SBU BEARCATS (2-7, 0-2 MIAA) at MISSOURI SOUTHERN LIONS (7-2, 1-1 MIAA)
MONDAY, DECEMBER 28, 2009 • 7:00 PM
JOPLIN, MO • LEGGETT AND PLATT ATHLETIC CENTER
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SBU NOTES | MSSU NOTES

JOPLIN, Mo. -- After a week off for Christmas, the SBU Bearcats will return to MIAA action this week with three contests, starting Monday night at Missouri Southern, followed by games with Truman and then Emporia State. The Bearcats completed their non-conference slate last Monday with a home win over Ouachita Baptist. Senior guard/forward Rachel Graves leads the Bearcats in scoring with 13.8 points per game, which is 11th in the MIAA. Graves is also leads the MIAA in treys made per game with 3.1, tenth in steals (1.8 per game), ninth in three-point percentage (.368), and leads in minutes played with 33.8 per game. Junior point guard Ashleigh Gallio is fourth in the MIAA in assists (4.1) and third in minutes played (32.1). Courtney Heady's 10.6 points ranks 19th in the conference, while her 2.9 threes per game is fourth. Heady also stands eighth in three-point field goal percentage (.397).

THE COACHES AND THE ALL-TIME SERIES
Bearcat head coach J.C. Carter leads SBU and is in his second season on the bench. Last year, he led SBU to an upset of nationally-ranked Emporia State at Emporia as well as a berth in the MIAA postseason tournament. As a college head coach, Carter now has a career mark of 10-27. Maryann Mitts is head coach at Missouri Southern and is 225-150 (.600) in fourteen seasons overall, including eight straight winning seasons with the Lions (142-93). Missouri Southern leads the all-time series 35-17, including both of last year's games: 92-87 in overtime in Joplin and 77-69 in Bolivar. The Lions have won nine straight against SBU in Joplin.
   
SCOUTING THE LIONS
The Lions are led in scoring (15.1 per game) rebounding (7.0 p/g), blocks (5 total) and steals (14) by junior guard Jasmine Lovejoy. Lovejoy had a double-double in the Lions' win over Truman on December 2. Jolea Apon is second on the team with 13.3 points while Michelle Hedgecock is third with 7.4 points. Randi Henderson leads MSSU with 28 assists through nine games. Among the MIAA leaders, Lovejoy is fourth in scoring, fifth in rebounding and leads in field goal percentage (.520). Henderson is ninth in assists per game (3.3).

NEXT UP FOR THE SBU BEARCATS
Following the Monday night contest at Missouri Southern, it's MIAA women's and men's doubleheaders the rest of the season as the SBU teams will visit Kirksville and Truman State on Wednesday, December 30 with the women's game starting at 5:30 p.m. Then it's a home contest on Saturday, January 2, with the Emporia State Hornets visiting Bolivar for a 5:30 p.m. contest.
   
The next games for the Bearcats include some of the MIAA's top scorers with Cassondra Boston of ESU (17.9, 2nd) and TSU's Laura Joya (15.2, 5th). ESU's Boston and Amy Galey of Truman are the current MIAA leaders in assists (4.8 and 4.7 per game) while Emporia teammates Alli Volkens and Negesti Taylor rank third and fourth in rebounds per game with 7.4. Emporia State is the top scoring team in the MIAA (80.8) and also has the lowest field goal percentage defense (.344). Truman is the top free throw shooting team (77%) and is second in three-point field goal percentage (40.8%).