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MWSU Season Stats | MIAA Standings
 
ST. JOSEPH – Men's Basketball looks to snap a four-game skid and pick up its first MIAA win of the season in the team's first conference, home game of the season Thursday night against Pittsburg State.
 
The Griffons dropped to 2-6 on the year and 0-2 in conference play with losses at Central Missouri and Southwest Baptist last week. Pittsburg State has won five in a row after a loss at Newman on Nov. 17 and sits 7-1 overall and 2-0 in the MIAA after wins over Northeastern State and Central Oklahoma last week.
 
MISSOURI WESTERN

• Griffons have lost 4 in a row
• Missouri Western overcame a 13-point deficit in the second half to nearly force overtime at Southwest Baptist on Saturday
• Team leads MIAA in 3-pt attempts (186) & 2^nd in 3-pt made (62)
• Griffons 2^nd in MIAA in defensive rebounds/game (27.6) and total rebounds (298)
• Missouri Western 4^th in MIAA in free throws made (133) & 5^th with 188 FT attempts
• Trey Sampson top-5 in MIAA in 3-pt made (20-2^nd), minutes/game (34:22-9^th), FT % (88.6-3^rd), FT made (31-9^th), 3-PT attempts (57-2^nd)
• Aaron Emmanuel ranks 6^th in MIAA in assist:turnover ratio (1.77), 6^th in def. rebounds/game (5.5)
• Kevin Thomas' 7.1 rebounds/game 9^th in MIAA; Emmanuel 10^th with 7
• Cole Celarman averaging 1.88 steals/game (8^th MIAA)
• Clearman 6^th in MIAA with 10 made-threes

 
PITTSBURG STATE

• Gorillas have won 5-straight
• Received nine votes in latest NABC top-25 poll
• Team averaging 83.5 pts. Game (2^nd MIAA); have scored 100 twice this season
• Lead MIAA with 231 FT attempts and 173 FT made
• 2^nd in MIAA with +6.6 rebound margin
• 2^nd in MIAA with 118 total assists
• 4^th in MIAA shooting 40.8% from 3-pt range
• Javis Flynn leads MIAA with 5.4 assists per game and 43 total assists
• Flynn also leads MIAA with 18 steals
• Josiah Gustafson scoring 18.4 points/game (6^th MIAA)

 
SERIES
Missouri Western holds a 37-32 advantage in the all-time series, but has lost six-straight to Pittsburg State, last winning on Dec. 10, 2010 in the fieldhouse. The losing streak was capped by a gut-wrenching loss at the buzzer last season in the fieldhouse.
 
COACHES
Brett Weiberg holds a 24-39 record in his third season at Missouri Western. Prior to MWSU, Weiberg went 139-105 in seven seasons as head coach at Northern Oklahoma College. Weiberg has never defeated Pittsburg State.
 
Kevin Muff is in his sixth season at Pittsburg State and has compiled a 83-68 record. Muff was named MIAA Coach of the Year after leading the Gorillas to a 20-12 record last season that culminated in the MIAA Postseason Tournament Championship and the program's first NCAA Tournament appearance since 2007.