it closer. The word, when not being thrown around as a noun by college basketball coaches, is actually a verb. Webster defines it this way: "to wear down, polish or sharpen". The thing I find interesting is this...the result of the grind(ing) can be positive or negative. Some things wear down, while others are made stronger, sharper, more polished.

The concept is simple, "The Grind" will either wear teams down, or will it makes them sharper and more polished. In lue of the 80/20 rule, we are in control...not of the schedule, but of how we react to that schedule. We are in control of how we are affected by "The Grind". Ultimately, the thing I love most about "The Grind" is that the toughest competitors always rise to the top. The hard work put in all summer, pre-season, non-conference schedule, and the first round of conference culminates in these last 10 games. Buckle your seat belts because one thing is for sure...it's going to be a fun ride!

Until next time...It's a GREAT day to be a LION!

Marcus Moeller
Assistant Coach

Round 2...the secret is out!!

2011-01-16T22:02:00.005-06:00

Today's post is written by Assistant Coach Marcus Moeller:

As I sit here typing, we are currently in the midst of a 2 game, 3 and a half day road trip. On Saturday afternoon we played in Omaha, Nebraska. The University of Nebraska at Omaha (UNO) poses some interesting difficulties for us. The biggest thing about UNO is that you know they are going to play the game extremely hard from the opening tip, to the final buzzer. Career highs in points by guards Kelby Fritz (20) and Afton Baldwin (18) really propelled our team after getting off to a slow start in the game. Overall, we played a very complete basketball game as a TEAM and came away with a hard fought 76-66 win. After that result, we currently sit at 9-5 overall and 7-3 in league play.

The second game of the road trip is in Maryville, MO at Northwest Missouri State University tomorrow (Monday) evening at 5:30. At the conclusion of the game we will also have completed the first round of conference. That's right, 11 conference games down...and 11 to go! I've always found the second round of conference games very interesting. It is so different than the games played in the first round. Why? Noone has any secrets anymore.

When the first round of conference play concludes, you have seen each and every team up close and personal. You have experienced every team's newcomers. You have seen them on film what feels like a hundred times and you have now seen in person what they do on the offensive and defensive ends of the floor. At this point, there are no secrets. Don't get me wrong, every coach makes adjustments with certain personnel and game strategy, but at this point, you have seen what every team has to offer.

The other thing that makes the second half of conference play so exciting is the race to the MIAA conference tournament. The top 8 teams in the league will converge in downtown Kansas City at Municipal Auditorium on the first weekend in March for the MIAA tournament. The MIAA puts on GREAT event and really makes this event the premier Division 2 conference tournament in the country. EVERY game (first round included) in conference play is so important, but you can feel the pressure rising as the second round proceeds. The standings are hugely impacted by every loose ball, every missed free throw and every win or loss. Simply put...it's game on!

Our players are very excited about the turn of the conference calendar. We have a great test before us with a very tough road contest tomorrow night. We are very grateful for all of the support that we have been shown by the Joplin community and we are looking forward to continuing to see so many fans at our home games!!

Until next time...It's a GREAT day to be a LION!!

Marcus Moeller
Assistant Coach

MSSU vs Pitt State...I'm a first timer!!

2011-01-10T10:04:00.013-06:00

Today's post is written by Junior Guard Larrita Gipson:

When I was recruited to play basketball here, one of the selling points that the coaches stressed was the GREAT natural rivalry with Pitt State. I really didn’t have any idea what they were talking about, but they made it sound like it was an intense natural rivalry. Then, when I arrived on campus I began to hear more about it. Things like: it was a big game on our schedule, the community rallies behind the Green and Gold, and it will be a GREAT environment at home and on the road. By the time Jan 2nd rolled around, I was so ready to be a part of this rivalry! I was very excited and ready to help lead my team to victory!

We watched a lot of game film and focused mainly on our offense execution. We knew coming into this game that they would pick us up in the full court (with some trapping) the entire game and it was CRUCIAL that we take care of the ball and value every possession. It was something that we worked on throughout the entire week of preparation. That preparation paid off, because we only turned the ball over 11 times, which was a season low!! In the end, however, it was our ability to defend in the half court that led us to the 60-52 victory!!

It was really special to see the support we had behind us with our community. It was the first time I had ever seen Leggett & Platt Athletic Center so full during a basketball game this season. It was so exciting to know that the town of Joplin cared so much about that game, and was right behind us supporting until the final buzzer. The other thing that was great to see that night, was having the alumni there for us!! After the game, we had a chance to talk with some of the alumni of our program, it was great to see and meet the women that had come before me and worn the same jersey!! The best part of it was hearing all the stories about when they played here at Southern! But I have to admit; it was a greater feeling seeing the smiles on their face after the win over Pitt! :)

This will be an important week for us because we want to close out the first round of the conference with 3 strong performances. We came up 4 points shy of knocking off the #8 team in the country on Saturday and we are hungry to get back on the court and start another winning streak!!

It all starts with Fort Hays coming to our place on Monday. The forecast calls for snow in Joplin, so it’s a GREAT day to stay indoors and watch some basketball!! After a day on Tuesday we will get back on the practice floor and prepare for the road trip. We play two games in three days against Neb. Omaha and Northwest Mo. State. Thanks for all of your support!!

Until next time...It's a GREAT day to be a LION!!

Larrita Gipson
Junior Guard

How to set yourself apart

2011-01-02T21:16:00.015-06:00

Today's post is written by Assistant Coach Marcus Moeller:

I am constantly looking for a way to get an edge. How can we improve as a team? How can we recruit the next GREAT player? How can we improve every individual on our team? How can we be more prepared for every opponent we play? Ultimately, the one question that encompasses them all is, "How can we set ourselves apart from everyone else?"

I'll never forget the day I was told that showing up to work on time, telling the truth, and being respectful and kind to the people around you, will put you ahead of 90% of the people you work with. The lesson is this, mastery of the "little things" will set you apart from everyone else.

If you follow sports closely at all you have undoubtedly heard an announcer and analyst refer to someone as a "clutch player". The term is used to described a player who consistently performs at a high level when the game or season hangs in the balance. These players seem to find a way to hit a shot, grab a rebound or take a charge at the most critical times of the game to swing things in their favor. Wikipedia defines a clutch player as someone who performs well under extreme pressure.

The thing that has always baffled me about the idea of a "clutch shot" is that at the end of the day, it's just a jump shot. I mean, when Michael Jordan hit the game-winner over Byron Russell in Game 6 to win the NBA Championship, all he did was hit a 20 foot jump shot. Sometimes we dramatize and romanticize these moments to the point that we forget that the act of hitting a jump shot is nothing fantastic. In fact, Jordan has taken a million 20 foot jumpers through his playing career.

What set Jordan apart? His was so phenomenal at the fundamentals, that when the light shined brightest, the pressure was on, and the game was on the line, hit just rose up and made a simple 20 foot jump shot. Hitting a game winning shot, grabbing the game sealing rebound, or icing the game at the free throw line is nothing more than the mastery of the little things. Clutch performers simply MASTER the LITTLE THINGS. You want to set yourself apart? Master the little things.

Until next time...It's a GREAT day to be a LION!!

Marcus Moeller
Assistant Coach

It's the MOST wonderful time of the year!!

2010-12-29T20:26:00.007-06:00

Today's post is written by Assistant Coach Marcus Moeller:

Thanksgiving and Christmas have come and gone. Final exams...same story. The Christmas song says it best, "It's the most wonderful time of they year". However, for college basketball players and coaches, the reason for this claim maybe a little bit different than what the song was talking about.

At Missouri Southern, the Spring semester begins January 17th. Our players arrived back on campus on Monday (December 27th). Between the day they arrived and the first day of the Spring semester there are 23 days that they get to play ball and not worry about their homework, tests, or quizzes. Although the campus is desolate (the men's and women's basketball teams are the only students back in the dorms), there is a certain bonding and camaraderie that takes place over this time. Our team will play 6 games during the next 23 days. At the conclusion of those 23 days we will have completed the entire first round of conference play (the MIAA plays a double round robin, each team playing every other team both at home and on the road).

This journey starts on Sunday Jan. 2nd at 2:00pm with a home contest against Pittsburg State. Game 1 of the Sonic Trophy Series game will be a very special one. That day is "Alumni Night" for our basketball program. We are very excited to have some of our alumni returning with their family and friends! Another exciting event taking place that day is the official announcement and presentation of the establishment of the Brenda Pitts-Jennings Endowment Scholarship. In addition, Brenda's name will forever be the name of our lockerroom.

We are so very grateful to all of our loyal fans and can't wait to see you out at the game on Sunday. With all of the "extra" events surrounding the game, don't forget that we are in hot pursuit of the top spot in our conference and riding a 4 game winning streak!! We look forward to seeing you at the Leggett and Platt Athletic Center on Sunday!

See what I mean, now? It's the most wonderful time of the year!!

Until next time...It's a GREAT day to be a LION!!

Marcus Moeller
Assistant Coach

Merry Christmas!

2010-12-19T22:41:00.016-06:00

Today's post is written by Assistant Coach Marcus Moeller:

What a ride we have been on these last 3 weeks. I cannot describe the energy and excitement that has been circulating around our program. Lindsey, in last week's blog post, did a GREAT job of giving you an overall picture of how our season has gone, so I will just pick up where she left off. At the time Lindsey wrote, we had just beat Lincoln University to raise our record to 5-3 overall and 3-1 in the MIAA.

This week was a LONG week of preparation. There are very few times during the conference season that we get to have more than 2 practices before we play our next game. However, with a Wednesday "bye", we had plenty of time to prepare for our final game of the first semester, a road contest at Southwest Baptist University (SBU). We took Sunday and Monday off to ensure that our players had ample time to prepare for a week of final exams and then we got back on the practice floor on Tuesday. We had 4 practice days to get ready for Saturday and try to finish the semester on a high note.

One area we have talked a lot about as a team, is the amount of experience that has returned from last year's team. I thought our experience was very evident on Tuesday and Wednesday. Often times, too many days of prep can really do a number on the focus of a team. Tuesday and Wednesday (a normal "game day" for us) have the capability to turn into lack-luster practices with little energy. It was very obvious that our players took the practice floor ready to compete, improve, and prepare for Saturday's game. After 4 days of very good practices we felt ready to go on the road, and compete very hard to win a basketball game.

Saturday's game at SBU was one of those games that a lot of people close to this basketball family will remember for a long time. Harold and Lena Mitts (Coach Mitts' parents) once again provided the backing for the "MOSO Spirit Bus" to head to Bolivar. Packed with fans, the bus met us in Bolivar and gave us great support! Many other Southern fans also followed the team to Bolivar and cheered us on and gave us an immense lift on the road.

In what proved to be a phenomenal game, we came out on top with a 69-66 win!! You can read all the details of the game HERE. With the win we hiked our record to 6-3 overall and 4-1 in the MIAA. After all the other league games played out over the weekend, we now find ourselves in a tie for 2nd place!! We have now won 4 in a row and 6 of our last 7. The level of energy, intensity and competitiveness that our team has shown has been the biggest key to our success.

