Men's Basketball Notes vs. Emporia State

On the Air

Missouri Southern Lions action can be heard on Oldies 103.5 FM. Kevin Greim will handle the play-by-play, along with former Lion Jeff Starkweather, color commentary. The pregame show tips off 20 minutes before the game. The Lions broadcasts are also available on the internet, courtesy of Joplin.com. Just go to the Missouri Southern Athletics web site (www.mssu.edu/athletics) and click on the link for live broadcasts.

The Coaches

Head coach Robert Corn is in his 15th season at the helm of the Lions, and he has posted a 235-174 record for a winning percentage of .575. A 1978 graduate of Southern and the all-time winningest coach in Lions basketball history, he has led Southern to four consecutive 20-win seasons and six overall. Corn was honored as 2000 MIAA Coach of the Year, NABC South Central Regional Coach of the Year, and Division II Bulletin National Coach of the Year following a 30-3 season in which the Lions advanced to the NCAA-II Elite Eight semifinals. Corn is 16-9 vs. Emporia State.

David Moe is in his third season at Emporia State, his first collegiate head coaching job. A 1986 graduate of Texas Lutheran and a former assistant with the University of Colorado and the NBA’s Philadelphia 76ers, Moe has a 37-32 (.536) record with the Hornets. He is the son of former NBA head coach Doug Moe and is part of the famed Kansas-North Carolina connection: his dad as a player at North Carolina and David as a graduate assistant at Kansas. David Moe, the 2003 MIAA Coach of the Year, is 2-3 vs. Missouri Southern.

The Series

After winning 10 games in a row over the Hornets, the Lions were swept during the 2002-03 regular season by Emporia, but MSSU won a shootout, 99-98, in the quarterfinal round of the Sonic/MIAA Championships last year. In all, Southern holds a 34-21 advantage in the series, including 13-12 in Emporia. (All-time series scores on p. 2).

The Lions

Southwest Baptist shot 57.1 percent in the first half and trailed by just one at halftime, but a string of nine turnovers led Missouri Southern onto a 26-3 run that put the game away. Missouri Southern’s 96-66 victory over SBU raised the Lions record to 11-4 overall and 4-2 in MIAA play.

Southern led by just one, 44-43, early in the second half before a three-point play from Orestus “O.C.” Cavness led off a 12-0 Lions’ run. Five SBU turnovers came during the MSSU outburst, four of which resulted in steals.

Junior Hiram Ocasio finished the game with eight steals and led Southern with 17 points. Cavness added 16 points and six rebounds, junior Jeremy “Pee Wee” Jones finished with 12 points and senior Darrell Redmond chipped in 10. Senior Ameer Watts had an off shooting night (1-for-10), but tallied nine points and seven assists.

For the game, the Lions had 18 steals and topped the 90-point plateau for the fourth time this year and the second time in as many games.

Watts remains MSSU’s leader in scoring (16.1 ppg) and assists (4.53 pg). Three Lions lead the team with 4.6 rebounds per game, including Cavness, Redmond and senior Deon Rose. Ocasio paces the squad with 3.67 steals and 0.8 blocks a game.

Lions in the MIAA & NCAA

Four Lions continue to rank among the MIAA leaders (through games of Jan. 18) in various statistical categories. As a team, the Lions lead the league in steals (10.87 pg) and three-point field goal defense (.314).

Guards Hiram Ocasio, a junior, and Ameer Watts, a senior, are two big reasons for Southern’s high ranking in steals. Ocasio is tops in the conference with 3.67 steals a game, while Watts is tied for sixth with 2.00 an outing. Ocasio also ranked seventh in the nation in steals, through games of Jan. 11.

Watts is also fifth in scoring (16.1 ppg) and assists (4.53 pg), tied for sixth in free throw accuracy (.792), fourth in threes made (2.33 pg) and 10th in assist-turnover ratio (1.58).

Ocasio is tied for ninth in the MIAA in blocks (0.80 pg) and ranks 10th in free throw percentage (.750).

