The Teams
Central missouri State (10-2 / 1-1 MIAA)
Falling to the #1 team in the nation, Washburn, 59-57, the Jennies fell to 1-1 in MIAA play. After CMSU’s Lindsay Maple cut the lead to two with 00:48 left, WU turned the ball over with just 00:28 to go in the game. The Jennies then turned the ball over with three seconds left and lost their chance at a victory.
Five Jennies had eight points to lead CMSU in Tiffany Vincent, Bethany Orendorff, Anna Rorvig, and Ashley Millham. CMSU shot 45% from the floor but only 20% from three-point range.
Last Time vs. CMSU
CMSU pulled off a four-point win over the Lady Bearcats, 66-62, on February 24, 2004. It was the fourth game in three weeks that SBU had lost by four points or less. SBU cut the lead to two with 1:03 to go in the game but could not get the shots to fall when they needed them. That game was the final game for SBU in the Davison Field House as they move into the new Meyer Sports Center.
Amber Wheeler led all scorers with 29 points. Alicia Mercer recorded her seventh double-double of the year. Jenna Shackleford had 20 points for CMSU.
Pittsburg State (8-3 / 1-1 MIAA)
PSU is taking on Missouri Southern in the Bordertown Battle on Wednesday, January 5, and then will travel to SBU on Saturday, January 8. In their game before MSSU, PSU defeated Truman State, 85-55, to pick up their first MIAA win of the year.
PSU handled TSU from the beginning as they had a 47-20 lead at the halftime. Four Gorillas were in double figures with Megan Ripperton leading the way with 18 points. PSU shot 53% from the floor and 46% from three-point range.
Last Time vs. PSU
After winning the first meeting of the 2003-04 season, SBU fell hard to PSU in Davison Field House, 68-54. SBU shot only 28% from the floor and only 23% from the three-point line. SBU was only down five at halftime, 30-25, but the Gorillas ran their lead to 11 in the first five minutes of the second half. SBU did cut the lead to eight but that is as close as they would get.
Amber Wheeler had 19 points and tied her career three-point attempts record of 14 in the game. Kami Scrivner put up 21 points for PSU.
Last Time Out
SBU tried to ring in the New Year with a bang traveling to #2 Emporia State but fell short of that goal, 68-54. After being down 13 at the half, SBU cut the lead to six in the second half but could not convert on several occasions to get any closer to the Lady Hornets. SBU dropped their third game in a row and fell to 0-2 on the year in the MIAA.
Gwyn Smith recorded her sixth double-double of the year with 12 points and 11 rebounds. Jennifer Clymore had a season-high 18 points to lead SBU.
Leading Scorer: Jennifer Clymore (18)
Leading Rebounder: Gwyn Smith (11)
SBU Shooting %: 36.5
SBU 3-pt %: 37.5
SBU FT %: 76.9
Almost 1,000 Points
By scoring 12 points vs. ESU, Gwyn Smith is now just one-point away from hitting her 1,000th point as a Lady Bearcat. She has 999 points in 97 games at SBU. She would be the sixth Lady Bearcat to score 1,000 points.
Career Points
1. Karrie Penner 1,681 1989-93
2. Jody Mayfield 1,459 1984-88
3. Carrie Long 1,380 1999-02
4. Shari Grady 1,309 1996-00
5. Angie Matejka 1,295 1990-94
6. Gwyn Smith 999 2001-cr.
7. Amber Wheeler 956 2002-cr.
Grabbin’ Gwyn
For the third year in a row, senior Gwyn Smith is leading the MIAA in rebounding. She is averging 10.3 rpg and is 1.1 rebounds ahead of Ashley Poptanycz of NWMSU. In their head-to-head meeting, Smith out rebounded Poptanycz, 15-11.
Smith is also second in the MIAA in scoring with 16.5 ppg. She is tied with Selma Barbosa of MWSC. Smith is just 0.8 ppg behind MIAA lead Kami Scrivner of PSU at 17.3 ppg.
With 729 career rebounds, Smith only needs 89 rebounds to surpass Shari Grady as the all-time career rebounds leader. She moved into third place earlier this season and needs 27 rebounds to move into second place. Averaging 10.2 rpg, she will grab approximately 160 more rebounds. SBU has 16 games left in the 2004-05 season. She currently also has 29 career double-doubles.