In a holiday season that should be all about giving, we want to give you our sincerest "thank you". There are a lot of teams out there that are simply a collection of individuals trying to work together to put a leather ball in an iron hoop. However, thanks to so many of you, our program truly is a family. We are blessed with so many things and it is only right that we take a step back in this season and remember to be grateful. So, from our family to yours, please have a safe and very Merry Christmas!!

Until next time...It's a GREAT day to be a LION!!

Marcus Moeller
Assistant Coach

Winning 5 of our last 6 games!!

2010-12-13T13:04:00.013-06:00

Today's post is written by Lindsey Rujawitz:

Hey bloggers!! Man, how the time flies! Last time I wrote for our blog I was a junior and now I am a big senior. The conference season is well underway and great things are happening with our family here at Southern.

As a recap of our early non-conference schedule, we opened up with Arkansas Fort Smith at their house and we showed some great character as a team being down big and making a furious comeback to eventually lose by 2. The next game on the schedule was ta op-10 nationally ranked opponent, Northeastern State University. The game proved difficult as we were unable to get the win....0-2 to start the year :( They say that life is 10% what happens to you, and 90% how you respond to it. It was time for us to respond.

The next week consisted of some very pointed film sessions and some GREAT practices as we prepared for our Thanksgiving Classic!! We had gone back to the practice floor determined to make good on our goal of winning 20 ball games this year. The tournament was a great kickoff to getting us going in the right direction as we got two great home wins. Back to 2-2 and headed in the right direction!!

Conference play was next up and we knew we had to play well to get off on the right foot! As you all well know, the MIAA conference is an exciting race from beginning to end. The preseason polls picked us 6th and we are determined to show that we were deserving of much higher. After falling to Truman to open the conference season on the road, we had a "players only" meeting and reminded everyone of 2 things...1.) We have 5 seniors on our team, 2.) We have 8 people that know our system because they are returners from last year!! We then laid out some of the things that had to change in order for us to get where we want to go.

The next 3 games (Central Missouri, Missouri Western and Lincoln) for us were all at home. This was a chance for us to have our home crowd supporting us as we righted the ship and really got back to Missouri Southern basketball. As a team we made a complete turnaround. After beating Central Missouri, Missouri Western and Lincoln University, we now sit 3-1 in conference and 3rd in our league!! We not only made a complete turnaround but we have also had 6 different Lions (Jasmine, Erin, Michelle, Larrita, Kelby, and Me) set their career high scoring marks this year!!

FINALS WEEK!! We are finishing up Final Exams this week and then we play at Southwest Baptist University on Saturday! It is imperative that both academically and athletically, we finish this semester strong!! As a senior I could not ask for anything more for my last year. As a team we really are a true family and we have all formed great relationships on and off the court. As far as basketball is concerned, naturally I want this year to finish with a bang!! We look forward to working everyday as hard as we can toward our goal of playing with an abnormal energy level and passion!! We can't wait to have you along for the ride with us!!

Until next time...It's a GREAT day to be a LION!

Lindsey Rujawitz
Senior Forward

A season dedicated to Mike Hedgecock

2010-12-05T17:41:00.008-06:00

Today's post is written by Assistant Coach Marcus Moeller:

Typically, the picture we use for each blog is a representation of the writer of this week's blog post; however, this week is an exception. I had planned to ask Junior Forward Michelle Hedgecock (pictured right) to write a post about the driving force behind the extra importance of this basketball season. I was excited for her to share with you about the person that she has dedicated this season to...but I got beat to the punch. I would like to take this opportunity to thank Jim Henry (Sports Editor at the Joplin Globe) for the only gameday article that has ever brought the Missouri Southern Women's Basketball Family to tears.

Please enjoy this article entitled: MSSU's Hedgecock finding her 'why'

Until next time...It's a GREAT day to be a LION!!

Marcus Moeller
Assistant Coach

So much to be thankful for!!

2010-11-29T13:21:00.004-06:00

Today's post is written by sophomore guard Kelby Fritz:

Finally, my first (and hopefully not my last) blog of the year... so here we go!!

So many things come to mind when i first think of Thanksgiving! I think of Thanksgiving BREAK from a student perspective!! :) Of course i think of FOOD...LOTS OF FOOD....AMAZING FOOD. I think of spending time with family. I think of the time i have to rejoice & reflect on EVERYTHING God has gracefully placed in my Life! I have learned growing up that tomorrow is never promised, as well as to never take things for granted. Thanksgiving day is a reminder to everyone about how thankful we should be for life itself.

As far as Thanksgiving goes for our basketball program it goes a little like this: An AMAZING Thanksgiving Feast on Thanksgiving Day, along with 2 GREAT wins for the Lady Lions on Friday & Saturday! I found myself on Thanksgiving surrounded by not only my family (mom, dad, brother, grandparents, & cousins), but also my basketball family (my teammates & coaches) & some of their families as well!! Since I only live 50 miles from Joplin in Vinita, Oklahoma, we decided to invite everyone over to enjoy Thanksgiving Dinner since some of the girls live far away! It was a great opportunity to have everyone there together relaxing & having a great time as well as preparing for what was in store for us as a team the next couple days.

Getting down to business we kicked off the weekend with a 71-46 win over Avila on Friday & another win, 67-61 over Evangel University. We talked a lot about how we had a business trip to accomplish during our tournament. This business trip mentality lead us to 2 wins!

With our non-conference schedule now over, we are looking forward to kicking off conference play!! We open up this Wednesday in Kirksville, MO against Truman State Univ. We are all very excited to get started & head into conference play! Our first home conference game is Dec. 4th against Central Missouri & I hope to see you there!

As for us....It's time to get down to business =)

Until next time...It's a GREAT day to be a LION!!

Kelby Fritz Sophomore Guard

Gameday on the road: High School vs College

2010-11-21T19:01:00.004-06:00

Today's post is written by freshman forward Kalie Lucas:

As we got ready for our first road game at UA-Ft. Smith last week, I experienced something completely new for me...a college road trip! With the game being our first real game and our first road trip, I was in for a lot of new things. The biggest difference I have noticed so far from high school to college is the preparation. Whether for the game, the trip, the pre-game meal, post game meal, or even how we pack for the game...our coaches make sure we are prepared for everything!

The scouting reports that our coaches make are like nothing I have ever seen. The scouting report was full of information about the players on UA-Ft. Smith's team, all of the plays they would run and how they would guard our offenses. In high school we never had anything like that!! We spent so much time in the practices leading up to that game covering everything about their team. I loved knowing what they were going to run and seeing all of the things on our report actually happen during the game!! Another new thing for me was the pre-game shootaround. In high school, if we did shoot it was on our own, not organized or dressed out in practice gear like we do here. That was really different for me but it helped me begin to focus for the game several hours before we were supposed to actually play.

Once we were on the way and headed toward Fort Smith we stopped for a pre-game meal at Applebee's in Rogers, AR. The day before we had already given our food orders to Coach Jones so that when we arrived our food was coming out of the kitchen and headed for the table. It was crazy to be able to sit down with that many people and be in and out of their in 45 minutes! Because of that short meal, we got to Fort Smith in plenty of time to walk around the gym, relax and get ready for the game. I liked having a chance to really get a "feel" for the gym and the rims and the environment. The intensity was high all around and we seemed very focused and ready.
We struggled offensively from the start of the game. We turned the ball over too many times and didn't convert on our free throw opportunities. We dug ourselves a hole heading into halftime that had to find a way out of. The second half told a different story as we scored 8 straight points right away to put us where we needed to be to have a chance to win. After several runs by both teams, we finished the game on a furious comeback and fell just 2 points short. I was so proud of our fight at the end of the game. We played so hard the final 5 minutes and showed a tremendous amount of heart by the way we finished the game.

After the loss to Fort Smith, we have really focused on getting better in practice. I feel like we have had a very good 4 days of preparation for nationally ranked Northeastern State University (OK) who we play Monday night! Once again, the coaches have prepared us for everything that NSU is going to do, now we can't wait to go out and execute the gameplan!! Please come out and support us in our first home game of the year!!

Until next time...It's a GREAT day to be a LION!!

Kalie Lucas
Freshman Forward

My last first game as a college athlete

2010-11-14T17:30:00.012-06:00

Today's post is written by Senior guard, Jasmine Lovejoy:

My last stand with the sport I love has brought me to my senior year of basketball. This year has been full of excitement and some adversity that we have built on in a positive way. The beginning of my senior year has been the most wonderful experience of my basketball playing career. I am so fortunate to have the teammates and coaching staff that I have. It is obvious to me that this is quickly becoming a year I will never forget. Although we have faced some adversity, we have been able to find positives and grow and learn from these experiences. We have met these challenges head on, worked harder and come together as a team to get the job done.

We have done a lot of things as a team to continue to grow closer as a unit. One thing that sticks out in my mind took place on Halloween. Now this wasn't your typical Halloween night, because we spent the evening doing a canned food drive!! The event, set up by SAAC (Student Athlete Advisory Council), was called "Trick or Treat, so others can eat". All the teams at Missouri Southern were asked to pick a particular area in Joplin and knock on doors and ask for canned food goods. The members of SAAC then delivered these canned food items to a homeless shelter to help them replenish their shelves. As a team we divided into 3 groups and hit the road through a local neighborhood. After over an hour of "Trick or Treating" we came back with 393 cans. It was a great time for us to grow closer as a team while getting to really do some good work for a GREAT cause.

In addition to things off the court, we have done A LOT on it as well!! The start of this year began with a 7 week long preseason that was the most mentally and physically demanding training I have ever been through. It consisted of running miles around the track on those daunted Friday mornings, enhanced weight workouts, sprint workouts, agilities, shooting drills, footwork drills, and groupwork (no more than 4 players on the court for 2 hours a week, per NCAA rules). All the work that we did during those 7 weeks was in preparation for the beginning of official practice on October 15th.

October 15th was the day that we took everything from groupwork and began to apply it to the framework of our team's system. As a team and individually we have worked on the very key fundamentals that will mold us into being a great team. Also for this past month, we have focused and placed a HUGE emphasis on the MOST IMPORTANT things to our success: making layups, making free throws, and limiting turnovers. We know that if we win the battle in those 3 areas, we will put ourselves in a great spot to be successful. We have challenged ourselves early this year with 2 very competitive scrimmages and an exhibition against the University of Arkansas. Those 2 scrimmages and the exhibition were a huge learning experience for our team. There were a lot of positives that we look to build on, but it also showed us the things that we must work daily to improve on.

Finally, after all of this work, we have come to GAME WEEK!!! This week we officially open our season with a Tuesday road contest at the University of Arkansas-Ft Smith and my last first game as a college athlete!! As a team, we are so excited to get our season underway!! To all of our fans: Thank you so much for your loyal and loving support. We lean so heavily on your support and your area GREATLY appreciated. For those of you who can't make it to the game, be sure to check out the radio broadcast through our website!

Until next time...It's a GREAT day to be a LION!!

Jasmine Lovejoy
Senior Guard

What's on the horizon?

2010-11-07T20:55:00.005-06:00

Today's post is written by Assistant Coach Marcus Moeller:

We have a reached an exciting time of the year! We have finished our scrimmage and exhibition schedule and now we are officially in preparation mode for the beginning of our competition season!! There is a ton of excitement in our locker room as we begin to prepare for our season opener, on the road at the University of Arkansas-Fort Smith, next Tuesday, November 16th. We look forward to having a full week of practices in order to prepare to kick off our season.

