Men's Basketball Game Notes vs. NWMSU

Missouri Southern Lions (9-3, 2-1) at

No. 4 Northwest Missouri State Bearcats (12-0, 3-0)

Game 13 • Jan. 10, 2003 • 3:30 pm • Maryville, Mo. • Bearcat Arena (2,500)

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 233-173 record for a winning percentage of .574. 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 1999-2000 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. He’s 8-13 vs. Northwest.

Steve Tappmeyer is in his 16th year at Northwest Missouri State and holds a 290-152 career mark as the Bearcats’ mentor. He has led NWMSU to MIAA regular season championships in 1995-96, 1997-98 and 2001-02. He also led the ‘Cats to MIAA Tournament crowns in 1988 and 2002. Tappmeyer is 13-8 vs. the Lions.

The Series: The Lions trail 15-8 in the Northwest Missouri series, which has seen each of the last three decided by three points or less. Southern has dropped 10 straight at Maryville, where the Lions are 1-10 all-time. MSSU has won seven of the 10 games played in Joplin. The Lions’ only road win in the series was a 76-74 decision on Feb. 10, 1990. Last year, each team won on its home floor; the MSSU took a 78-75 win in Joplin and Northwest captured a 93-92 decision in Maryville. (All-time series scores on p. 2)

The Lions

Missouri Southern stayed just a game back of the conference leaders with its 75-69 win on Wednesday night over Pittsburg State. The Lions raised their mark to 9-3 overall and 2-1 in the MIAA.

Southern led by as many as seven in the second half, 70-63, with 3:06 to play. Pittsburg State made one last push and pulled to within 70-69 less than two minutes later. Senior point guard Ameer Watts made the first of two free throws and then came up with the biggest shot of the night. Watts canned a three-pointer from the left side of the circle with 23 seconds left, virtually sealing the win.

Watts finished with 19 points and barely missed a double-double with nine rebounds. Senior Deon Rose added 13 points and nine boards and Orestus “O.C.” Cavness ended with 16 points. Junior Jeremy Jones, who hit a free throw in the closing seconds for the final margin, had his best game of the year and ended with 10 points.

PSU led early in both halves, including an eight-point differential, 21-13, in the first. Southern stormed back before halftime, on the strength of a 13-2 rally and led 35-31 at the break. After the Lions hung on to their lead to start the second half, PSU used a 7-2 spurt over a span of 1:23 to take a 54-49 lead. Cavness’ three-pointder with 7:03 to go gave MSSU a 62-60 lead and one it would not relinquish.

Lions in the MIAA & NCAA

Three members of the Missouri Southern starting contingent are ranked among the MIAA leaders (through games of Jan. 8) in various statistical categories. As a team, the Lions average 11.42 steals to lead the MIAA.

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 third with 2.25 an outing.

Watts also ranks fifth in the MIAA in assists (4.33 pg), seventh in scoring (16.2 ppg), eighth in free throw accuracy (.763) and tied for third in threes made (2.42).

The defensive-minded Ocasio is tied for eighth in the MIAA in blocks (1.00 pg), and os seventh in free throw percentage (.764).

Junior forward Orestus “O.C.” Cavness is also among the league’s top 10 in scoring, ranking 10th with 15.3 points per game. He’s also seventh in field goal shooting (.548).

The Lions are also in the top five in the MIAA in offensive rebounds (third, 13.58 pg), rebounding margin (fourth, +2.2 rpg), three-point defense (fourth, .313), scoring offense (fifth, 81.4 ppg), rebounding defense (fifth, 35.4 rpg), free throw percentage (.687) and turnover margin (fifth, +2.75 pg).

Watts’ eight threes made vs. St. Gregory’s (Okla.) is the most by an MIAA player in the 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.

In the first NCAA Division II statistical report, through games of Jan. 4, Ocasio was No. 4 in the nation in steals and Watts was 41st. As a team, the Lions were 44th in scoring offense and 48th in scoring margin.

It’s Going Around

As many as five different players on the squad have been hindered by flu-like symptoms thus far on the year. Of late, senior forward Darrell Redmond was ill and missed the Missouri Western game. Senior Deon Rose was slowed in practice by the sickness late this week.