Junior forward Orestus “O.C.” Cavness is also among the league’s best scorers, ranking in a 10th-place tie with 14.4 points per game. He’s also fifth in field goal shooting (.536).

Junior Jeremy “Pee Wee” Jones is sixth in assist-turnover ratio (1.88).

Watts’ eight threes made vs. St. Gregory’s (Okla.) is the most by an MIAA player in a single game this year, and his 14 attempts from three-point distance is tied for the most. Ocasio’s nine steals against Paul Quinn (Texas) is also an MIAA single game high.

Been Caught Stealing

Junior Hiram Ocasio, with eight steals on Saturday vs. Southwest Baptist, moved past Terry Shumpert (1998-02) for third place on the Lions’ all-time steals list. Ocasio now has 160 career steals and three more will move him ahead of Mario Phillips (1995-99) for second. However, Ocasio is still 223 steals behind Eddin Santiago, who’s not only No. 1 in Southern history, but also No. 1 in NCAA Division II lore.

Ocasio leads the MIAA and ranked seventh in the nation in steals through games of Jan. 11. The eight-steal game marked his fourth this year with five or more thefts and his 13th of the season with multiple picks.

What’s more Ocasio has 10 double-figure scoring games this year and 15 in his last 20 games, dating back to last year.

Pee Wee Provides Big Spark

Aside from two Missouri Southern post players, Darrell Redmond and Dan Jones, the smallest player on the team, Jeremy “Pee Wee” Jones (5-8), has the best shooting percentage in conference play. He’s made 54.2 percent of his shots in league games, including 5-of-8 from three-point land. Jones has connected on 9-of-13 field goal attempts in his last three home contests, including 5-of-6 on Saturday vs. Southwest Baptist. In conference games, he’s third on the team in rebounding (4.0 rpg) and fifth on the team in scoring (7.7 ppg).

High Wattage

Point guard Ameer Watts’ 29-point game on Wednesday night marked his 14th career game with 20 or more points and it matched his 2003-04 season high. Three of Watts’ five 20-point outings this year have come in the last seven games.

What’s more, the 5-10 senior is averaging 17.8 points and 4.2 rebounds per game with a 25-15 assist-turnover ratio in MIAA play. He has never been one to shy away from the big shot, and his winning three-pointer on Jan. 7 marked the latest clutch performance in his brief MSSU career. Last year, Watts hit winning field goals at Central Missouri and vs. Northwest.

A Rosy Picture

After averaging 6.4 points and 4.5 rebounds over the Lions’ first eight games, forward Deon Rose has taken a more active role in the MSSU offense. Over the last seven contests, the senior is averaging 12.3 points and 4.7 rebounds. He’s Missouri Southern’s third-leading scorer in conference games (13.2 ppg) and has twice contended for a double-double, garnering 13 points and nine rebounds in consecutive games vs. Missouri Western and Pittsburg State. Rose is one of three Lions leading the team at 4.6 rebounds a game for the season, but in conference games he’s been even better, averaging five per game.

More History

Senior Ameer Watts needs 65 more assists to take over fifth place on the Lions’ career assists list ... Watts is now fifth on the Lions career three-pointers made list, with a total of 102, and needs eight more triples to take over fourth ... Watts and junior Caleb Engelken are both on pace to earn the top two spots on MSSU’s career three-point shooting list. Engelken has a career three-point shooting mark of 45.1 percent (64-of-142) and Watts 41.6 percent (102-of-245) ... With five more blocks, Hiram Ocasio will pass Arnaldo Febres for fifth on the all-time list.

Strong Start

Missouri Southern has won 11 of its first 15 games for the fifth time in as many years. The Lions started 11-4 in 2002-03 after posting 12-3 starts in 2001-02 and 2000-01. The 1999-2000 squad, an eventual NCAA Division II Final Four participant, began 14-1.

A Streak of 20s

Southern’s four straight 20-win seasons coming into this year is unprecedented in team history. The 2002-03 team’s 20-win campaign marked the 13th such season in team history and the sixth under coach Corn’s watch.