This last week we competed at the University of Arkansas in an exhibition game. There were several positives that came out of the experience. We competed very hard for the first 16 minutes of the 1st half, but a tough final 4 minutes sent us to the locker room facing a 14 point deficit. After several impressive runs in the second half we were able to cut the lead under10 points on 2 separate occasions. We felt good about the way we competed and were able to identify several areas from the game that we needed to get back to practice and work on. Overall, we were grateful for the experience and felt it served as a good springboard into our season.

With our season opener being on the road on the 16th, we are thankful that we will return home for 3 consecutive non-conference games. Those games will all be played the week of Thanksgiving. Monday, November 22nd we play preseason nationally ranked Northeastern State University (OK). The following Friday in our very own Pizza Hut/Fairfield Inn Thanksgiving Classic we take on Avila University. To finish up the Classic on Saturday we take on Evangel University. That will wrap up our non-conference schedule because we dive into MIAA play on December 1st with a road tilt at Truman State University.

That's what is on the horizon for our team on the court, but what is on the horizon for this blog? We are excited to kickoff the section of our blog where you get to hear from our players! Over the next several weeks you will get to hear from some familiar faces and also get to meet some new ones. Our players always enjoy getting to use the blog as a chance to speak to all of you, so be sure to let them know when you read it!

Want to know who is writing next week? Well I can't tell you but here is your hint...this player provided one of the biggest highlights of last year when she drove the length of the floor and won a conference game with 2 crucial free throws after we trailed by 1 point!!

Until next time...It's a GREAT day to be a LION!!

Marcus Moeller
Assistant Coach

"The Basketball Palace of Mid-America"

2010-11-01T08:22:00.003-05:00

Today's post is written by Assistant Coach Marcus Moeller:

When I was 8 years old, the likes of Todd Day, Oliver Miller, and Corliss Williamson won a National Title for the University of Arkansas. Over the years I have seen so many Arkansas greats play. I also had the joy of watching childhood friend and teammate Steven Hill play his collegiate career in that building. I distinctly remember sitting courtside when Arkansas knocked off LSU and their deadly tandem of Glen "big baby" Davis and Tyrus Thomas. For all of the memories I have of watching games at Bud Walton Arena, I am sure that none will compare to getting to coach in it.

Wednesday we travel to Fayetteville, AR to take on the Arkansas LadyBacks in an exhibition game. Like many things in northwest Arkansas, the name of the arena bears the name of the Walton family. The Bud Walton Arena has hosted many basketball games that stick out in my mind. Growing up in Joplin, Bud Walton Arena became a familiar place to me and my friends as we took in many Razorbacks games. The gorgeous facility definitely lives up to its nickname, "The Basketball Palace of Mid-America".

As a team, we are very excited for the opportunity to play such a quality opponent. The SEC rivals the Big 12 for the best women's basketball conference in the country. We have worked extremely hard and we are ready for the challenge that awaits. 2 girls on our team are probably a little more excited than the rest. Michelle Hedgecock and Shatara Stone will be returning to their home state to play this game! Michelle from North Little Rock, AR and Shatara from Fort Smith have both expressed a naturaul excitement for the game.

This isn't the first time we have had the opportunity to play Arkansas. 3 years ago we played at Bud Walton Walton Arena and lost a very hard fought game by 4! Our goal is plain and simple for this game, go down and compete as hard as we can on EVERY SINGLE possession. We are looking forward to roaring with Lion Pride!! The short drive from Joplin will be a fun one...are you going to join us??

Until next time...It's a GREAT day to be a LION

Marcus Moeller
Assistant Coach

What does it take to be a LION?

2010-10-25T10:25:00.010-05:00

Today's Post is written in Assistant Coach Tyrone Jones:

Recruiting is a very exciting process for the women’s basketball program. I love being able to sit down with prospects and their families and talk about what Missouri Southern has to offer. One thing we always stress to potential players and their parents is that we not only want to make them better basketball players, but more importantly, better people. So you may be asking yourself, what does it take to be a Lion? What kinds of things do they look for when they go to recruit players? There are 5 things that are crucial to being a member of our family.

(1.) TALENT: As a basketball team our main objective is to win games. In order to make that happen we have to make sure we have the best possible player for each position. Our goal is to train our players to be extremely skilled and talented basketball players.

(2.) WORK ETHIC: In this generation, "work" is often a four letter word. Getting to work is a gift. We are looking for players who are willing to work. Basketball is not a season-long sport; it is a year-long commitment. Players have to push themselves at weight lifting, individual work-outs, practice, and games. It is not the amount of time you spend in the gym, but the amount of work you get done that is important. Hard work is the foundation of this program.

(3.) TEACHABILITY: We all have something to learn. We have players come in from all different programs but when they come to Southern, it is imperative they learn the MOSO Way. Our players have to be open to constructive criticism and make improvements based on that criticism. The goal is to make the individual player better in order that the team as whole can reach its goals.

(4.) MOTIVATED: Every person is motivated in different ways. It is crucial that players be internally and externally motivated. As a coach, it is important to be able to motivate your players. Coach Mitts often says that it doesn’t matter how you are motivated….just that you can be motivated. As coaches, we push our players on and off the court every day, but their ability to motivate and push themselves will tell the story of their true success.

(5.) OVERACHIEVER: It is easy to be average; that’s why it’s called “average”. We strive to be above-average. In order to do so, we must be overachievers. In order to grow as a player and a person, you have to push yourself out of your comfort zone. You never know what you can achieve until you try. Being an overachiever means you’re willing to go those extra steps, to do those extra things you weren’t asked to do just because you know it will make you and your team better.

So, the next time you see someone from our staff out recruiting, you can rest assured that we are looking for players that have these 5 things. Once these players are a part of our program, it is crucial that they continue to display and push themselves in these 5 areas. Our best teams here at Southern have been full of players who excelled in all 5 areas.

Until next time…It’s a GREAT day to be a LION!!

Tyrone Jones
Assistant Coach

Christmas in...October??

2010-10-17T18:46:00.013-05:00

Today's post is written by Assistant Coach Marcus Moeller:

If you follow our twitter you know that I refer to Oct 14th as Christmas Eve, and October 15th as Christmas day. October 15th marks the start of official practice for NCAA schools country wide. There are several ways that October 15th functions like Christmas day for college coaches. Ho, Ho, Ho...Merry Christmas!

The first parallel between that glorious December holiday and October 15th is the sheer anticipation of the day. From the day after Thanksgiving, you can't avoid the music, the decor and smell of Christmas time. Many families even have a countdown calendar in their kitchen as they anxiously await that day. For us, the first day of school marks the beginning of that time. As soon as we start working with our players during individual work we begin to feel that October 15th is drawing near. You'll often hear things like "only 12 days till we start practice, are you ready?" The strength and conditioning workouts, the nicks and bruises and the sweaty laundry provide all the decor and smells to represent that the season is right around the corner!

Every family has their own traditions and rituals surrounding the Christmas holiday. My family has always opened our presents on Christmas Eve. My friend Joe's family wouldn't dream of doing something so outlandish, Christmas morning ONLY for them. College basketball programs are very similar. If you have flipped through sports channel recently, you might have noticed a 4-hour "Midnight Madness" special running over and over on ESPNU depicting a program's first practice as a team. A lot of school will host this "midnight madness" the night of October 14th. Technically they are allowed to practice at midnight, so they turn the evening into an event for the public, visiting recruits, and for the media. While several teams in our league have began opening their presents on Christmas Eve, we open our presents on Christmas day! Official practice opened for us on October 15th at 4pm.

The suspense of what is contained in those beautifully wrapped presents underneath the tree is almost unbearable. Santa's naughty or nice list oftens reflects whether you get coal or candy in your stocking. Essentially, Santa Clause says "you get what you deserve based on if you were a good little child this year". The beginning of the season shows the same thing to be true. It is VERY obvious who worked their tail off over the summer and throughout preseason, and who decided to coast and take it easy. As a staff we were so proud to watch our team find a ton of candy in their stockings on Christmas day this year!!

Finally, one of the greatest things about the Holidays is sharing that time with family and friends. Nothing is greater than the quality conversation and time spent together with loved ones. For us, October 15th was the same way. Our immediate family was so excited to look over and see that some of our extended family (Lionbackers Don Miller and Bob Laptad) had joined us for the day. Their interest and care for the members of our program is always so greatly appreciated. We couldn't imagine spending Christmas without them!!

So, you might be thinking, "well, if it's Christmas, where is my present?" Look no further. As a gift from our staff we would like to give you an awesome gift. We are giving you a voice. We want to know WHO you want to hear from on the blog and WHAT you want to hear about. E-mail me at moeller-m@mssu.edu by this Thursday (October 21st) and YOU will decide the author and topic of the next blog!! Merry Christmas in October for the Missouri Southern Women's Basketball Program!!

Until next time...It's a GREAT day to be a LION!!

Marcus Moeller
Assistant Coach

Preparing to prepare

2010-10-11T08:30:00.009-05:00

This post is written by Sophomore Guard Erin Rice:

Hello everyone! Last Monday I was in Coach Hubbard’s office and one of my favorite Lionbackers, Don Miller, asked me why I haven’t written a blog this year. The first thing I did was look at Coach Moeller and said ‘Yeah Coach, why?’ So here I am this one is for you Don!

We just finished up our last full week of preseason and I must say it is way different as a sophomore. As a freshman last year I had no idea what to expect. The fear of the unknown was enough to scare me, but on top of that I had never worked so hard in my life! Basically, I was just like every other freshman entering college basketball. It was quite the eye opening learning experience. As I entered this year I was so much more confident because I knew what was coming and I had worked so hard in the summer to prepare my mind and body for our preseason workouts and I am happy to say this year is totally different. I feel so much more prepared for the MIAA.

The coaching staff has always done a great job of explaining the rigors and trials of the MIAA conference, but it’s hard to take those words to heart until you experience it firsthand. I have watched basketball in this leagues for a while now and I could tell from the stands that it was going to be very tough, but I had no idea it was going to be this TOUGH. Our league really brings out the best in the players and coaches. Any night off and you will lose. That is what is so GREAT about the MIAA!!!

I have now learned what I need to do every day to better prepare myself for a long season and a tough MIAA. I know that the faster and stronger players are the most successful in this league. Preseason is where these two important aspects are developed. Official team practice is right around the corner and I have never been more excited for it. Our whole team has been talking about how excited we are for practice to start!!! We hope you are excited as we are and we can’t wait to see you guys filling up the Leggett and Platt Athletic Center real soon!!

Until next time...It's a GREAT day to be a LION!!

Erin Rice
Sophomore Guard

Help!!

2010-09-28T10:00:00.016-05:00

Today's post is written by Assistant Coach Marcus Moeller:

If you stroll through the Leggett and Platt Athletic Center after October 15th you will undoubtedly hear the word "Help!" echoing through the rafters. The nature of playing defense is that you sometimes require the aid of one of your teammates. Coach Mitts has talked a lot about the fundamentals of our defense during preseason. We are actually trying to reduce the number of times that we say "help!", because the fewer times we need help on the floor, the better our defense will be.

