GAME PREVIEW
#5 Missouri Western (17-0, 11-0 MIAA) vs. #3 Fort Hays State (16-1, 10-1 MIAA)
Thursday, Jan. 21 – 1:30 p.m.
MWSU Fieldhouse – St. Joseph, Missouri
 
LINKS
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MWSU Season Stats | MIAA Standings | WBCA/USA Today Poll

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. – The Griffons face off against #3 Fort Hays State on Thursday night starting at 5:30. It will be the Griffons second consecutive opponent ranked in the top-10 after they beat then No. 9 Emporia State last Friday. The Griffons moved up five spots in the poll last week after their two victories on the road.

The Series
The Tigers lead the all-time series 25-20 against the Griffons. The Griffons have lost four straight to the Tigers over the last three years. The last time the Griffons beat Fort Hays was in the 2011-2012 season, winning 90-78 at home.

The Coaches
Rob Edmisson is now 58-40 at MWSU in his fourth year and has an overall coaching record of 447 in his career.  Tony Hobson holds an overall record of 561-178 in his 24^th season of coaching. He has a 148-72 record at Fort Hays State.

Missouri Western

• The Griffons now have a record of 17-0 overall and 11-0 in MIAA, it's the best start in Griffons history
• Missouri Western ranks No. 5 in the most recent WBCA/USA Today poll
• MWSU currently sit in first place and one game up on Fort Hays State
• Missouri Western currently averages 85.9 points per game (1^st in the MIAA/3^rd in the NCAA)
• The Griffons allow opponents to 61.7 points per game and hold a +24.2 scoring margin (3^rd in the NCAA)
• Missouri Western has a field goal percentage at 50% (2^nd in the NCAA)
• Defensively, the Griffons force opponents into 22.2 turnovers per game and they hold a +7.2 turnover margin (8^th in the NCAA)
• LaQuinta Jefferson remains the Griffons biggest offensive threat, scoring 23.1 points per game (3^rd in the NCAA)
• Mykeah Baez leads the Griffons in rebounding at 5.6 per game
• Jefferson shoots 58 percent from the field and Sarafina Handy converts on 50 percent of her shots ranking (1^st and 4^th in the MIAA, respectively)
• Handy shoots 86 percent from the free throw line (2^nd in the MIAA)
• Point guard Chelsey Dewey averages 3.6 assist per game (9^th in the MIAA)
• Defensively, Miliakere Koyamainavure leads the Griffons with 1.9 steals (5^th in the MIAA)

Fort Hays State

• The Tigers are 16-1 overall and hold a 10-1 MIAA record
• FSHU stayed steady at No. 3 this week in the WBCA/USA Today poll
• Fort Hays State sits second in the MIAA standings behind MWSU
• The Tigers hold opponents to 54.4 points per game (1^st in the MIAA/10^th in the NCAA)
• Fort Hays State puts up an average of 69.2 points per game (8^th in the MIAA)
• FSHU averages 6.3 made three-point field goals per game (6^th in the MIAA)
• As a team, Fort Hays State averages 38.6 rebounds per game (3^rd in the MIAA)
• The Tigers have a +12.29 turnover margin (1^st in the MIAA)
• Chelsea Mason averages 13.8 points per game to lead the Tigers (12^th in the MIAA)
• Nikola Kacperska leads the Tigers in steals at two per game (4^th in the MIAA)
• Three players average at least five rebounds per game (Chelsea Mason, Jill Faxon, Paige Lunsford)
• Six different players have at least 24 or more steals this season
• Beth Bohuslavsky averages 32.1 minutes per game