Today's Contest
- The Lady Lions have had about a week off to regroup after allowing the most points (99) all season against Fort Hays State in a blowout loss. Injuries and illness might force Lindenwood coach
Tony Francis to alter the starting lineup for the first time in 10 games.
- Sophomore guard Sharese Jones leads Missouri Southern with 7.7 rebounds per game. Jones is second in scoring on the Lions with 14.8 points and she's shooting .530 from the field. Jones was an all-state high school player at Francis Howell Central (Cottleville). Jones will play in front of her hometown fans when the Lions and Lady Lions conclude the regular season on Feb. 27 at Hyland Arena.
- The Lions beat the Lady Lions 78-74 last season in St. Charles. Five Lions scored in double figures, and Jones had 10.
Caroline Bourlioux (18 points),
Julie Hlinak (13) and
Marissa Lehnig (11) reached double figures for the Lady Lions.
Lindenwood Notes
- Junior guard
Julie Hlinak had been held scoreless in the Lady Lions last two games, but she made 7 of 11 shots and finished with 18 points against the Tigers. Hlinak grabbed a team-high eight rebounds. She topped 300 rebounds for her career and now has 307. Against Fort Hays State, she had season highs for points, field goals and field-goal attempts.
- Senior forward
Caroline Bourlioux followed a 17-point effort against MIAA-leading Emporia State with 13 points against the Tigers. Bourlioux led the Lady Lions with five assists. Bourlioux has been a model of consistency all season. Her scoring average has never dipped below 10 points and she's played in every game. If she plays in the final 12 games of the regular season, and the Lady Lions play in at least three MIAA Tournament games, she will reach 100 career games at Lindenwood.
- Freshman forward
Bre Zanders scored a season-high eight points and had five rebounds before fouling out. Zanders collected five rebounds and blocked three shots, a season high.
- After winning seven of eight games, the Lady Lions have dropped four of their last five. The last three teams (Pittsburg State, Emporia State, Fort Hays State) the Lady Lions played have a combined overall record of 38-6.
- Lindenwood sophomore
Jenny Rocha fell out of the top 10 in the MIAA in field goal percentage after making 3 of 8 shots against Fort Hays State, but she rose to third in the conference in assists with 4.1 per game. Her streak of five straight games of double-figure scoring came to an end as she tallied seven points.
- After allowing 99 points to Fort Hays State, the Lady Lions rank last in scoring defense in the MIAA. They are allowing 71.9 points per game. Conversely, the Lady Lions have the fifth-ranked scoring offense in the conference at 77.4, and they lead the MIAA in field goal percentage (.462).
- Junior
Morgan Johnson has scored just two points in the Lady Lions last two games. She has four field-goal attempts in those games and hasn't registered 10 shots in a game this season despite being second in the MIAA in three-point shooting. She leads the Lady Lions with 23 three-pointers.
- Freshman
Kassidy Gengenbacher topped 14 points per game for the first time this season after scoring a team-high 20 points against Fort Hays State. It was the fourth time this season she's scored at least 20 points in a game.
- Milestones: Gengenbacher needs three points to reach 200 this season; Bourlioux needs 147 points to reach 1,000 for her career.
Last Time Out
- The Lady Lions were routed 99-76 by Fort Hays State Jan. 9. The Tigers are the highest-scoring team in the MIAA, averaging almost 90 points per game. After the Tigers turned the ball over on their final possession, the Lady Lions avoided allowing 100 points in a game for the first time since Nov. 15, 2008.
- Junior center Kate Lehman became just the second player in Fort Hays State history to record a triple-double. Lehman finished with 13 points, 12 rebounds and 10 blocked shots. She earned the triple-double with her 10th blocked shot against Lindenwood guard
Jenny Rocha with fewer than 3 minutes left in the game. Lehman is the MIAA leader in blocks and rebounds.
- Freshman guard
Kassidy Gengenbacher scored a team-high 20 points for the Lady Lions. It's the fourth time this season Gengenbacher has scored 20 or more points. She leads the Lady Lions in scoring with 14 points per game.
Missouri Southern Notes
- Since 2014 began, the Lions' three games have been decided by 10 points. They beat Fort Hays State 76-71 Jan. 4, lost to Central Oklahoma 62-60 Jan. 8 on a pair of late free throws, and beat Northeastern State 80-77 Jan. 11 in overtime. Two free throws by Lions junior Shawnee Phillips sealed the victory.
- Seniors Shonte Clay (6-foot-2) and Dominique Mosley (6-1) give the Lions two of the best post players in the MIAA. Mosley is fourth in the conference in scoring with 16.7 points per game. Clay is third in the MIAA in field goal percentage (.571). Both players are from Chicago, Ill.
- The Lions held Fort Hays State to just 71 points. Fort Hays State is by far the highest scoring team in the MIAA with 87.6 points per game. Sharese Jones led the Lions with 18 points. Clay pulled down eight rebounds and dished out four assists.
