Dynamic Taggart has a chance to be 'special' for Lions
Jan. 25—Coming on strong of late, Missouri Southern's Avery Taggart was re-inserted back into the starting lineup on Saturday afternoon.
Taggart had been one of the Lions' biggest bright spots coming off the bench during their recent cold spell, averaging 13 points, three rebounds and two assists since Jan. 13.
So in just his fifth career collegiate start, the 6-foot-5 freshman guard turned in 17 points and shot 4 of 6 from 3-point range while dishing out a career-high seven assists in 39 minutes played.
Oh, and perhaps most importantly, MSSU snapped a three-game skid with a 87-75 victory over Nebraska Kearney.
"I texted Avery after the Kearney game and told him, 'Hey, you have a chance to be really special for this program,'" Lions head coach Jeff Boschee said. "You have to keep on working, keep on getting better. ... But he's starting to hit his stride, playing with a ton of confidence. There's just so many things he can do.
"Avery is kind of dynamic. He is a really good shooter. He can play out of pick and rolls. He can pass the heck out of it. He's the best passer by far, but then he also has the ability to post up. If he stays healthy and keeps working at it, he's going to be a special player in this program."
The Lions (9-7), sitting sixth in the MIAA standings with a 6-4 mark, play host to Rogers State at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday inside the Leggett & Platt Athletic Center in Joplin. MSSU concludes the homestand with a rematch against Northeastern State at 3:30 p.m. Saturday.
Since dropping three straight in the middle of December, the Hillcats (12-6, 6-6 MIAA) have claimed six of their last seven contests. That includes an overtime victory over Central Missouri 91-83 on Saturday.
RSU suffered a 67-53 loss to the Lions in a defensive clinic by MSSU on Dec. 11, 2021. Fifty-three points marked the lowest total the Lions have yielded in a game this season.
Boschee said after the game that it was the first game all year MSSU played both halves defensively for 40 minutes.
The Riverhawks come to town with a 9-9 overall record and 4-8 mark in the league to sit eighth. NSU lost to Central Missouri 82-78 on Thursday before edging Lincoln 59-50 two days later at home in Tahlequah, Okla.
MSSU pulled out a 72-71 thrilling victory over NSU on Jan. 11 thanks to a go-ahead fastbreak layup from Stan Scott with 35 seconds left in regulation.
"Rogers is playing a lot better than what they were," Boschee said. "They have a lot of new guys, especially guards. They are still trying to understand how to play and understand the program, and understand the concepts of coaching. That takes some time. They are coming off some good wins. They are playing a lot better. Both teams are going to be hungry to get wins against us. We beat them on their home court, so we have to come ready locked and loaded. We have to play with the toughness like we did against Kearney."
Scott had 25 points and a career-high 17 rebounds in the win over the Lopers on Saturday. Christian Bundy scored 22 points on 10 of 12 shooting from the field.
That type of production from Scott and Bundy, along with Taggart, is exactly what the Lions need looking ahead, Boschee said.