We have also stressed another type of help during this preseason as we have been able to lend a helping hand by doing community service! Community service is a huge part of what we do in our program. We put a huge emphasis on helping others because of how fortunate we are and how much people have given to us. The community of Joplin is EXTREMELY supportive of our basketball program and it is simply the right thing to do to give back to the community.

Our first service project of the year was moving everything inside of the Outreach House into its new building. The Outreach House is a ministry of St. Peters Catholic Church that strives to supply food and clothing to underprivileged families. The Outreach House's new building is located one block away and is far more secure in stature than its previous dwelling. We teamed up with the football team (almost 100 of them!) and got to work sorting clothes, moving racks, carrying heavy appliances, and many other things. Everything had to be moved and it was so fun to see over 100 Missouri Southern student athletes involved in the process. As you can imagine after working that hard for 4 or 5 hours, our team was ready to eat! That's when the members of the church stepped in and were nice enough to prepare a feast for lunch. Our players were so grateful for the meal.

After working all morning, senior guard Jasmine Lovejoy had this to say "It's a great experience. We get to learn about the Outreach House and how they help all of the underprivileged families." We are grateful that our team is willing to give up their weekend to help people in need. When asked about the day Coach Mitts shared these thoughts, "There is something to be said that this is their weekend: when I'm sure they could be going home and spending their downtime, they chose to be here."

The following weekend we spent all morning and early afternoon helping out another program on campus. The Men's and Women's cross country teams hosted the annual Southern Stampede on our cross country course. The event consisted of more than 2000 runners split into 6 divisions: College Men, college Women, high school girls varsity , high school boys varsity, high school girls junior varsity, and high school boys junior varsity.

On a hot and steamy Saturday morning, our whole team was perched at the finish line helping the official time keepers by cutting off the microchip timing devices that were tied to every runner's shoe. Due to the steamy temperatures and the high humidity, the Missouri Southern training staff was overloaded with work and we were also able to help them by carrying runners over to their training area. Whether cutting the microchips off the runner's shoes, sorting the microchips, carrying people to the medical area or giving congratulatory high-fives, it was a great day to be outside helping the event run smooth.

Don't be afraid to ask for help and don't be afraid to give it. This idea is something that we talk about in our program a lot. If you are struggling in a class, don't be too prideful to ask someone else for help. If you get beat off the dribble drive to the basket, you better be calling for help. By the same token, we really try to instill in our players a desire to help others. The past 2 weekends of lending a helping hand to others have been a great experience for our players and our coaching staff.

Until next time...It's a GREAT day to be a LION!!

Assistant Coach
Marcus Moeller

The Reality of Fantasy

2010-09-24T08:43:00.019-05:00

Today's post is written by assistant coach Marcus Moeller:

They say admission is the first step right? Okay here goes nothing........I have a problem. There, I feel much better. Oh wait, you actually have to admit what the problem is?? Okay......I am obsessed with fantasy football. It's just the truth. I often talk about my team and how they performed on Sunday, but unfortunately I get little response from my co-workers. But that was until things took a drastic turn in late August. Coach Hubbard muttered those words I've been longing to hear, "Marcus, I have been asked to join a fantasy football league...can you help me prepare a little bit for my draft?" To be honest, I thought I had died and gone to heaven. Well now, 2 weeks into the NFL season, you'll find Coach Hubbard and I talking about the ups and downs of our teams and how we wish we would have started this person over that person, etc.

For those of you not engrossed in the joys of Fantasy Football let me give you a quick rundown. Fantasy football is centered around the actual performance of actual NFL players every Sunday. A league of "owners" (typically 10) get together and each draft a roster of current NFL players that make up their team. Every week that owner decides who they will put in their starting lineup (traditional leagues start 1 QB, 2 RB, 2 WR, 1 TE, 1 K, and 1 Defense). Each player gains "fantasy points" according to a scoring system based on each statistical category. For example, for the quarterback position you might receive 6 points for every touchdown, 1 point for every 50 throwing yards, 1 point for every 25 rushing yards, and -2 points for every interception and lost fumble. So, if Tom Brady is in your starting lineup and throws for 250 yards and 2 touchdowns, then he earned you 17 points (12 in TD's and 5 in yardage). Every week you play head-to-head against someone else in your league. So, Coach Hubbard is happy to announce that after 2 weeks, she is 2-0!

This is my 11th season playing fantasy football and I have noticed something about it that I really don't like. Individual performance is EVERYTHING and it is no longer about winning and losing. Being a die-hard Chiefs fan and owning Jamaal Charles (one of their running backs) has caused me to say things I would have never dreamed of saying. Last year, after the Chiefs lost a game I said "Yeah but it's okay because Charles scored 24 fantasy points for me." After I said it I took a step back and thought "wow, never thought I would be okay with the Chiefs losing." The truth is, winning has been devalued. That is the reality of fantasy. There is a very similar trend occurring in youth sports today. The 2 main areas that I believe have lead to this issue are AAU/summer basketball and participation medals in youth sports.

I LOVE AAU basketball. I have always been a huge fan of it. Summer basketball was such a GREAT experience for me and I have so many memories and made some awesome friendships along the way. The one downside that I see to it is the massive amounts of games that kids play during the summer. It is not uncommon to play 3 games in a day and 20 in an 8 day span during the peak of summer ball in July. The sheer number of games has taken the emphasis off winning. Individual performance, getting seen by college coaches, and creating a "recruiting buzz" around each player has become far more important than teaching these athletes how to win AND how to lose. It is not uncommon to hear an athlete that just lost a game say, "yeah, but at least I scored 20". This is so hard to stomach as a coach.

A friend of mine was talking to his 10 year nephew on the phone and found out that his soccer team had just ended their season. He was so proud to tell his uncle about the medal he received at the awards ceremony. When asked how many games he won he replied, "I don't know, we don't keep score." Naturally, my friend responded with, "so what is the medal for?" "Oh, everyone in the league gets one" was the 10 year old's response. I really do believe that winning is not everything, but winning AND losing and the lessons that come from those 2 things, is the most important thing. To steal some of Aaron Rodgers' thoughts (Quarterback of the Green Bay Packers and NOT a member of my fantasy team :), kids must learn how to deal with disappointment. Losing is a disappointment and a very important tool in the maturation of young children. Winning and losing at a young age is so important. The lessons learned from those experiences are invaluable to the growth of the youth.

The reality of fantasy has become the reality of reality.

Our preseason has been all about breaking down those barriers and stressing the importance of "winning" in everything you do. Win in school, relationships, your mindset, the community, and on the court. And if by chance you do lose, you need to learn from it, grow from it, and move on from it.

Until next time...It's a GREAT day to be a LION!!

Marcus Moeller
Assistant Coach

Off and Running

2010-09-06T18:06:00.005-05:00

Today's post is written by Assistant Coach Marcus Moeller:

As we enter the 3rd week of school and the second week of preseason, there is a common thread woven throughout our daily activities. Simply put...we are officially off and running (literally). The word running, unless you were born with whatever it is that God gave cross country runners that none of the rest of us seem to possess, often carries a negative connotation. That being said I am going to explain how running is the most positive thing that happens during our entire preseason.

You will often see the members of our team running around throughout the day. It may look like they are in a hurry, rushed, or simply on a mission, but the truth is...they are running around getting things done. Being a good student-athlete is a full time job. 15 hours of coursework, weights and conditioning workouts, individual workouts, study groups, getting treatment in the training room, community service, observation hours in the local schools, being involved in FCA, departmental clubs, student athlete advisory council....get the picture? And I haven't even mentioned the "extras" such as supporting all of the other athletic teams that support us throughout our season. Being a student athlete at such a high level lays the groundwork for the "real world" in one glaringly obvious way. Our student athletes are extremely busy and always on the go. Running around and being busy is one of the GREATEST things about being a student athlete!!

As a player, I dreaded the preseason for one reason and one reason only...running. I was not born a runner and I do not possess that inner passion for running. Running was always a means to an end. The end, or course, is being in good enough physical shape to push my body on all levels in order to be ready for a grueling 6 month basketball season. I believe it safe to say that our players view running very similar to the way I once did. I have learned so much about running now in my post-playing days, but the biggest thing I learned is that the goal of running in the preseason is 2-fold. The ONLY way a person can gain physical toughness is to force their body far outside its comfort zone. By the same token, the ONLY way a person can gain mental toughness is to force their mind far outside its comfort zone. Running forces your mind and body far outside of their normal comfort zones. There is probably nothing more positive that goes on in the bodies and minds of our team, than what happens during the time we spend out on that track.

This Friday morning we will take part in our annual Jog-a-Thon. The Jog-a-Thon is a fund raiser centered around (you guessed it) running. Starting at 5:45am at Fred G. Hughes stadium we take off on a 5-mile run (actually we run for a whole hour, so if there is time left over after we finish our 5 miles, we just keep running). We are blessed to have so many wonderful families and friends that sponsor us on our run. Some people sponsor per lap (20+, for those of you counting) and some sponsor the whole event with one lump sum. I (yes, I run it as well) really enjoy running the Jog-a-Thon because it is one of those things that you never think you can do until you do it. 5 miles seems like a mountain to climb for a "non-runner", so I actually enjoy the competition of running against the clock. I have set a personal goal to get the 5 miles in under 40 minutes this year (I've ran it in 38+ and 43+ min the last 2 years). A HUGE THANK YOU to all of you who have given to our program. There are so many things that we would not have if not for your generosity!!

Well, I gotta run.

Until next time...It's a GREAT day to be LION!!

Marcus Moeller
Assistant Coach

A Trip to Remember

2010-08-23T10:35:00.014-05:00

Today's post is written by Randi Henderson:

Hello everyone! As many of you know I just had the opportunity of a lifetime, to go on a missionary trip to Europe. This journey began three weeks ago when nine girls from all over the United States met for training camp in Denver, Colorado. The day began with introductions and ended with knowledge that many of us would be lifelong friends. After 11 hours of flying, a two hour layover, an hour and a half train ride, and a twenty minute bus ride we had arrived to our destination of Garmisch, Germany. It was beautiful to say the least. The view of the largest mountain of Germany could be seen from the gymnasium or outside the window when you woke up in the morning. Our first basketball camp lasted two days with 13 U.S. Military children ranging from twelve to sixteen years old. Since we had free time during this camp we spent most of our time getting to know each other through bible study, cooking dinner, and practicing two times a day.

