Southern women’s basketball team ended the regular season on a strong note by going into the MIAA tournament with back-to-back wins, locking them in as the number four seed.

In their quarterfinal match-up yesterday, the Lions faced a strong opponent in Fort Hays State. Fort Hays is led by junior center Kate Lehman, who was a unanimous first-team All-MIAA player as well as a selection for the All-MIAA Defensive Team.

“Fort Hays is a formidable opponent with a ton of weapons,” said Head Coach Ronda Hubbard. “They are up tempo and have a dominant center that scores and rebounds. It’s going to be a really tough matchup, yet I know our team is up for the challenge.”

If the Lions defeat Fort Hays, they will move on to face the winner of the Central Missouri and Northeastern State game on Saturday, March 8, at noon.

In other news, the All-MIAA teams were recently announced and four Lions received honors of some sort.

“The post-season honors our team received were a testament to the overall success of the team,” said Hubbard. “Collectively, this team has worked hard, gelled well, and put the team first. When players put the team first and the team has success, individuals get recognized. That is definitely the case with this group.”

Senior center Dominique Mosley was selected to the first team. She had a strong season for the Lions, leading the team in both scoring and rebounding. Mosley averaged 15.3 points and 7.2 rebounds per game over the course of the season.

Three players were recognized as honorable mention MIAA performers: sophomore guard Sharese Jones, senior center Shonte Clay and junior guard Alexis Fitzpatrick.

Jones was the Lions’ second leading scorer and rebounder, averaging just under 14 points per game and nearly seven boards. Clay had some big games for the Lions over the course of the season and averaged 11 points.

Fitzpatrick was a tempo-setter at point guard for the team and the floor general on the defensive end. She registered 65 steals and 13 blocks on the season.

“I’m extremely proud of their efforts and the way they have so positively represented the demeanor of our staff, program and University, not just on the court, but off the court as well,” said Hubbard. “We have logged over 200 community service hours and held a 3.2 GPA in the fall. This team is the epitome of what it means to be a lady Lion basketball player: being well-rounded and excellent in everything they do and being servant leaders on our campus and in the community.”

Update: Fort Hays State defeated Southern women’s basketball team 78-57 knocking them out of post-season MIAA tournament play.