Scouting the Hornets

Emporia State brings a 13-2 record, including 5-1 in the MIAA, into Wednesday’s game. The Hornets have won 12 consecutive home games, including 9-0 this year, and have won three straight in conference play. They are receiving votes for the latest NABC/Division II Bulletin Top 25.

The five Emporia starters, all seniors, average double figures in scoring, led by senior guard Tony Travis at 16.4 points per game. Senior forward Aaron Shaw is next with 14.9 per game. Travis and Shaw are ranked Nos. 5 and 8 in the MIAA in scoring. Shaw is also second in the conference in steals (2.29 pg) and third in field goal percentage (.560) and assists (5.36 pg). Shaw is No. 2 in the MIAA in free throw percentage (.865) and ranks sixth in the league with a 45.8 shooting percentage from beyond the arc.

Senior guard Greg Patton is third on the squad with 12.6 points per game, followed by senior guard Thomas Vincent at 12.4. Senior forward Demond Perris averages 12.1 points and a team-high 6.7 rebounds a game. vincent is also tied for third in the MIAA with a 2.13 steals average.

Emporia leads the MIAA in scoring offense (91.9 ppg), but ranks last in the league in scoring defense (77.7 ppg allowed). The Hornets are also tops in the conference in assist-turnover ratio (1.59) and second in steals (10.07 pg).

Patton dropped in 37 points in a come-from-behind 84-82 win at Central Missouri State on Saturday. He made 9-of-17 from the field, 5-of-6 from three-point range, and went 14-for-17 at the foul line. Vincent’s three-pointer with 1:21 left put the Hornets in front to stay after CMSU led by as many as 11 with 9:41 left.

Last Year’s Games

Emporia State 90, @ Lions 85, OT -- Jan. 18, 2003

JOPLIN –– After outscoring Emporia State 20-9 in the game’s final five minutes, the Lions were outdone 13-8 in overtime as Emporia State escaped Joplin with a rare win.

With 30 seconds left, Ameer Watts tied the score at 77 by converting a three-point play. The Hornets missed three shots to win it in regulation, but ESU’s Robbie Ballard scored nine of his team’s 13 points in overtime. Ballard finished with 25 points.

Watts put in 26 for the Lions, who got an additional 18 points from Redmond.

@ Emporia State 104, Lions 90 -- Feb. 15, 2003

EMPORIA, Kan. ––�The Lions lost for the first time after leading at halftime, as Emporia State scored the first seven points of the second half and never looked back in winning 104-90.

Overshadowed in the defeat was a brilliant, career-high scoring performance from Ameer Watts. He dropped in 30 points and added seven assists and five rebounds but was the lone Lion in double digits.

Robbie Ballard had 29 points to lead Emporia, which had five players in double figures. Aaron Shaw had a double-double with 10 assists and 10 rebounds.

It marked the first time an opponent scored 100 on Southern since Nov. 28, 1998.

Lions 99, Emporia State 98 -- March 7, 2003

(2003 Sonic/MIAA Championships, First Round)

KANSAS CITY, Mo. ––�The Lions outscored ESU 20-8 to start the game and led by as many as 20 points in the first half but had to hold on for a 99-98 win in the quarterfinal round of the Sonic/MIAA Championships.

Southern led by as many as 25 points in the second half before Robbie Ballard, held to two first-half points, sparked a 29-12 run. ESU would get within one point in the game’s final six minutes, but Southern made 12 of its final 15 free throws and needed every one of them.

Thomas Vincent’s desperation shot at the final horn cut it to the final margin.

Jamahr Warren finished with a career-high 26 points and Wats had a double-double with 20 points and 10 assists.

Demond Perris, Ballard and Vincent each topped the 20-point barrier for ESU.

Up Next: The Lions next head to Topeka to meet the No. 10 Washburn Ichabods in a 7:30 p.m. game on Saturday (Jan. 24). The Lions then close out the month of January at home with Missouri-Rolla (Jan. 28, 7:30 p.m.) and Truman (Jan. 31, 3 p.m.).