The following week we traveled just twenty minutes by car to Garmisch-Partenkirchen. During this week, the team separated and stayed with church members who had volunteered to be our host families for the next couple days. It was a great experience staying with our host families because most of them spoke very little English. For instance, my host could only tell me who was going to take me to the gym in the morning in German, so honestly I never knew if I was going to be picked up or not. It was clear that this camp was going to be tough because of the language barrier between us and the campers. However, it was great to listen to worship songs that were being performed in both German and English. The basketball camp lasted five days, from 8 am until 11 pm. The day included prayer time with the campers, small groups, tons of defensive drills, ball handling stations which I led, an amazingly hard pain station, and many more offensive stations. It was a ton of fun to run the ball handling station because I had to use German words for the kids to understand what I wanted them to do. I quickly picked up on “links, rechts” which means to the left and to the right. My two favorite words to use were “Schnell” meaning quicker and “nein” which meant No! The day ended with workshops, consisting of dancing, photography, geocashing, or crafts along with many fun games put on by the church staff. On Tuesday and Thursday of that week we played our first two games of the tour. Fortunately, we won the first game with a good advantage. During halftime the team sang a song then I delivered my testimony followed by another song. Giving my testimony was an amazing experience because I had to break my normal larger words into simple phrases so that those who knew very little English could understand it. The second basketball game brought forth a much larger challenge. At the end of the third quarter one of our teammates who already had a back injury was pushed down by the opposing team and from the fall she had lost feeling in her left leg. The injury was very serious and our teammate was quickly surrounded by a group of medical staff that spoke very little English. As the team began to pray it was very humbling as we watched two non-believers step into the circle to pray. As our teammate was carried away the team had decided to finish the game in honor of her. We ended up winning the game 100 – 55. The next morning, there were many children who claimed that they had felt the presence of God. We were all so touched by this experience. It was very clear to see that God works in all situations.

After three days in the hospital we were reunited with our teammate. On Sunday, we set out for Brussels, Belgium. At this basketball camp many of us stayed on base and slept on army cots. It was truly a great and fun experience! This basketball camp lasted four days from 9 am until 2 pm. This was probably my favorite camp because not only did we get to have amazing Belgium waffles in our spare time but we got to teach the game of basketball to kids whose parents have been stationed in Belgium. Many of the kids have dreams of playing basketball at large Universities like Virginia Tech and UNC. During this week, we played one game and scrimmaged against some members of the Olympic team. It was a wonderful experience but both times we fell short. Regardless of how well we played, testimonies and songs were still performed to show our love for Jesus Christ. As the trip ended we spent a couple of days going to downtown Brussels and shopping, mainly for Belgium chocolates. Leaving those eight wonderful girls was not easy but I can say we gave everything we had to planting seeds in young children’s lives.

I would like to say that the story ends there but it doesn’t. Mainly because News Release Basketball is a program that revisits the same areas in Europe year after year so that lifelong relationships can be built. I would also like to add that the fairy tale continued because after reaching the Kansas City airport, Isaac Norman my boyfriend of 2 years and 9 months picked me up and took me to downtown Kansas City, supposedly to eat dinner. Since the MIAA championships are at downtown K.C. every year I was really excited about seeing the beautiful city again. After walking around downtown for about twenty minutes I finally caught on to the real reason why Isaac had brought me downtown, to propose to me! After wiping away a few tears of joy I said “Yes” and grinned really big as I thought about the wonderful future we have in front of us and the great memories that we have shared from attending Missouri Southern State University. This trip was a great experience that ended with many lifelong relationships. I am grateful to everyone who donated and supported my MSSU college basketball career. Thank you so much!

Until next time...It's a GREAT day to be a LION!

Randi Shay Henderson
Class of 2010

SouthernFest = A Huge Success

2010-08-09T22:29:00.007-05:00

Today's post is written by Assistant Coach Marcus Moeller:

Last week was the 2nd annual SouthernFest. SouthernFest is a 2 day event that encompasses a dinner auction (both silent and live) and the Rod Smith Golf Invitational. It is a GREAT event for our athletic department. This year, the dinner auction (held at Downstream Casino & Resort) was held on Thursday and the golf tournament on Friday.

The dinner auction featured major items such as Super Bowl tickets, several appealing get-aways, hunting trips, and multiple MSSU athletic experiences. The silent auction produced so many quality items for Lion fans to bid on. Whether sports memorabilia, MSSU gear, trips, services, house hold items, or stuff for the baby in your family, there were so many great things to bid on. One highlight was the presence of Jaime McMurray's racecar. The car was the centerpiece of the sports memorabilia section. Jaime, the Joplin native, won both the Daytona 500 and Brickyard 400 this year!! The picture on the left is Coach Mitts and Coach Moeller standing next to the car during the setup before the big event!!

The golf tournament consists of 2 different groups (9:00am and 1:30pm shotgun starts). Over 45 teams competed in the tournament. It was great to see so many people out supporting our athletic department! The tournament consisted of long drive, closest to the pin, and hole-in-one contests. Each tee time was flighted and the top 3 groups in each flight received prizes. Former Denver Broncos wide receiver and Missouri Southern Alum, Rod Smith, addressed both groups before they teed off. He also went around on the course and played a shot with every group and posed for pictures.

The event was deemed a HUGE success by all that attended. Click HERE to see photos from both the dinner auction and the golf tournament!!

Until next time...It's a GREAT day to be a LION!!

Marcus Moeller
Assistant Coach

Where are they now? -- Charity Slinker-King

2010-07-21T11:44:00.008-05:00

Today's post is written by Charity Slinker-King:

Where has the time gone? When I was younger I remember hearing people say oh how time flies, and at the time I didn't really get it. Now as I get older I do get it!! It is hard to believe that 7 years have passed since my days at MSSU. In December 2000 I was hired on at St. Johns as a X-Ray Student Technolgist and after Graduation from MSSU I continued to work at St. Johns as an OR/Portable Technologist in the Radiology Department.It was truly a blessing to recieve a full-time job after Graduation! I worked in X-Ray for a short time before God opened another door in my life and an MRI Position became available and I have been an MRI Technologist ever since. I absolutely love my Job and my co-workers! I am blessed to work with a wonderful group of people!!

Another saying I heard all the time, but in my younger years I didn't totally understand was that, Family is one of life's greatest blessings. I understand that even more now as God has blessed me with a wonderful husband Matt, and two beautiful children Tyler 2 years old, and Kynlee 3 months old. We live in Riverton, Ks and spend the majority of our time outdoors enjoying God's beauty and creation as we work on our Family Farm. Never would have thought 10 yrs ago I would be living a Cattle farmers life, but I do my best to help out in the areas that I can!

The newest saying I heard was, "it's a great day to be a Lion." This is one saying I understood immediately! I attended some Basketball camps at Southern and because of those camps I always hoped and dreamed of becoming a Lion! Because of Coach Mitts this hope and dream became a reality. The top 2 lessons I learned by being a Lion was hard work and dedication!! The coaching staff instilled this in us everyday at practice and I have taken this with me and applied it my job and everyday life. It is obvious to see that the Coaching Staff work hard and are VERY dedicated to the MSSU Womens Basketball Program. I am truly thankful as well as grateful for the opportunity of being a Lion!!

God has truly blessed me in life thus far. I am blessed to have an Amazing husband that is an awesome Dad, and we are blessed with two beautiful kids! We are blessed to have a loving extended family on both sides of our families as well. I know that I probably would not be where I am today if it had not been for MSSU. And I am honored to be a part of the MSSU Womens Basketball Family!!!

Until next time...It's a GREAT day to be a LION

Charity Slinker-King
Class of 2003

Where are they now?" -- Lyndsey Kenealy-Perry

2010-06-16T19:11:00.013-05:00

Today's post is written by Lyndsey Kenealy-Perry:

It’s hard to believe how many years have passed since I last wore a Lion jersey, however, it’ll take more than years to take the Lion out of my heart! I am Lyndsey Perry – formerly Lyndsey Kenealy - and I played for Missouri Southern from 1996-2000 and I am honored to contribute to the blog and let you all know where these last 10 years have taken me.

You may notice that my playing years pre-date Coach Mitts and her coaching staff, as they arrived on campus in 2002, but my connection runs deep. I enjoyed my playing career at Southern immensely under the direction of Amy Townsend – we were not the winningest teams, but I came away from my experience having built strong character and with meaningful relationships. I graduated in 2000 and married my college sweetheart, Paul Perry, that summer. His job was in Kansas City, so we were moving back to my hometown of Liberty, MO. I met with Coach Townsend about my future and thought I might want to coach – she made a call up to Rockhurst University, where Coach Maryann Mitts was in need of an assistant coach. The rest, as they say, is history. Coach Mitts impacted me greatly in the year I worked for her – her authenticity and passion are unmatched. I walked away learning some amazing life lessons and with a lasting friendship. After the 2000-01 season, my alma mater found themselves in need of a new women’s basketball coach and I could think of no better situation, for MSSU or for Coach Mitts, than for her to fill that role. After the search and interview process, Coach Mitts was hired and I was faced with one of the toughest choices in my life. My husband is about a big a basketball fan as they come and he was so supportive of my playing and coaching career – he even came to every practice at Rockhurst and ran the clock and helped with laundry after work each day! However, for some reason, despite sending out numerous resumes in Joplin – he wasn’t able to find a job that would allow us to move with Coach Mitts and me to continue as a member of her coaching staff. We trusted God to open and shut the doors that led to our future and our family. It was a disappointment to take myself away from the coaching world, but God has blessed our path tremendously with a beautiful family and a new direction.

Which leads me to where I am now. I am a stay-home mommy to three wonderful children: Emma, who is 7 and going into the 2^nd grade, Gabe, who is 4 and has another year at home with me before kindergarten, and Millie, who is 2. It's been a tough transition for me these last 7 years to change my focus, but Paul and I are confident it is in the best interests of our family for me to be home with them full-time. I love being with my kids and finding new and exciting things for us to do and learn about and I love my front row seat to watching these 3 little people turn into who God made them to be. We enjoy being active in our church home and keep ourselves busy serving in many different areas there. This past fall, one of my little dreams got to come true as I coached Emma's 1st and 2nd grade basketball team, Sidewalk Chalk. Although it would be hard to grow up with Paul and I as parents and not love the game of basketball (we skip sending out Christmas cards and instead send out March Madness cards) - we have been careful not to force basketball on any of our kids, but with Emma there's no question - she totally loves it. We recently purchased a new home and put up our first outdoor basketball goal - she told me it would be hard because she wasn't going to be riding her bike for awhile after school since now all she wanted to do was shoot baskets! We had a great season - all 10 girls on our team made huge improvements and, more importantly, came away with a love for the game. That is one thing that I've carried with me since my time at Southern and my time with Coach Mitts - passion. It's so important to keep dreams and passions alive - its taken me a few years to remember that, but these little gals helped me get back on track.

For the past 3 summers I have made a point to take a trip to Joplin during the week of Coach Mitts' Lil Lion camp with Emma. Even though Sidewalk Chalk was just a Parks and Rec. team, I wanted to be sure we treated it as a real team and focused on fundamentals of the game. Coach Mitts taught me that there are no shortcuts when it comes to fundamentals and I knew that I had an opportunity to teach 7 and 8 year olds basic basketball skills to help them in their future careers, so I didn't take it lightly. At the end of the season in February, as I presented them each with their awards, I included a brochure for Coach Mitts' summer camps and mentioned that I take Emma every year and would love to have any of their daughters come along. I am confident that Coach Mitts is one of greatest teachers of the game I have been privileged to be around and her staff puts on stellar camps each summer, so I felt I would have been remiss to not provide an opportunity for my girls to attend her camp. Coach Mitts ran her Lil Lion camp the 2nd week of June and I was there, along with 6 players from our team. Coach Hubbard and Coach Moeller were so helpful as I registered 6 girls from Kansas City and my girls felt so welcomed when they showed up. They had 3 wonderful, basketball-filled days and learned so much more than we ever got through in our one hour a week practices back in the winter. They got to interact with great Southern players like Erin Rice, Danielle Harris and Kelby Fritz and Coach Mitts even showed them the locker room and weight room before we drove back to Kansas City on Wednesday. It was such a gift to share one of the places that has impacted my life so deeply with my daughter and her teammates.

