Lions ready to tip off basketball practice

While the fall sports season at Missouri Southern State University is in full swing, the Lions also begin practicing on Friday (Oct. 15) for the 2004-05 basketball campaigns.

The Missouri Southern men, 14-14 in 2003-04, open practice on Friday at 2 p.m. The Southern women, 19-9 last year, take to the floor at 4 p.m. Both sessions are expected to be approximately two hours in length.

The Lion men, under the direction of 16th-year head coach Robert Corn, return just two starters from last year’s squad, which finished 7-11 in the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association and collected the No. 6 seed for the conference tournament. Senior guard Hiram Ocasio (Toa Alta, P.R./Florida Air Academy) and senior forward Orestus “O.C.” Cavness (Marshall, Texas/Georgia Perimeter College) are two starters among five returning letterwinners.

Several key components for the MSSU men’s squad could come from a crop of eight newcomers, which includes five transfers.

Southern’s women’s team will be looking to build off of last year’s 10-8 MIAA finish, which had the team as the No. 5 seed for the MIAA Tournament. The Lions of coach Maryann Mitts, who begins her fourth year at the helm, posted a 7-1 record in February with wins over three nationally-ranked MIAA opponents, a feat that is unprecedented in school history.

Three starters are back for the Southern women, led by senior guard Aubrie Hallman (Wichita, Kan./Cowley County CC), a second-team All-MIAA selection in 2003-04. Starters Vonny Wilson (Fort Worth, Texas/Grayson CC), a forward, and Katie Deen (Norman, Okla./Norman North), a guard, are back for their senior campaigns. Three other letterwinners return and are joined by five newcomers, several of whom could make immediate impacts.

After two weeks of practice, both Southern squads will be unveiled to the public on Thursday, Oct. 28 with Meet the Lions Night at the Leggett & Platt Athletic Center. Hot dogs and soft drinks will be served and the night includes contests and cheerleading performances. Both teams will also be available for autographs. The event, free of admission, gets under way at 5:30 p.m.

After November begins, the Southern squads will host several exhibition games. On Nov. 4, the Lion men meet the Chilean National Team at 7 p.m., two nights before the Southern women host the Oklahoma Flyers in a 7 p.m. exhibition.

The 2004-05 season begins in earnest on Nov. 15 with a men’s and women’s doubleheader at the Leggett & Platt Athletic Center. The MSSU women start the night by hosting regional rival Northeastern State (Okla.) at 5:30 p.m., followed at 7:30 p.m. by the Southern men vs. Central Bible College of Springfield, Mo.


	Oct. 14, 2004 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Lions ready to tip off basketball practice While the fall sports season at Missouri Southern State University is in full swing, the Lions also begin practicing on Friday (Oct. 15) for the 2004-05 basketball campaigns. The Missouri Southern men, 14-14 in 2003-04, open practice on Friday at 2 p.m. The Southern women, 19-9 last year, take to the floor at 4 p.m. Both sessions are expected to be approximately two hours in length. The Lion men, under the direction of 16th-year head coach Robert Corn, return just two starters from last year’s squad, which finished 7-11 in the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association and collected the No. 6 seed for the conference tournament. Senior guard Hiram Ocasio (Toa Alta, P.R./Florida Air Academy) and senior forward Orestus “O.C.” Cavness (Marshall, Texas/Georgia Perimeter College) are two starters among five returning letterwinners. Several key components for the MSSU men’s squad could come from a crop of eight newcomers, which includes five transfers. Southern’s women’s team will be looking to build off of last year’s 10-8 MIAA finish, which had the team as the No. 5 seed for the MIAA Tournament. The Lions of coach Maryann Mitts, who begins her fourth year at the helm, posted a 7-1 record in February with wins over three nationally-ranked MIAA opponents, a feat that is unprecedented in school history. Three starters are back for the Southern women, led by senior guard Aubrie Hallman (Wichita, Kan./Cowley County CC), a second-team All-MIAA selection in 2003-04. Starters Vonny Wilson (Fort Worth, Texas/Grayson CC), a forward, and Katie Deen (Norman, Okla./Norman North), a guard, are back for their senior campaigns. Three other letterwinners return and are joined by five newcomers, several of whom could make immediate impacts. After two weeks of practice, both Southern squads will be unveiled to the public on Thursday, Oct. 28 with Meet the Lions Night at the Leggett & Platt Athletic Center. Hot dogs and soft drinks will be served and the night includes contests and cheerleading performances. Both teams will also be available for autographs. The event, free of admission, gets under way at 5:30 p.m. After November begins, the Southern squads will host several exhibition games. On Nov. 4, the Lion men meet the Chilean National Team at 7 p.m., two nights before the Southern women host the Oklahoma Flyers in a 7 p.m. exhibition. The 2004-05 season begins in earnest on Nov. 15 with a men’s and women’s doubleheader at the Leggett & Platt Athletic Center. The MSSU women start the night by hosting regional rival Northeastern State (Okla.) at 5:30 p.m., followed at 7:30 p.m. by the Southern men vs. Central Bible College of Springfield, Mo.