	Missouri Southern State University Lions (11-4, 4-2) at Emporia State University Hornets (13-2, 5-1) Game 16 • Jan. 21, 2004 • 7:30 pm • Emporia, Kan. • W. L. White Auditorium (5,000) View Notes in PDF Format On the Air Missouri Southern Lions action can be heard on Oldies 103.5 FM. Kevin Greim will handle the play-by-play, along with former Lion Jeff Starkweather, color commentary. The pregame show tips off 20 minutes before the game. The Lions broadcasts are also available on the internet, courtesy of Joplin.com. Just go to the Missouri Southern Athletics web site (www.mssu.edu/athletics) and click on the link for live broadcasts. The Coaches Head coach Robert Corn is in his 15th season at the helm of the Lions, and he has posted a 235-174 record for a winning percentage of .575. A 1978 graduate of Southern and the all-time winningest coach in Lions basketball history, he has led Southern to four consecutive 20-win seasons and six overall. Corn was honored as 2000 MIAA Coach of the Year, NABC South Central Regional Coach of the Year, and Division II Bulletin National Coach of the Year following a 30-3 season in which the Lions advanced to the NCAA-II Elite Eight semifinals. Corn is 16-9 vs. Emporia State. David Moe is in his third season at Emporia State, his first collegiate head coaching job. A 1986 graduate of Texas Lutheran and a former assistant with the University of Colorado and the NBA’s Philadelphia 76ers, Moe has a 37-32 (.536) record with the Hornets. He is the son of former NBA head coach Doug Moe and is part of the famed Kansas-North Carolina connection: his dad as a player at North Carolina and David as a graduate assistant at Kansas. David Moe, the 2003 MIAA Coach of the Year, is 2-3 vs. Missouri Southern. The Series After winning 10 games in a row over the Hornets, the Lions were swept during the 2002-03 regular season by Emporia, but MSSU won a shootout, 99-98, in the quarterfinal round of the Sonic/MIAA Championships last year. In all, Southern holds a 34-21 advantage in the series, including 13-12 in Emporia. (All-time series scores on p. 2). The Lions Southwest Baptist shot 57.1 percent in the first half and trailed by just one at halftime, but a string of nine turnovers led Missouri Southern onto a 26-3 run that put the game away. Missouri Southern’s 96-66 victory over SBU raised the Lions record to 11-4 overall and 4-2 in MIAA play. Southern led by just one, 44-43, early in the second half before a three-point play from Orestus “O.C.” Cavness led off a 12-0 Lions’ run. Five SBU turnovers came during the MSSU outburst, four of which resulted in steals. Junior Hiram Ocasio finished the game with eight steals and led Southern with 17 points. Cavness added 16 points and six rebounds, junior Jeremy “Pee Wee” Jones finished with 12 points and senior Darrell Redmond chipped in 10. Senior Ameer Watts had an off shooting night (1-for-10), but tallied nine points and seven assists. For the game, the Lions had 18 steals and topped the 90-point plateau for the fourth time this year and the second time in as many games. Watts remains MSSU’s leader in scoring (16.1 ppg) and assists (4.53 pg). Three Lions lead the team with 4.6 rebounds per game, including Cavness, Redmond and senior Deon Rose. Ocasio paces the squad with 3.67 steals and 0.8 blocks a game. Lions in the MIAA & NCAA Four Lions continue to rank among the MIAA leaders (through games of Jan. 18) in various statistical categories. As a team, the Lions lead the league in steals (10.87 pg) and three-point field goal defense (.314). Guards Hiram Ocasio, a junior, and Ameer Watts, a senior, are two big reasons for Southern’s high ranking in steals. Ocasio is tops in the conference with 3.67 steals a game, while Watts is tied for sixth with 2.00 an outing. Ocasio also ranked seventh in the nation in steals, through games of Jan. 11. Watts is also fifth in scoring (16.1 ppg) and assists (4.53 pg), tied for sixth in free throw accuracy (.792), fourth in threes made (2.33 pg) and 10th in assist-turnover ratio (1.58). Ocasio is tied for ninth in the MIAA in