I love to reminisce on my days at Southern and am so grateful that Coach Mitts and I crossed paths. I look forward to the many things that the future holds for my family, including sharing in our love of basketball and all of the life lessons it has taught me.

Until next time...It's a GREAT day to be a LION!!

Lyndsey Kenealy-Perry
Class of 2000

Where are they now? -- Jaime Green

2010-06-08T13:33:00.003-05:00

Today's post is written by Jaime Green:

Hello Lions fans! This is Jaime Green (i.e. “J” around MSSU) and it seems like an eternity ago since I ran out onto the floor to represent the Lady Lions. However, the memories, lessons and character development that took place still ring fresh in my heart and mind today.

Like many of my Lady Lion teammates, I too, chose the amazing profession of coaching. I have been blessed with many wonderful stops throughout my coaching career (Monett-MO, Miller-MO, Parsons, KS, and Wichita, KS), and each would not have been possible if I hadn’t had the stamp of MSSU on my resume.

I believe that every young lady that begins their playing career at MSSU exits the program as a stronger woman. Through the life lessons, character development, leadership series, etc. there is no way one does not leave better than when they entered.

My career at MSSU began with a phone call to Coach Mitts. Seriously, I called her up on the first day of her job and reiterated the fact that she needed to sign me to play for her. You know what? She took an amazing gamble on a 5’6, 125 pound guard from Arkansas. In my mind I believed they were getting the best end of the deal by signing me, but after time I learned it was I who reaped the most rewards!

I wish I could tell you that I was an amazing player who started and played every minute of every game, but quite the opposite is actually true. I was a role player that valued every second of every practice and every game to be apart of something greater than myself…..a team, a family. In fact, I was injured for the majority of my career. In today’s collegiate world, if you are injured you are not looked upon to lead or to have input, but at MSSU, I was held to the same standards of those that were on the playing floor. It always meant the world to me that no matter if you were injured, a freshman, a transfer player, everything was the same. Everyone was expected to lead and give maximum effort despite their role. You learned to embrace your role and fight for it daily.

So, where am I today? I am thrilled, as of a month ago, to step into the role of Head Women’s Basketball Coach at Newman University in Wichita, KS. I have people ask me all the time, “How have you experienced so much success in the coaching ranks at such a young age?” That question is always easy to answer…age is just a number. It is because of the knowledge and lessons that were ingrained into my heart playing for Mitts and Hubbard that I do not view myself as a young professional, but as just that, a professional!

I am very blessed to have had the opportunity to play for MSSU. I think the main lesson that I learned and carry close to my heart every day is, “Talent is Never Enough!” It is the motto by which I live my life, the bar I set for my staff, and the reminder I hope to instill with each young woman that exits my program. As a college basketball player you need both talent and a work ethic to be successful. As a college basketball coach, I have found that what separates the good from the great is not a God-given talent, but a disciplined work-ethic. As I told you before, I was not the most talented player, but I did work my tail off. I also mentioned to you earlier that at MSSU it did not matter if your talent level was not as high as someone else’s, but it sure did matter if someone with more talent than you, outworked you. Self-reflection about one’s game or practice production for the day became the standard by which I began to hold myself accountable. It was from the green and gold practice floor that I began my journey into coaching. It is those same standards in which I lead myself, my staff and my team today!

I am eternally grateful to God that Coach Mitts answered her phone her first day on the job at MSSU many years ago! :) If she hadn’t, I am not sure where my life and career would be today. It is funny how things work themselves out. Like I said I believed they were the one’s getting the best end of the deal when they signed me, but…….as you can see, it is definitely me who owes Coach Mitts and Coach Hubbard, the faculty and fans the biggest thanks of all! Thank you and Go Lions!!!!

Until next time...It's a GREAT day to be a LION!!

Always a LION at heart,
Jaime Green
Class of 2003

Where are they now? -- Danielle DeVader

2010-05-27T08:54:00.031-05:00

Today's post is written by Danielle DeVader:

My playing career, which lasted 5 years due to multiple knee surgeries, felt like an eternity! As a result, you might think I would have story after story to tell you about my teams, coaches, and teammates…and you would be right, I DO!! However, that being said, it is so hard to put my 5 years at Missouri Southern into words. I feel truly blessed that I got the opportunity to continue my education and my basketball career at such a wonderful university. I have only been out of the program for 1 year, but I already see myself using many of the concepts that my coaches taught me on and off the basketball court everyday! The life lessons that I learned will stick with me as long as I live.

Those of you that met me after high school will probably find this hard to believe but entering Southern my freshman year, I was as shy and reserved as humanly possible. Coach Hubbard always enjoys telling the story of the official visit I took to Southern during my senior year of high school. Every time the coaches asked me a question, I looked at my mom in hopes that she would answer for me. It was so bad that I even whispered a question in my mom’s ear that I wanted her to ask for me! I just wasn’t totally sure on the whole “moving away from home” idea. By the time my senior year rolled around, I was about as outgoing as it comes. I blossomed into a vocal leader in our program, both on and off the court. I grasped what the coaches had been telling me all along and went with it…and I have never looked back!

Today I find myself blessed with an amazing job. I am an elementary physical education teacher for the Joplin R-VIII School District and coach 7^th grade volleyball and Junior Varsity Basketball. Next year I will be teaching physical education/health at the high school, and coaching both freshman volleyball and J.V. basketball. When I played I displayed great enthusiasm and energy for the game of basketball. Things have not changed now that I am on the sideline. I get that passion from Coach Mitts. I ’ll always remember the times she walked all the way down the court (or even on the court) to protest a call and stick up for her players. And what about her amazing stare that she has used in the direction of the officials? Well guess what? I do the same thing when I am coaching and don’t even realize it. My girls this year had to yell at me to get off the floor, and I didn’t even know I was out there! I was simply coaching my girls! Luckily, I knew some of the referees from my playing days and they would just tell me to scoot back a little. One lesson that my coaches at Southern always stressed was the importance of relationships, and now I know why... It helped me not pick up a technical :) Thanks for passing on that important tidbit!

I constantly repeat the phrases that I heard for 5 years at Southern when I’m coaching my girls. “Jump to the ball”, “fake a pass to make a pass”, “wait on your screen”, “play strong”, “never stop short of the line”, and the list could go on and on. One idea that I teach our girls (and I think about daily) is to work your hardest no matter the situation. I tell my kids all of the time that work ethic has nothing to do with talent. If you outwork the talented kids, you will out perform them as well. I learned that from my coaches. We never had the most talented teams when I played at Southern but we played extremely hard, and good things came as a result. The best compliment I can receive now as a coach is being told, "your kids really played extremely hard, with great sportsmanship and respect." I will never forget when I taught my players to say "thank you" to the referee after being given the ball to throw inbounds and on free throws. They had confused looks on their faces. They had never dreamed of doing anything like that. That is what was instilled in me as a Lion and now I instill it in them. Multiple times this year referees would compliment my players on that very thing and I can’t tell you how great it made me feel! And, just like Coach Mitts always said would happen, I’m pretty sure we picked up a couple calls that maybe wouldn’t have gone our way!

On a subject that could go on for days, let me leave you with this. Your shot is like a baby. Would you go days without feeding, changing, and caring for an infant? Well, heck no you wouldn’t! Then why would you go days and days without caring for your shot?!? That is one of my all-time favorites of Coach Mitts’ endless analogies. I haven’t been caring for my shot lately so when we played pick up recently my shot was a little hungry and needed a diaper change! It was brick after brick after brick. Then a made shot followed by an air ball! Man I should have listened to Coach Mitts!

Until next time...It's a GREAT day to be a LION!!

Danielle DeVader
Class of 2005

Where are they now? -- Katie Gariss-Marsh

2010-05-19T13:22:00.018-05:00

Today's post is written by Katie Gariss-Marsh:

Hello! My name is Katie Marsh, or Katie Gariss when I played at Southern. I am thankful for the chance to contribute to the blog, although it does make me feel old. When you are asked to give an update on where you are in life it’s for an obvious reason—several years have passed! I just turned 30 this year and while I don’t necessarily love writing that “3” in front of my age, God has continued to be gracious to me and the last 8 years have been some great ones. I am currently working as a physician assistant at Orthopedic Specialists of the Four States and specifically, I work for Dr. Jonathan Grantham. I started working with him directly out of P.A. school and have continued for the past 5 years. It’s a great job and I absolutely love it. In 2005 I got married to an amazing man and we now have 2 children (see pic below!). My oldest is a 2 year old girl named Kinley and I have a 1 year old son named Hunter. We continue to live in Joplin.

It is true that 8 years have passed since I played my last basketball game at Missouri Southern State University. I still get nostalgic thinking back to those years. Attending and playing basketball for Southern was undoubtedly one of the best experiences of my life. I am so thankful that I received that opportunity. And while that “season” of life is over, the values that I learned are pertinent to every season of life that I enter. One of the first lessons I remember from Coach Mitts is the one of “little victories”—meaning, don’t expect to do great in the big things until you learn to do great in the little things. In other words, success doesn’t come over night; it comes after a chain of conscious decisions to do the right thing...even when it seems inconsequential or even when no one is paying attention. Another lesson I remember being emphasized by the coaching staff was our need, as players, to be coachable. So much can be learned when you are willing to be taught and respond with obedience. It can be tough to swallow sometimes; it certainly requires humility, yet, it’s vital to success in life. The third thing I would mention that was emphasized by the coaching staff was the value in plain old hard work. They didn’t expect me to do everything perfectly, but they did ask that I do it with a high level of intensity and effort. And they didn't ask me to work hard just for the sake of working hard, although there is some merit in that. They knew (and I have come to learn) that working hard at something can produce a passion for the activity that would not have come otherwise and that working hard covers over a multitude of natural shortcomings. So, do I still need and use these lessons? Absolutely! To be good at my job as a physician assistant or to be a good wife and mother, I must be willing to work hard, to be moldable, and to succeed in the “little victories” all along the way. Thanks, coaches, for driving these home to me and for setting good examples of them through your own lives!

Looking forward to the upcoming season!

Until next time...It's a GREAT day to be a LION!

Katie Gariss-Marsh
Class of 2002

Where are they now? -- Jayme Callahan

2010-05-11T09:55:00.018-05:00

Today's post is written by Jayme Callahan (class of 2002):

I am currently the recruiting coordinator for the Southeast Missouri State University Women's Basketball program. I have been here for two years, heading into my third season with the program. Prior to being here at SEMO, I was the Head Women's Basketball coach at Webster University, a Division III institution in St. Louis for two seasons. I am sure you all remember watching my team take a beating for the Lady Lions at the "think pink" night in 2007. It was interesting, but it was great to be back, glad it was for a bigger cause! Before taking over at Webster, I coached at the University of Missouri-St. Louis (UMSL), a Division II institution, for one season. To start my coaching off I was a high school head coach at Putnam County (Unionville, MO), home of the midgets, yes...that's right, our mascot was the midgets! It was a great community out in the country, which i was not used to. After that year, I returned to my alma mater to help two rival schools merge into one, Trinity High School. During my coaching stints at Trinity High and UMSL, I was also an exercise specialist at Barnes Jewish Hospital for three years, (so, YES...Dr. Hobbs, I did use my degree!!). As you can see I have been all over the place chasing my dream, and believe it or not, ALL in Missouri. I have coached High School, DI, DII, and DIII all in Missouri...that's crazy!

