Last week, Missouri Southern Women’s Head Basketball Coach Maryann Mitts noted that the final week of the season would have her team finish anywhere between third and sixth in the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletic Association’s final standings.

The Lions finished with a 12-8 mark in league play, tying them with Central Missouri, but the No. 4 seed went to the Lady Jennies, with MSSU earning the fifth seed.

That matters little because either way the two teams would have been playing each other today in this week’s MIAA Championship Tournament.

Now, the match-up is set for 2:15 p.m. today when the Lions (18-9, 12-8 MIAA) play Central Missouri (17-10, 12-8 MIAA) at Municipal Auditorium in Kansas City.

Both teams are coming in struggling a bit at the conclusion of the regular season.

Southern, after a seven-game winning streak, finished the season winning only two of its last seven games. Central Missouri struggled in its last nine games of the season, winning only three.

The top seed is Emporia State, which finished 23-4 overall and 17-3 in league play, and the winner of the Central Missouri-Missouri Southern game will be the Lady Hornets likely opponent at 6 p.m. Saturday in the semifinals.

The top seeds on the bottom half of the bracket – only eight teams qualify for the tournament – are No. 2 Washburn and No. 3 Pittsburg State.

The Lady Blues were also 23-4, but were only 16-4 in MIAA play. The Lady Gorillas were 19-8 and 14-6.

The championship game is set for 3:15 p.m. Sunday and the winner receives the South Central Region’s automatic berth in the in the Division II playoffs.

The Lions split the regular season series with Central Missouri State.

The Lady Jennies handed Southern its first conference loss Dec. 6, 59-52 at Leggett & Platt Athletic Center. The win was sparked by a 41-point second half by the Lady Jennies.

Southern avenged that loss with a 72-65 victory Jan. 28 in Warrensburg. The victory was the sixth in a row, part of a seven-game winning streak for the Lions during that point of the season.

India Wood scored 25 points for MSSU in the game, while Nichole Helfrich (11) and Myosha Barnes (10) also scored in double figures.

Heading into today’s game, the Lions will look to slow down All-MIAA performer Kara Fleming, a guard who averages 11.4 points per game.

Also scoring a lot of points for Central Missouri is Rebecca Roberts (12.1) and Katy Davenport (10). A wildcard could be forward Deidra Dace.

Though she only averages 5 points per game, she had 16 points and 13 rebounds in the last meeting against Southern.

The MIAA Championship Tour-nament ends Sunday.

The Lions finished with a 12-8 mark in league play, tying them with Central Missouri, but the No. 4 seed went to the Lady Jennies, with MSSU earning the fifth seed.

That matters little because either way the two teams would have been playing each other today in this week’s MIAA Championship Tournament.

Now, the match-up is set for 2:15 p.m. today when the Lions (18-9, 12-8 MIAA) play Central Missouri (17-10, 12-8 MIAA) at Municipal Auditorium in Kansas City.

Both teams are coming in struggling a bit at the conclusion of the regular season.

Southern, after a seven-game winning streak, finished the season winning only two of its last seven games. Central Missouri struggled in its last nine games of the season, winning only three.

The top seed is Emporia State, which finished 23-4 overall and 17-3 in league play, and the winner of the Central Missouri-Missouri Southern game will be the Lady Hornets likely opponent at 6 p.m. Saturday in the semifinals.

The top seeds on the bottom half of the bracket – only eight teams qualify for the tournament – are No. 2 Washburn and No. 3 Pittsburg State.

The Lady Blues were also 23-4, but were only 16-4 in MIAA play. The Lady Gorillas were 19-8 and 14-6.

The championship game is set for 3:15 p.m. Sunday and the winner receives the South Central Region’s automatic berth in the in the Division II playoffs.

The Lions split the regular season series with Central Missouri State.

The Lady Jennies handed Southern its first conference loss Dec. 6, 59-52 at Leggett & Platt Athletic Center. The win was sparked by a 41-point second half by the Lady Jennies.

Southern avenged that loss with a 72-65 victory Jan. 28 in Warrensburg. The victory was the sixth in a row, part of a seven-game winning streak for the Lions during that point of the season.

India Wood scored 25 points for MSSU in the game, while Nichole Helfrich (11) and Myosha Barnes (10) also scored in double figures.

Heading into today’s game, the Lions will look to slow down All-MIAA performer Kara Fleming, a guard who averages 11.4 points per game.

Also scoring a lot of points for Central Missouri is Rebecca Roberts (12.1) and Katy Davenport (10). A wildcard could be forward Deidra Dace.

Though she only averages 5 points per game, she had 16 points and 13 rebounds in the last meeting against Southern.

The MIAA Championship Tour-nament ends Sunday.