Ameer in the Clutch

Senior point guard Ameer Watts has never been one to shy away from the big shot and Wednesday’s late three-pointer was the latest clutch performance in his brief career at Southern. And over his last four games, Watts’ scoring has been superb. He’s averaging 21.3 points over that span.

Ocasio Causes Havoc

Hiram Ocasio, the Lions’ 6-1 junior guard, has scored in double figures in 13 of his last 17 games, dating back to last year, and is averaging 12.2 points over that span. This year, he has already collected 44 steals after garnering 61 all of last year. He leads the team and the MIAA in steals (3.67 pg) and is also Southern’s top shot-blocker at 1.00 per game. Ocasio has twice notched career-high 23-point scoring efforts this season and is now up to fourth on MSSU’s career steals list with 149. He should end his career as Southern’s second-most prolific steal artist, behind only Eddin Santiago (1998-02). Ocasio needs just seven more blocks to take over fifth place on that Lions’ career list.

Steady Shooting Southern

After a slow start shooting the ball, MSSU came back and connected on 50 percent or better from the field in five of six games. That has leveled off a little, with Southern shooting 45.3 percent over its last four.

Three Lion opponents have managed to connect on 50 percent or better from the field. On all three occasions, MSSU suffered a loss.

MSSU has also converted at least 72 percent of its foul shots in four of the last five.

Deon Steps Up

Senior Deon Rose has been a steady force over his last four games. He has six double figure scoring games on the year, including each of the last four contests and is averaging 14.3 points and six rebounds during that span. He dropped in 19 points vs. Truman on Dec. 30 and has flirted with a double-double with 13-point, nine-rebound performances over the last two games.

History Chase

Senior Ameer Watts needs 81 more assists to take over fifth place on the Lions’ career assists list ... Watts and junior Caleb Engelken are both on pace to earn the top two spots on MSSU’s career three-point shooting list.

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 Bearcats

Northwest is off to a 12-0 start to the season, including 3-0 in MIAA play, and is up to a No. 4 national ranking. The Bearcats are coming off a 74-65 road win at Missouri Western on Wednesday night and downed Missouri-Rolla 73-60 in Maryville on Saturday for their 25th consecutive home win. That’s a streak that’s tied for the third longest in the nation.

Senior guard Kelvin Parker is the MIAA’s leading scorer at 17.9 points per game and he’s also fourth in the conference in assists (5.33 pg) and seventh in steals (2.08 pg). Sophomore Austin Meyer is 12th in the MIAA with 13.9 points per game and junior Byron Jackson ranks third in the conference with 8.2 rebounds per contest.

The Bearcats win with defense and protecting the ball on their own end, proven by their No. 1 conference ranking in turnover margin and No. 3 ranking in scoring defense (65.2). Northwest shoots the ball well, ranking second in the conference in field goal percentage (.503) and free throw percentage (.729).

At Western on Wednesday, Meyer had 21 points on 8-of-15 shooting, including 5-of-10 from three-point range. Jesse Shaw had 15 points and Parker added 11 points and seven assists. NWMSU had just eight turnovers for the game.

Last Year’s Games

@ Lions 78, Northwest Missouri 75 -- Jan. 11, 2003

JOPLIN –– After trailing by as many as 11 in the second half, the Lions rallied to upset No. 21 Northwest Misosuri State behind another go-ahead bucket from point guard Ameer Watts.

Darrell Redmond scored 15 of his 17 points in the final eight minutes after Watts sparked a 15-2 Southern run. Watts drove in for the game-winning layup with 10 seconds left and Jamahr Warren buried two free throws in the waning seconds for the second straight game.

Watts and Redmond scored 17 points, while Warren finished with 16 and seven rebounds.

@ Northwest Missouri 93, Lions 92 -- Feb. 8, 2003

MARYVILLE, Mo. ––�Missouri Southern was defeated on a last second free throw as Northwest Missouri won its 17th straight home game, 93-92.

The Lions had rallied from an eight-point deficit with 5:17 to play by outscoring the Bearcats 11-2 over a stretch of two-plus minutes. Trailing by five with 35 seconds to go, Deon Rose buried a three-pointer and Ameer Watts scored on a layup to tie the score.

But a foul with four-tenths of a second on the clock sent NWMSU’s Joel Yeldell to the line, where he hit the winning charity toss.

Up Next: The Lions will remain on the road for their Wednesday encounter at Central Missouri, but then return home to host Southwest Baptist on Saturday. Both the Wednesday and Saturday contests tip off at 7:30 p.m.