Career Rebounding
1. Shari Grady 817 1996-00
2. Paula Herd 755 1979-83
3. Gwyn Smith 729 2001-pr.
4. Dana Ozbun 682 1983-87
5. Karrie Penner 680 1989-93
BATTLE OF THE BEST
When SBU takes on PSU, the game will showcase the top two scorers in the MIAA. Kami Scrivner, from PSU, is averaging 17.3 ppg while Gwyn Smith is averaging 16.5 ppg.
Smith has scored 20+ points in three games. She netted 23 points vs. Missouri Baptist, 21 vs. SIU-Edwardsville, and 22 vs. NWMSU. She has now scored 10+ points in 15 straight games.
Lights Out
A threat to the three-point line could be upon us when SBU takes on CMSU. SBU is leading the MIAA in three-point FG % at .368 and CMSU is second with .342. SBU has taken 193 three-pointers and made 71 while CMSU has made 81 of 237 taken. CMSU also has the best shooting percentage from the floor with .474 while SBU is sixth at .420.
Not So Bland
Hitting 2.18 three-pointers per game, senior Ashley Bland leads the MIAA. She is also second in the MIAA in three-point % (.421) and is just .005 behind the leader, Brandi Rodgers (MWSC), who is shooting .426 on the year.
Bland is moving up on the three-pointers made list at SBU. She now has made 78 career three-pointers and needs 13 more three-pointers to move into sixth place and surpass Irene Sourlatzis, who has 90. She has made 24 three-pointers this season and needs two more to surpass her career season high of 24. She made 25 three-pointers her freshman year at SBU.
Clear the Way For Cly
Senior Jennifer Clymore has stepped up her play since beginning MIAA play. Entering the first MIAA game, 6.9 ppg in nine games. In her first two MIAA games, she is averaging 18.0 ppg. She has scored 18 points vs. both NWMSU and ESU. Earlier this year, she had her first double-double vs. Ozark Christian with 15 points and 10 rebounds.
Against NWMSU, she shot .636 from the floor, was two-of-three from three-point range, and made both of her free throws.
Slow Starts
For the second year in a row, SBU has started off 0-2 in the MIAA. Last year, SBU fell to NWMSU and ESU, both NCAA Tournament teams, before defeating CMSU in Warrensburg, 68-60. Under Middleton, SBU has never started off 0-3.
CMSU
Probable Starters
P # Name PPG
G 14 Anna Rorvig 8.8
G 15 Ashley Millham 7.9
G 25 Lisa Millham 6.1
F 12 Tiffany Vincent 15.4
F 21 Bethany Orendorff 12.8
Last 15 Meetings (6-9)
1997-98 L, 63-67
1997-98 L, 74-82
1998-99 W, 71-67
1998-99 L, 68-76
1998-99 L, 54-55
1999-00 L, 55-72
1999-00 L, 47-51
2000-01 L, 61-70
2000-01 W, 60-54
2001-02 W, 70-58
2001-02 L, 58-71
2002-03 W, 80-65
2002-03 W, 74-64
2003-04 W, 68-60
2003-04 L, 62-66
2004-05 Schedule
Cameron W, 74-56
Lincoln W, 58-47
Texas Women’s L, 76-78
Midwestern State W, 78-64
Hannibal-LaGrange W, 86-54
Lincoln W, 84-49
Winona State W, 95-70
Upper Iowa W, 95-60
Arkansas Tech W, 84-50
St. Thomas Aquinas W, 90-65
Pittsburg State W, 63-59
Washburn L, 57-59
PSU
Probable Starters
P # Name PPG
G 22 Melissa Watkins 8.3
G 30 Megan Ripperton 7.2
F 44 Kami Scrivner 17.3
F 14 Janelle Klein 13.6
F 50 Maggie Apt 8.0
Last 15 Meetings (9-6)
1996-97 W, 56-55
1997-98 W, 70-58
1997-98 L, 80-90
1998-99 W, 69-52
1998-99 L, 62-76
1999-00 W, 70-57
1999-00 L, 69-73
2000-01 W, 81-62
2000-01 W, 78-59
2001-02 L, 49-58
2001-02 L, 56-67
2002-03 W, 80-69
2002-03 W, 61-52
2003-04 W, 63-59
2003-04 L, 54-68
2004-05 Schedule
Missouri-St. Louis W, 80-61
Tarleton State W, 72-56
Columbia College L, 66-75
Eastern New Mexico W, 76-53
Ozark Christian W, 93-30
N.M. Highlands W, 78-57
CSU-Pueblo W, 82-65
Drury L, 55-69
Rockhurst W, 56-51
Central Missouri St. L, 59-63
Truman State W, 85-55
