Four Lions on All-MIAA Squads

Four Lions on All-MIAA squads Senior Ocasio named leagues defensive player of the year Four members of the Missouri Southern State University basketball teams were named to the All-Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association teams announced on Sunday (Feb. 27). Missouri Southerns men had a first-team selection in senior forward Orestus "O.C." Cavness (Atlanta, Ga./Georgia Perimeter College). The former Marshall, Texas prep standout ranks fourth in the MIAA in scoring (17.3 ppg) and has logged at least 20 points in 10 games for the Lions in 2004-05. Cavness, who averaged 19 points a game in MIAA play this year, is also third in the league in field goal percentage (.488), fifth in blocked shots (0.85) and 11th with 5.3 rebounds per game. In January, Cavness put up 30 points in back-to-back games, becoming to first Lion to accomplish that since Terrance Sissom in 1995. He scored 115 points during a 10-day stretch, averaging 28.8 points per game. Cavness has scored in double figures in 45 of 53 career games with the Lions, including 14 with 20 or more points. Senior guard Hiram Ocasio (Toa Alta, P.R.) was honored for the second straight year on the MIAA All-Defensive Team. Ocasio, a 6-foot-2 guard, finished the regular season third in the conference with 1.9 steals per game. He currently ranks second in MSSU history with 246 steals and is the only guard in the Lions top five for blocked shots, currently ranking fourth with 66 swats. A pair of seniors also captured honors on the womens side. Forward Vonny Wilson (Fort Worth, Texas/Grayson CC) was a second-team honoree and guard Aubrie Hallman (Wichita, Kan./Cowley County CC) was an honorable mention pick. The 5-10 Wilson led the Lions and ranks fourth in the MIAA with 15.6 points per game. She finished the regular season sixth in the conference in rebounding (7.1 rpg) and fourth in field goal percentage (.552) and free throw accuracy (.780). Wilsons scoring and rebounding numbers are higher in conference action, too. Shes scoring at a 16.8 points per game clip in league play, and averages 7.4 rebounds. Wilson has scored in double figures in 21 consecutive games and in 24 of 27 this year. She logged six double-doubles in 2004-05 as well. Hallman is right behind Wilson in scoring, trailing only by 10 total points and averaging 15.3 points per game, good for fifth in the MIAA. Hallman, filling more of the point guard role than she had previously, also finished third in the conference with 5.26 assists per game and was fifth with 0.85 blocks an outing. Hallman has scored in double figures in 21 of 27 games this year and in 43 of 55 for her two-year career. She has topped the 20-point plateau 13 times, including seven games this season. Both Missouri Southern basketball teams have earned berths in the MIAA Postseason Tournament, which begins Thursday at Municipal Auditorium in Kansas City, Mo. The Lion women will take on Central Missouri State at 8:30 p.m. Thursday (March 3), and the Southern men play on Friday (March 4) at 8:30 p.m. against Pittsburg State.