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Southwest Missouri State Lady Bears
RECORD: 28 - 3
REGION: East SEED: 12
COACH: Katie Abrahamson-Henderson CONFERENCE: MVC |
RESULTS
| MESSAGE BOARD
Road to the Final Four ...................................................................................
| PLAYER TO WATCH |
Kari Koch
Is it just us or is Kari Koch a mini-Jackie Stiles in the making? Let's see, Stiles was a SMS sharp-shooting legend, equally deadly from 12 feet, behind the 3-point line or the free-throw line. Well, Koch averages 18 points a game, shooting nearly 50 percent from the field, 43 percent from behind the arc and an almost-automatic 89 percent from the line. And while Stiles won three MVC Player of the Year awards, remember Koch won her first this season as a sophomore. Of course, there is that pesky thing about leading SMS to the Final Four like Stiles did, but it sure looks like Koch is on the right track.
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ANALYSIS BY ESPN'S STACEY DALES-SCHUMAN
 For the first time since the 1998-99 season, the Southwest Missouri State Lady Bears are the sole regular-season champions of the Missouri Valley Conference. And in Katie Abrahamson-Henderson's second season as the program's coach, she has already taken the Lady Bears to two consecutive NCAA Tournament berths.
Besides a balanced game at both ends of the floor, SMS has a particularly potent offensive attack that includes players such as sophomore Kari Koch. After earning Freshman of the Year accolades a season ago, Koch picked up right where she left off, contributing 18 points and a supreme 45 percent accuracy from the 3-point line.
Remarkably, seven different SMS players average more than 40 percent from the arc, while the team boasts a 43 percent accuracy from downtown on the season. There is no denying that this is the best 3-point shooting team in the entire nation.
Taking care of the boards is junior guard Jenni Lingor and senior forward Meg Tierney -- both players also chip in 12 points each game. Tierney chips in five boards, while Lingor accounts for six boards each time out with a demeanor that gives SMS substance and versatility.
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