blocks (0.80 pg) and ranks 10th in free throw percentage (.750). Junior forward Orestus “O.C.” Cavness is also among the league’s best scorers, ranking in a 10th-place tie with 14.4 points per game. He’s also fifth in field goal shooting (.536). Junior Jeremy “Pee Wee” Jones is sixth in assist-turnover ratio (1.88). Watts’ eight threes made vs. St. Gregory’s (Okla.) is the most by an MIAA player in a single game this year, and his 14 attempts from three-point distance is tied for the most. Ocasio’s nine steals against Paul Quinn (Texas) is also an MIAA single game high. Been Caught Stealing Junior Hiram Ocasio, with eight steals on Saturday vs. Southwest Baptist, moved past Terry Shumpert (1998-02) for third place on the Lions’ all-time steals list. Ocasio now has 160 career steals and three more will move him ahead of Mario Phillips (1995-99) for second. However, Ocasio is still 223 steals behind Eddin Santiago, who’s not only No. 1 in Southern history, but also No. 1 in NCAA Division II lore. Ocasio leads the MIAA and ranked seventh in the nation in steals through games of Jan. 11. The eight-steal game marked his fourth this year with five or more thefts and his 13th of the season with multiple picks. What’s more Ocasio has 10 double-figure scoring games this year and 15 in his last 20 games, dating back to last year. Pee Wee Provides Big Spark Aside from two Missouri Southern post players, Darrell Redmond and Dan Jones, the smallest player on the team, Jeremy “Pee Wee” Jones (5-8), has the best shooting percentage in conference play. He’s made 54.2 percent of his shots in league games, including 5-of-8 from three-point land. Jones has connected on 9-of-13 field goal attempts in his last three home contests, including 5-of-6 on Saturday vs. Southwest Baptist. In conference games, he’s third on the team in rebounding (4.0 rpg) and fifth on the team in scoring (7.7 ppg). High Wattage Point guard Ameer Watts’ 29-point game on Wednesday night marked his 14th career game with 20 or more points and it matched his 2003-04 season high. Three of Watts’ five 20-point outings this year have come in the last seven games. What’s more, the 5-10 senior is averaging 17.8 points and 4.2 rebounds per game with a 25-15 assist-turnover ratio in MIAA play. He has never been one to shy away from the big shot, and his winning three-pointer on Jan. 7 marked the latest clutch performance in his brief MSSU career. Last year, Watts hit winning field goals at Central Missouri and vs. Northwest. A Rosy Picture After averaging 6.4 points and 4.5 rebounds over the Lions’ first eight games, forward Deon Rose has taken a more active role in the MSSU offense. Over the last seven contests, the senior is averaging 12.3 points and 4.7 rebounds. He’s Missouri Southern’s third-leading scorer in conference games (13.2 ppg) and has twice contended for a double-double, garnering 13 points and nine rebounds in consecutive games vs. Missouri Western and Pittsburg State. Rose is one of three Lions leading the team at 4.6 rebounds a game for the season, but in conference games he’s been even better, averaging five per game. More History Senior Ameer Watts needs 65 more assists to take over fifth place on the Lions’ career assists list ... Watts is now fifth on the Lions career three-pointers made list, with a total of 102, and needs eight more triples to take over fourth ... Watts and junior Caleb Engelken are both on pace to earn the top two spots on MSSU’s career three-point shooting list. Engelken has a career three-point shooting mark of 45.1 percent (64-of-142) and Watts 41.6 percent (102-of-245) ... With five more blocks, Hiram Ocasio will pass Arnaldo Febres for fifth on the all-time list. Strong Start Missouri Southern has won 11 of its first 15 games for the fifth time in as many years. The Lions started 11-4 in 2002-03 after posting 12-3 starts in 2001-02 and 2000-01. The 1999-2000 squad, an eventual NCAA Division II Final Four participant, began 14-1. A Streak of 20s Southern’s four straight 20-win seasons coming into this year is unprecedented in team