Game Notes

Date: February 7, 2018
Time: 5:30 PM
Location: Joplin, Mo. 

Bolivar, Mo. - Southwest Baptist (14-8, 6-7 MIAA) hits the road for a pair of conference games with the first one against Missouri Southern, (10-11, 7-6 MIAA) on Thursday. 

Previewing the Bearcats
The Bearcats hold a 14-8 (6-7 MIAA) record on the season. They recently won a home game against Central Oklahoma by a final score of 71-59. Over their 22 games, the Bearcats boast the second highest points per game in the conference with 76.4 ppg and the highest free throw percentage in the conference of 83.8%. Megan Rosenbohm and Caylee Richardson make the Bearcats go. Rosenbohm is the 22nd best scorer in the NCAA and the 2nd leading scorer in the MIAA with 19.4 points per game. She also collects 6.1 rebounds per game, 3.8 assists per game, a conference leading 3.0 steals per game, and makes 90.2% of her free throws. Caylee Richardson averages a near double double with 16.4 points per game and 8.8 rebounds per game on 56.3% shooting from the field and 87.6% at the line.

---

Previewing the Lions
Missouri Southern enters the matchup with a record of 10-11 (7-6 MIAA). The Lions are coming off a 86-66 defeat at the hands of Pittsburg State. Desirea Buerge is averaging 19.4 points per game on 47.5% shooting from the field and 85.7% at the line. Chelsey Henry chips in 18.5 points per game, while shooting 36.1% from three and makes 46.5% from the field. As a team Missouri Southern scores 72.1 points per game on 41.7% from the field. The Lions also shoots 77.9% from the line, while gathering 36 rebounds per game.

---

The Coaches
SBU head coach Kelsey Keizer is in her fourth season on the Bearcat bench after leading SBU back to the MIAA Tournament in Kansas City for the first time in three years. Coach Keizer led the Bearcats to back-to-back winning seasons (16-14, 7-12 MIAA last year) in 2015-16 and 2016-17. A feat that had not been done since the 2006-07 and 2007-08 seasons. Coach Keizer holds a career coaching record of 57-52 and a 28-44 mark in the MIAA.

In his 2nd year as Missouri Southern's head coach is Ronnie Ressel, who took over as Southern's Head Coach in March of 2017. In Ressels first year he has led Southern to a record of 10-11 with a 7-6 record in MIAA play. Ressel was on Southern's coaching staff for three years as a assistant coach.

---

All-Time Series
Missouri Southern leads the all-time series over SBU, 41-23. In their last matchup, SBU defeated MSSU in the 2016-17 season by a final score of 70-60.

---

Bearcats Last Outing
(2/3/18) - Bolivar, Mo. - On Saturday afternoon, the Southwest Baptist Women's Basketball team welcomed in their third top 25 opponent of the season, #21 Central Oklahoma. Megan Rosenbohm and Caylee Richardson combined for 46 points and each scored at least 20 to carry SBU to a 71-59 upset of #21 UCO. The win is the Bearcats second over a top 25 opponent this season and improves their record to 14-8 (6-7 MIAA). Meanwhile, the Bronchos drop to 17-5 (8-5 MIAA).

Rosenbohm scored a game high 26 points on 57.1% (8-14) shooting from the floor and 81.8% (9-11) from the line. Rosenbohm also was a wrecking crew on the defensive end, hauling in 9 rebounds, 8 of them on the defensive end, and tying her career high in steals with 7. Richardson had yet another double double, her 6th of the season, with 20 points and 11 rebounds. She also made over half her field goals by shooting 6 for 11 (54.5%). Bailey Rezabek was the only other Bearcat in double figures with 10 points off the bench. Despite only shooting 32.3% (21-65) from the field and 23.5% (4-17) from long range, the Bearcats were able to use a 83.3% (25-30) from the foul line to still beat UCO by 12 points. SBU outrebounded the Bronches by a 50 to 40 margin and forced 16 UCO turnovers.

Despite being outscored by UCO in the first quarter 20-16, the Bearcats did not let that deter them as they had the scoring edge in the last three quarters. They used a 20-13 second quarter to take a 36-33 lead into halftime. In the third quarter, SBU used a 21-17 scoring advantage to build a 7 point lead, 57-50. They got that lead behind an 8-1 run to close the last three minutes of the quarter. The fourth quarter was all Bearcats as they quickly expanded their lead to double digits and led by as many as 17 points before coming away with the 71-59 win.

---

Lions Last Outing
(2/3/18) - Pittsburg, Kan. – The Missouri Southern women's basketball squad finished with four players scoring in double figures, but it was not enough as the Lions fell 86-66 to Pittsburg State inside John Lance Arena Saturday afternoon.

Junior guards Dru Clark and Chelsey Henry led the Lions (10-11, 7-6 MIAA) with 16 points each against the Gorillas. Junior forward Desirea Buerge added 14 points and seven rebounds, while senior guard Julianna Wadsworth recorded a season-high 11 points in the loss. 

PSU (17-5, 10-3 MIAA) was led by Shelby Lopez, who scored 18 points and grabbed seven rebounds, while Mikaela Burgess registered 15 points from 50-percent shooting from the field, including three 3-pointers.

The Lions fell behind early by five, but battled back to enter the second quarter down one triple (19-16). They contained the deficit to within three with 5:54 to go in the first half until the Gorillas stretched their lead on a 16-6 run to complete the first half play up by 13 points.  

The Gorillas never looked back and even created their largest lead of the game at 25 with 6:42 left in the final quarter.

---