I would not be where I am today, or who I am, if not for Missouri Southern Women's Basketball. Not only did I make amazing friends, and belong to an amazing family, but I walked out of that institution a much better person than when I walked in. As most of you know, I started my journey at Southern under Amy Townsend (head coach prior to Coach Mitts). She was a great person and I learned a lot of life lessons from her. I was very sad when the coaching change happened; I was very close to Coach Townsend. Little did I know that my career mentors were coming in to take over the program. Coach Mitts and Coach Hubbard have helped guide me into the coach that I am today. They taught me discipline, dedication, work ethic, and most importantly, character. I still call them to this day, just to catch up and to ask questions about my profession. They are both my mentors and my friends. I absolutely love to coach, and I chose to do it because of the one year I spent with Coach Mitts and Coach Hubbard. They showed me their PASSION and EXCITEMENT for life and basketball and it rubbed off on me. I now strive to pass that same flame on to my players. Some of my best memories were at Missouri Southern (both on and off the court) mainly because of the amazing teammates that I had the privilege to play and grow with. I miss them all very much. We had some crazy fun times!!! If we could throw our jerseeys back on and play today, I would not hesitate one bit! Thanks to EVERYONE at Missouri Southern: the school, Health Promotions department, Athletic Department, FANS (we have GREAT fans!), MY TEAMMATES AND COACHING STAFF, and everyone that helped during my time at Southern. You have all touched my life and I am forever a Lady Lion!

Until next time...It's a GREAT day to be a LION!!

Jayme Callahan
Class of 2002

Where are they now? -- Katie Deen

2010-05-05T09:18:00.009-05:00

Today's post is written by Katie Deen (class of 2005):

(Editor's Note: The next several weeks we are doing a "Where are they now?" section on our blog. This section will be a great update on what some of our former Lions are doing these days!)

Its been an interesting road since my "glorious" college days. I have to say, I still remember being punched on a daily basis and breaking a few noses, namely my own teammates and one of the poor players in an exhibition game (to which my coaches did NOT look so fondly upon), against a team we PAID to play us....not good business, I now know. (In my defense, I was simply doing what my fearless leaders, Coach Mitts and Coach Hubbard had taught me. To "jerk through"). The lessons I have taken away from my college basketball days are priceless as I still hear them ringing in my head on a daily basis. To name a few:

1. Go back the way you came (more on this to follow).

2. "If you are going hard enough and you twist your ankle, it will pop back into place". (verbatim quote by Coach Mitts)

3. You literally can relate ANY teaching point to cake or icing according to Coach Mitts.

4. Physical ability is most often dictated by mental toughness.

5. Keep moving

6. Listen (especially when there is a question involved with a 50/50 chance of getting right)

7. Your coaches are your most valuable assets.

8. Always focus on growth.

9. Effort always trumps talent

10.Do NOT be on your own agenda. It doesn't work.

I wish I had the time to recount my entire college career for you because I could write a novel. I would go back in a second for many reasons; one being the simple fact that, as a collegiate athlete, you are paid to do something you love. I don't know the exact statistics but in today's corporate world, I wouldn't imagine that a high percentage of workers can say this about their jobs or really any part of their lives. In addition, you get to play a game full time, build your self confidence, better yourself, get a degree, and best of all, be told what to do and how to spend your time so as to be successful. It is ironic to me that once we athletes finish our sport and graduate, we move onto a life where we have a career and different type of life where we then must figure out how to utilize our time in an effective and productive manner and many times we then, pay a "coach" to tell us what to do. Now, being that I learned a valuable lesson early to always focus on growth and bettering myself (Thank you Coach Mitts and Hubbard), I have found myself hiring someone else, an expert in whatever it is I am seeking, to tell me what I should do. I am a fitness professional and I have a coach and trainer of my own. I have had a plethora of life coaches, business coaches and trainers, mentors, etc., all of which I handed over a check to, so that they would simply, tell me what to do. This is fascinating to me because only 5 short years ago, I had the daily priveledge of knowing that someone was there to plan my day, my workouts, my academics, even my career path. All I had to do was show up. (and hopefully listen and apply!)

Moving on. As an athlete in college, a person takes one of two paths: a) finds another sport b) does not find another sport because they no longer want to so much as leave a seated position, because they have "trained" their entire life. I chose "A". I got to compete in a variety of marathons, triathlons, etc until I had a spill and had to find yet another sport to fill my competitive drive (that evidently doesn't just "go away" once you finish college). I chose to compete in "Figure" shows. This is a cross between bodybuilding and a beauty pageant...(I'm still trying to convince myself its a sport, unfortunately, when you're training consists of dieting, walking in heels, posing in front of a large mirror, and putting loads of eye-shadow on, I'm not quite sure it can reach that classification....I'll let you know when I justify it as a sport). Anyhow, it does require quite a bit of discipline and hard work. Bringing my college training to mind, I found that mind over matter is huge in dieting down to below essential levels of body fat....especially when you are on a diet through Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Years, Birthdays, Easter, etc. all the while working out several hours a day, subsisting on nothing but fish and green vegetables. Talk about mental toughness. (and the fact that all I thought about was food, I remembered Coach Mitts referencing cake, icing, and an oven in many of her illustrations....I still sometimes wonder how defense has anything to do with food, but she sure knew how to get her point across!) But having gone through some rigorous practices and seasons, one thing I learned was that one's mind is much more powerful than we think.

My first competition rolled around and having dieted down for 6 months, trained and conditioned, and practiced my "stage presence" daily, I felt I was as ready as I could be. As luck would have it, I was randomly selected to be the first one out onstage for my class. With a packed audience, I confidently strode out onto the open stage in my 5 inch heels and struck my first, second, third, fourth, and fifth pose, without even a hint of a "basketball player jock walk" (which I was told is NOT acceptable in this sport...fine. I will just walk like an athlete the REST of the day :). Only was it when my competition entered stage left, that I realized I had turned the wrong direction...the entire time. Ironically, I was not suppose to go forward, but "back the way I came". Interesting how this would come up later in my life. I could literally hear Coach Hubbard yelling, "Deen! Go back the way you came!" (for those that are not aware, at MSSU, we had a standard play that we would run that required a guard to come to the top of the key, receive the ball, jerk it through to the other side, and take two dribbles in the direction from which they had come) and I, in my own agenda, had once again, gone the wrong direction in front of an audience. (at least my makeup looked good).

I could literally go on forever with lessons I learned and stories in my life where I have used them, but a big lesson that I continually am aware of that I thankfully was taught as an 18 year old kid entering into college was that its about the journey and not the destination. One never "arrives", we never will know it all, but we should continue to stay positive, keep an open mind for growth and learning, keep moving forward (and making mistakes and learning from them), and we will always be successful. (Just like Coach Mitts said, go as hard as you can and if you twist your ankle, it will pop back into place :)

Until next time...It's a GREAT day to be a LION!!

Katie Deen

Class of 2005

A Pair of Tens!

2010-04-28T10:27:00.030-05:00

Today's post is written by Associate Head Coach Ronda Hubbard:

Many of you know that I played at Missouri State way back in the 80’s. Yes, officially, it was then SOUTHWEST Missouri State University. Looking back now, those were some really great times! I wore the number #10 and ran around trying to prove to the world that a 5-0 guard could play DI Basketball. I have told our players here at Southern… for years now… that my jersey was “retired” at MSU. Most of them just look at me like I’m a little drill sergeant, NOT a basketball player. So, I really do think they had trouble believing me. That was until this past week. No, I didn’t take each of them on in a one on one game and beat them. By the way, Coach Moeller has tried that a few times, and , well, to say the least, fallen short (Editor's note: outside sources have NOT confirmed this claim! :). So, I tried something else. I tracked down Jackie Stiles. You know, the NCAA all time leading scorer. The All American and Wade trophy winner. The last player to take “SMS” to the Final Four and 4^th overall pick in the WNBA draft. Not to mention, WNBA Rookie of the Year in 2001. And yes, she wore the #10, and retired it graciously for me. Now our players KNOW that my precious #10 IS RETIRED. Just not by me. By Jackie. :)

I will never forget meeting Jackie for the first time. I had just come off of winning a state championship at Springfield Catholic. My first coaching job out of college. I always worked the SMS Elite camp and the last year I worked the camp, my team did not win a game. I was NOT happy. I gave Coach (Lynnette) Robinson such a hard time about it and bugged her about giving me such a “bad team”. I mean, I was an Alum, a state champion coach, I THOUGHT I deserved special treatment! So, I show up that summer for camp and immediately look at my roster and see an 8th grader on it. Needless to say…. Once again, I am NOT happy. I immediately go to Coach Robinson and “let her have it” for giving me an 8th grader, just KNOWING that my team was going to be horrible again. She just smiled the biggest smile, nodded her head at me for the entire duration of my tantrum, and said “do the best you can with them, Hub”. So, that night I had my first practice with my team. This little 8th grader…. Well, her name was Jackie Stiles. She ended up being the best player on my team (which included 2 other seniors who had signed to play DI). We went undefeated….. and I, years later, have a great Jackie Stiles story to tell! :)

Our entire focus in the off season with our players is moving our team from GOOD to GREAT. That’s why we brought Jackie in. To show them HOW to separate themselves from the pack through hours of hard work on their OWN without the coaches around. It was so great to listen to her talk to our players, telling them HER story and how she got to enjoy the success she has had. Because Jackie played “bigger than life” most don’t realize that she is only 5-8. Many of our players towered over her…. Especially Erin Rice at 6-2. Jackie drove home themes that our program has been living by for years. Things we “preach” to our players all the time. Like her “work ethic” was what she always fell back on. It was where she, as all players, get their confidence. She taught our players her 1000 shot a day routine. Which of course is great. But what she kept telling them (and I hope they were listening) is that she did it EVERY DAY. Whether she was exhausted or not, whether she had practice or not, whether they played or not, whether she didn’t feel well or not…. Jackie shot. And she shot. And she shot. That’s a great lesson to all of us. If you want to BE the best, you have to step out and be a little “fanatical” about your work. She has the PASSION!

Then came the second day. This is the day Jackie found out that it was easier to drive to the basket than to drive on Missouri Southern’s campus! The poor child was side swiped coming around the corner of Leggett-Platt Arena. Interestingly, she handled it with complete composure (are you shocked?). The player that was once double and triple teamed every time she stepped on the floor was now faced with a regular day adversity. She calmly asked me to store a cheesecake in a fridge (that she was taking to a birthday party after working with our team) and walked right onto the court and started teaching our players. Almost like nothing had happened. I learned one thing. This world would be a better place if we had more Jackie’s around! Composed under pressure, always willing to laugh and share a story, and a strong leader and teacher. Fortunately for our players, they got a great workout and learned a ton. Jackie had them doing half cross, cross, cross moves around a chair to a spin around jumper. I saw Coach Mitts actually squirm in her chair as our post players were attempting these patented moves! :)

I do hope that our players remember these two days with Jackie. She has such a warm spirit, is a great story teller, and certainly knows her stuff. Our players were inspired and so was our coaching staff. The power of ONE is so incredible. Jackie’s presence here the last two days put a little pep in our step. That’s why we all should seek out successful people to “hang out” with. They inspire us and lift us up. I’ve always been told that “if you hang out with dogs, you get fleas”! Which basically refers to the fact that you are who you hang around. I’m glad our program was “hangin around” Jackie this week!