history. The 2002-03 team’s 20-win campaign marked the 13th such season in team history and the sixth under coach Corn’s watch. Scouting the Hornets Emporia State brings a 13-2 record, including 5-1 in the MIAA, into Wednesday’s game. The Hornets have won 12 consecutive home games, including 9-0 this year, and have won three straight in conference play. They are receiving votes for the latest NABC/Division II Bulletin Top 25. The five Emporia starters, all seniors, average double figures in scoring, led by senior guard Tony Travis at 16.4 points per game. Senior forward Aaron Shaw is next with 14.9 per game. Travis and Shaw are ranked Nos. 5 and 8 in the MIAA in scoring. Shaw is also second in the conference in steals (2.29 pg) and third in field goal percentage (.560) and assists (5.36 pg). Shaw is No. 2 in the MIAA in free throw percentage (.865) and ranks sixth in the league with a 45.8 shooting percentage from beyond the arc. Senior guard Greg Patton is third on the squad with 12.6 points per game, followed by senior guard Thomas Vincent at 12.4. Senior forward Demond Perris averages 12.1 points and a team-high 6.7 rebounds a game. vincent is also tied for third in the MIAA with a 2.13 steals average. Emporia leads the MIAA in scoring offense (91.9 ppg), but ranks last in the league in scoring defense (77.7 ppg allowed). The Hornets are also tops in the conference in assist-turnover ratio (1.59) and second in steals (10.07 pg). Patton dropped in 37 points in a come-from-behind 84-82 win at Central Missouri State on Saturday. He made 9-of-17 from the field, 5-of-6 from three-point range, and went 14-for-17 at the foul line. Vincent’s three-pointer with 1:21 left put the Hornets in front to stay after CMSU led by as many as 11 with 9:41 left. Last Year’s Games Emporia State 90, @ Lions 85, OT -- Jan. 18, 2003 JOPLIN –– After outscoring Emporia State 20-9 in the game’s final five minutes, the Lions were outdone 13-8 in overtime as Emporia State escaped Joplin with a rare win. With 30 seconds left, Ameer Watts tied the score at 77 by converting a three-point play. The Hornets missed three shots to win it in regulation, but ESU’s Robbie Ballard scored nine of his team’s 13 points in overtime. Ballard finished with 25 points. Watts put in 26 for the Lions, who got an additional 18 points from Redmond. @ Emporia State 104, Lions 90 -- Feb. 15, 2003 EMPORIA, Kan. ––�The Lions lost for the first time after leading at halftime, as Emporia State scored the first seven points of the second half and never looked back in winning 104-90. Overshadowed in the defeat was a brilliant, career-high scoring performance from Ameer Watts. He dropped in 30 points and added seven assists and five rebounds but was the lone Lion in double digits. Robbie Ballard had 29 points to lead Emporia, which had five players in double figures. Aaron Shaw had a double-double with 10 assists and 10 rebounds. It marked the first time an opponent scored 100 on Southern since Nov. 28, 1998. Lions 99, Emporia State 98 -- March 7, 2003 (2003 Sonic/MIAA Championships, First Round) KANSAS CITY, Mo. ––�The Lions outscored ESU 20-8 to start the game and led by as many as 20 points in the first half but had to hold on for a 99-98 win in the quarterfinal round of the Sonic/MIAA Championships. Southern led by as many as 25 points in the second half before Robbie Ballard, held to two first-half points, sparked a 29-12 run. ESU would get within one point in the game’s final six minutes, but Southern made 12 of its final 15 free throws and needed every one of them. Thomas Vincent’s desperation shot at the final horn cut it to the final margin. Jamahr Warren finished with a career-high 26 points and Wats had a double-double with 20 points and 10 assists. Demond Perris, Ballard and Vincent each topped the 20-point barrier for ESU. Up Next: The Lions next head to Topeka to meet the No. 10 Washburn Ichabods in a 7:30 p.m. game on Saturday (Jan. 24). The Lions then close out the month of January at home with Missouri-Rolla (Jan. 28, 7:30 p.m.) and Truman (Jan. 31, 3 p.m.).