JOPLIN, MO — The Missouri Southern Lions defeated Northeastern State 91-79 to improve to 3-1 in MIAA conference play.
Veonce Powell led the team with a season-high 20 points and only two missed shots, shooting five of seven from the field.
Kaitlin Hunnicutt finished just behind Powell with 18 points and eight rebounds.
The Lions also recorded 41 total rebounds and forced 15 turnovers.
Despite an outstanding offensive performance, the team believed that success began on the defensive side.
“Defense comes first, and offense follows the flow of the game. “We really focused on our defense and rebounding, which helped us get into our offensive sets,” Powell says.
“I thought it was a really good test for us,” Hunnicutt explains.
“This was the first game of the new year, and the first since we returned from break. I believe it will give us good momentum going into next week, especially since we play [Pitt State].
Southern will face the Pitt State Gorillas at John Lance Arena on January 7th, with a 5:30pm tip-off.
“It’s a fun game for me,” explains head coach Ronnie Ressel.
“[Pittsburgh State] is extremely talented. I believe they are currently ranked 12th or 13th in the country. To me, they have everything they need to win a national championship. I’ll be satisfied if we give it our all on both ends of the floor, win or lose.