	Missouri Southern Lions (9-3, 2-1) at No. 4 Northwest Missouri State Bearcats (12-0, 3-0) Game 13 • Jan. 10, 2003 • 3:30 pm • Maryville, Mo. • Bearcat Arena (2,500) 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 233-173 record for a winning percentage of .574. 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 1999-2000 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. He’s 8-13 vs. Northwest. Steve Tappmeyer is in his 16th year at Northwest Missouri State and holds a 290-152 career mark as the Bearcats’ mentor. He has led NWMSU to MIAA regular season championships in 1995-96, 1997-98 and 2001-02. He also led the ‘Cats to MIAA Tournament crowns in 1988 and 2002. Tappmeyer is 13-8 vs. the Lions. The Series: The Lions trail 15-8 in the Northwest Missouri series, which has seen each of the last three decided by three points or less. Southern has dropped 10 straight at Maryville, where the Lions are 1-10 all-time. MSSU has won seven of the 10 games played in Joplin. The Lions’ only road win in the series was a 76-74 decision on Feb. 10, 1990. Last year, each team won on its home floor; the MSSU took a 78-75 win in Joplin and Northwest captured a 93-92 decision in Maryville. (All-time series scores on p. 2) The Lions Missouri Southern stayed just a game back of the conference leaders with its 75-69 win on Wednesday night over Pittsburg State. The Lions raised their mark to 9-3 overall and 2-1 in the MIAA. Southern led by as many as seven in the second half, 70-63, with 3:06 to play. Pittsburg State made one last push and pulled to within 70-69 less than two minutes later. Senior point guard Ameer Watts made the first of two free throws and then came up with the biggest shot of the night. Watts canned a three-pointer from the left side of the circle with 23 seconds left, virtually sealing the win. Watts finished with 19 points and barely missed a double-double with nine rebounds. Senior Deon Rose added 13 points and nine boards and Orestus “O.C.” Cavness ended with 16 points. Junior Jeremy Jones, who hit a free throw in the closing seconds for the final margin, had his best game of the year and ended with 10 points. PSU led early in both halves, including an eight-point differential, 21-13, in the first. Southern stormed back before halftime, on the strength of a 13-2 rally and led 35-31 at the break. After the Lions hung on to their lead to start the second half, PSU used a 7-2 spurt over a span of 1:23 to take a 54-49 lead. Cavness’ three-pointder with 7:03 to go gave MSSU a 62-60 lead and one it would not relinquish. Lions in the MIAA & NCAA Three members of the Missouri Southern starting contingent are ranked among the MIAA leaders (through games of Jan. 8) in various statistical categories. As a team, the Lions average 11.42 steals to lead the MIAA. 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 third with 2.25 an outing. Watts also ranks fifth in the MIAA in assists (4.33 pg), seventh in scoring (16.2 ppg), eighth in free throw accuracy (.763) and tied for third in threes made (2.42). The defensive-minded Ocasio is tied for eighth in the MIAA in blocks (1.00 pg), and os seventh in free throw percentage (.764). Junior forward Orestus “O.C.” Cavness is also among the league’s top 10 in scoring, ranking 10th with 15.3 points per game. He’s also seventh in field goal shooting (.548). The Lions are also in the top five in the MIAA in offensive rebounds (third, 13.58 pg), rebounding margin (fourth, +2.2 rpg), three-point defense (fourth, .313), scoring offense (fifth, 81.4 ppg), rebounding defense (fifth, 35.4 rpg), free throw percentage (.687) and turnover margin (fifth, +2.75 pg). Watts’ eight threes made vs. St. Gregory’s (Okla.) is the most by an MIAA player in the 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. In the first NCAA Division II statistical report, through games of Jan. 4, Ocasio was No. 4 in the nation in steals and Watts was 41st. As a team, the Lions were 44th in scoring offense and 48th in scoring margin. It’s Going Around As many as five different players on the squad have been hindered by flu-like symptoms thus far on the year. Of late, senior forward Darrell Redmond was ill and missed the Missouri Western game. Senior Deon Rose was slowed in practice by the sickness late this week. Ameer in the Clutch Senior point guard Ameer Watts has never been one to shy away from the big shot and Wednesday’s late three-pointer was the latest clutch performance in his brief career at Southern. And over his last four games, Watts’ scoring has been superb. He’s averaging 21.3 points over that span. Ocasio Causes Havoc Hiram Ocasio, the Lions’ 6-1 junior guard, has scored in double figures in 13 of his last 17 games, dating back to last year, and is averaging 12.2 points over that span. This year, he has already collected 44 steals after garnering 61 all of last year. He leads the team and the MIAA in steals (3.67 pg) and is also Southern’s top shot-blocker at 1.00 per game. Ocasio has twice notched career-high 23-point scoring efforts this season and is now up to fourth on MSSU’s career steals list with 149. He should end his career as Southern’s second-most prolific steal artist, behind only Eddin Santiago (1998-02). Ocasio needs just seven more blocks to take over fifth place on that Lions’ career list. Steady Shooting Southern After a slow start shooting the ball, MSSU came back and connected on 50 percent or better from the field in five of six games. That has leveled off a little, with Southern shooting 45.3 percent over its last four. Three Lion opponents have managed to connect on 50 percent or better from the field. On all three occasions, MSSU suffered a loss. MSSU has also converted at least 72 percent of its foul shots in four of the last five. Deon Steps Up Senior Deon Rose has been a steady force over his last four games. He has six double figure scoring games on the year, including each of the last four contests and is averaging 14.3 points and six rebounds during that span. He dropped in 19 points vs. Truman on Dec. 30 and has flirted with a double-double with 13-point, nine-rebound performances over the last two games. History Chase Senior Ameer Watts needs 81 more assists to take over fifth place on the Lions’ career assists list ... Watts and junior Caleb Engelken are both on pace to earn the top two spots on MSSU’s career three-point shooting list. 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 Bearcats Northwest is off to a 12-0 start to the season, including 3-0 in MIAA play, and is up to a No. 4 national ranking. The Bearcats are coming off a 74-65 road win at Missouri Western on Wednesday night and downed Missouri-Rolla 73-60 in Maryville on Saturday for their 25th consecutive home win. That’s a streak that’s tied for the third longest in the nation. Senior guard Kelvin Parker is the MIAA’s leading scorer at 17.9 points per game and he’s also fourth in the conference in assists (5.33 pg) and seventh in steals (2.08 pg). Sophomore Austin Meyer is 12th in the MIAA with 13.9 points per game and junior Byron Jackson ranks third in the conference with 8.2 rebounds per contest. The Bearcats win with defense and protecting the ball on their own end, proven by their No. 1 conference ranking in turnover margin and No. 3 ranking in scoring defense (65.2). Northwest shoots the ball well, ranking second in the conference in field goal percentage (.503) and free throw percentage (.729). At Western on Wednesday, Meyer had 21 points on 8-of-15 shooting, including 5-of-10 from three-point range. Jesse Shaw had 15 points and Parker added 11 points and seven assists. NWMSU had just eight turnovers for the game. Last Year’s Games @ Lions 78, Northwest Missouri 75 -- Jan. 11, 2003 JOPLIN –– After trailing by as many as 11 in the second half, the Lions rallied to upset No. 21 Northwest Misosuri State behind another go-ahead bucket from point guard Ameer Watts. Darrell Redmond scored 15 of his 17 points in the final eight minutes after Watts sparked a 15-2 Southern run. Watts drove in for the game-winning layup with 10 seconds left and Jamahr Warren buried two free throws in the waning seconds for the second straight game. Watts and Redmond scored 17 points, while Warren finished with 16 and seven rebounds. @ Northwest Missouri 93, Lions 92 -- Feb. 8, 2003 MARYVILLE, Mo. ––�Missouri Southern was defeated on a last second free throw as Northwest Missouri won its 17th straight home game, 93-92. The Lions had rallied from an eight-point deficit with 5:17 to play by outscoring the Bearcats 11-2 over a stretch of two-plus minutes. Trailing by five with 35 seconds to go, Deon Rose buried a three-pointer and Ameer Watts scored on a layup to tie the score. But a foul with four-tenths of a second on the clock sent NWMSU’s Joel Yeldell to the line, where he hit the winning charity toss. Up Next: The Lions will remain on the road for their Wednesday encounter at Central Missouri, but then return home to host Southwest Baptist on Saturday. Both the Wednesday and Saturday contests tip off at 7:30 p.m.