Until next time...It's a GREAT day to be a LION!!

Ronda Hubbard
Associate Head Coach

My FIRST Final Four!!

2010-04-11T19:16:00.014-05:00

Today's post is written by Assistant Coach Marcus Moeller:

Simply put, the Final Four is the pinnacle of college basketball. All year long teams push, pull, sweat, bleed, drive and sacrifice everything in order to make it to the "holy grail" of the college game. On Selection Sunday, the field of 64 teams (split up into 4, 16 team regions) is announced, and shortly thereafter, tournament play begins. Once the dust settles on each of the 4 regions, only 4 teams remain. The 4 teams that have survived will then convene on a predetermined city and site (this year, San Antonio and the Alamodome), and battle it out for the right to be called "National Champs."

The idea of any "Final Four" is something I have always loved. You could throw 8 people in a bracketed tournament of checkers, and as soon as it was down to 4...you'd have my undivided attention. I would be the best marketer you had, screaming to anyone within ear shot that "the final four is here!!" This passion obviously comes from my love of the NCAA tournament and the final weekend dubbed, the "Final Four." I watched the Final Four from my living room for as long as I can remember. I have read as many books as I can get my hands on about the amazing weekend. But, this past weekend, the Final Four, and all that the phase conjures up in my head, was radically changed.

This past weekend I had the amazing pleasure of attending the Women's Final Four in San Antonio, TX due mostly to the fact that the Women's Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA) has its National Convention surrounding the Final Four. As a member of the WBCA, I was not only going to get to see the city and go to the games, but that I was going to get to hear some great speakers and view some awesome on court demonstrations. Naturally, I was very excited about the opportunity to attend the convention and watch the games, and the 10 hour drive south gave me plenty of time to think about what was in store.

I have not done much traveling in my lifetime, but San Antonio is one more enjoyable places I have ever been. Staying on The Riverwalk was AMAZING. First off, we didn't have to use a car for anything. Everything (food, shopping, convention center, Alamodome, etc) was all so close to our hotel, that walking was the only option! Second, the food was so good. You can get everything from a gourmet Italian meal, to a cookie dough ice cream cup at Ben and Jerry's. The energy on The Riverwalk (at least surrounding the Final Four) was electric. One memory that sticks out is eating on The Riverwalk and hearing a faint noise that seemed to be growing louder and louder. Upon further inspection, we realized that the pep band of each team was riding on The Riverwalk (in Gondolas) playing their team's fight song! It was quite a sight to behold.

The Final Four is truly an "event". I'm not sure if the fans feel that way, but being a coach and being involved in the WBCA convention, I came away feeling that way. That being said, I had never been to a Final Four game before, and I was pumped to watch the games on Sunday evening. First up was Oklahoma vs Stanford. 2 of the truly great coaches in the women's games were about to square off. How would Oklahoma matchup with the enormous front line of Stanford? How would Stanford's guards handle the speed and quickness of Oklahoma's bask court? Stanford took control early and held off a furious charge from Boom Sooner. The Stanford Cardinal punched its ticket for Tuesday night's championship game. The second game matched Baylor and UCONN. I was really interested to see Brittney Griner in person and to see how she would affect the UCONN offense. In the end, Maya Moore and Tina Charles were too much as UCONN solidified their spot in another National Championship game.

Walking back to the hotel after the games I started to really take in all that had gone on during the weekend. Coaching is something that has opened so many doors for me. I am so grateful to Coach Mitts for taking me down to San Antonio to experience something brand new. The NCAA puts on an unbelievable event. I'll never forget my first Final Four.

Until next time...It's a GREAT day to be a LION!!

Marcus Moeller
Assistant Coach

Once a Lion...ALWAYS a Lion!!

2010-03-14T20:52:00.008-05:00

Today's post is written by senior Randi Henderson:

Instead of using my last blog to tell you how sad I am that my basketball career is over, I am going to recognize the joys I had when wearing the Green and Gold jersey. Even though I am young, life has shown me some of its finest curveballs I really start to laugh when I think about the player I was when I first walked on this campus; compared to the player I am now. As a freshman, I tore my knee and didn’t play much.

Freshman year I learned what the MSSU vs. Pitt State rivalry really means…by the way we beat them TWICE that year. Then there was my sophomore year, boy did that team do big things! Prior to conference season our defense was ranking very high in the country and our team had gained a national ranking. During conference we beat top ten, nationally ranked, Emporia and then beat #2 nationally ranked Washburn on their home court! We ended the year 18-10, just one game shy of the NCAA tournament.

As a starting point guard for the Lions during my Junior year I had the most fun I have ever had playing the game of basketball with those seven seniors, Jolea, and Michelle. We had our ups and downs, but we took the conference by surprise finishing 19-10 and winning the first round game at the conference tournament in Kansas City (a first under Coach Mitts’ and her coaching staff). This season, our team consisted of nine new players (I was the only returning starter). The highlight of the season was beating an undefeated Washburn team on their home court. This year we played really well at home. Senior night was a highlight as everyone brought their best and we beat a very good Fort Hayes team by 38 points! There was only one thing that would have made that night better, a hug from Coach Williams. But, I know he was there looking down with a smile.

During my career as a Lion, each team finished in the top five or better in the conference. The Joplin As soon as it clicked for everyone on the team, all you could see were smiles from ear to ear. So, to my teammates: thank you for holding me accountable. community support is outstanding. Our fans are some of the best in the country. They make sure we are fed well and even open up their homes to us girls. So, Thank you!! To my awesome teammates (their have been so many throughout the years), you guys are the best. As an athlete things are not easy; however, the game becomes fun when the people involved in your life hold you to the same high standard they hold themselves. This is something that the members of this program do for one another (some year’s it took longer to learn than others—this year is a good example).

Then there is my coaching staff. Each one of them expected every player to bring their best effort on a daily basis. Clearly, with nine new players our coaches had a lot of things to teach. But, with Coach Mitts passion, Coach Hubbard’s amazing game plans, Coach Jones yelling, and Coach Moeller’s awesome skills we finished with winning season. I know that as a team we all wished that we could have given the coaches more wins this year, because they work hard enough to deserve to win every game. Finally, to my fellow senior Jolea: thanks for helping me carry the load and being yourself on a day to day basis. If I had it all to do over again, my choice would be easy...MSSU.

Once again, Thank you to all those who support MSSU Lady Lions, I couldn’t not have done it without you. To the ’10-’11 squad, Jolea and I expect big things next year. Work hard and know that your best will always be good enough!

It’s a great day to be a LION… Once a Lion, ALWAYS a LION!

Randi Henderson
Sr. Point Guard

Let the Madness Begin!!

2010-02-28T18:15:00.016-06:00

This post is written by assistant coach Marcus Moeller:

Tomorrow marks the 1st day of March. To some, it will come and go with little recognition, but to college basketball fans across the country, it marks the beginning of the most exhilarating time of the year. Die hard fans consider it better than Christmas and Thanksgiving. Simply put, the month of March...is Madness.

The tern "March Madness" was coined by the Illinois High School Executive Secretary, H.V. Porter in 1939, in a poem titled "The Basketball Ides of March". Billy Packer, however, is the one that made the expression famous when CBS took over broadcasting rights of the Men's NCAA Division 1 National Tournament. Now you can't go a day in the month of March without seeing the term on TV or hearing it on the radio, as companies nationwide have capitalized on its familiarity and visibility. From high school on up to Division 1, March marks the postseason tournaments in the game of basketball all over the nation.

This past Thursday we knocked off the University of Nebraska at Omaha, 73-62, to solidify our position in madness that is the MIAA postseason conference tournament, for the 10th straight season. The brackets have just been released and we are scheduled to play the University of Central Missouri on Thursday at 8:15pm. If you have never been to the MIAA tournament at Municipal Auditorium in Kansas City, you must come see us play on Thursday. The MIAA does an unbelievable job of running a first class tournament and you will not go home disappointed.

This season has shown the unbelievable parody that exists in the MIAA conference. The conference championship was decided by one game, seeds 5 through 9 was determine by a 2 game margin, and one team in our league rattled off 7 wins in their last 9 games to qualify on the last weekend for the tourney! One head coach in our league even went as far as to say the league is as tight and close as it has been in his 20 years in the league. This type of parody is what makes March Madness so fun. Expect the unexpected, because anything can (and usually does) happen.

Until next time...It's a GREAT day to be a LION!!

Marcus Moeller
Assistant Coach

What Junior taught us

2010-02-02T18:24:00.010-06:00

Today's post is written by Assistant Coach Marcus Moeller:

Today, Coach Hubbard and I were sitting in the office going over the scouting report of our next opponent, Missouri Western. Coach Hubbard has a phenomenal mind for the game of basketball and I really enjoy listening to her break it down into its finest pieces. Scouting reports have always kind of baffled me. The reason I say that is, while I really enjoy doing them, a loss can make you feel like you've wasted a lot of time (between watching films, breaking down individual players, offenses, defenses, out of bounds situations, and game-flow tendencies, they require A LOT of time). As we sat there in the office I was reminded of one of my favorite stories...

One of my all time favorite basketball stories revolves around an extremely gifted Junior College player Junior. This week was a particularly big week for Junior and his teammates. You see, they were scheduled to play Allen County Community College, who was headlined by a guy named Isaiah "J.R." Rider. J.R. went on to be an All-American for Jerry Tarkanian at UNLV, the 5th overall pick in the 1993 NBA Draft and played in "The League" until 2001. Rider was a man amongst boys at the JUCO level.

All week, in preparation for the game, Junior's coaching staff had stressed that Allen County ran the same play to open "EVERY SINGLE" game. The play consisted of a rear screen that lead to an alley-oop dunk for J.R. Rider. The coaching staff was adamant the game NOT start that way. All week the same message, "don't let Rider start the game with a dunk". Game day finally comes:

Coach: "Junior, what play is Allen gonna run to start the game?"
Junior: "Rear screen for the alley-oop to Rider."
Tip-off is here...the ball goes up and Allen County wins the tip. Rider is on the wing, rear screen comes, Rider goes back door and (as i'm sure you've guessed by now) makes the lane his launching pad as he catches the alley-oop and slams it home. Junior turns to run down the floor, looks at his coaches and proclaims with an excitement in his voice "Coach, you were right! They ran that play just like you said they would!!

If Junior only knew...

Saturday is a VERY SPECIAL day for our program. We are hosting our annual "Pink Night" and we would love to see you there. Our jerseys will be auctioned off to the 14 highest bidders, with all of the proceeds going to benefit breast cancer research. The festivities will also include a halftime presentation that will be very special. Please join us, you will not be disappointed.

Until next time...It's a GREAT day to be a LION!!

Marcus Moeller
Assistant Coach