GRIFFON WOMEN'S BASKETBALL WEEKEND PREVIEW
MIAA/NSIC Tournament – Fayette, Iowa
Friday, Nov. 10^th at 5:30 p.m.
Missouri Western vs Southwest Minnesota State
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Saturday, Nov. 11^th at 5:00 p.m.
Missouri Western at Upper Iowa
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ST. JOSEPH – The 2017-18 Griffon women's basketball season tips off this weekend when Missouri Western travels to Iowa for two regional, non-conference games.
 
The Griffons play Southwest Minnesota on Friday at Upper Iowa University in Fayette, Iowa, before taking on the host school on Saturday. It's the second year in a row the Griffons have opened the season with these two opponents, defeating Southwest Minnesota 78-56 and Upper Iowa 85-51 in St. Joseph last year. Missouri Western is looking for its third consecutive 20-plus win season for the first time since the program posted nine-straight between the 1997-98 and 2004-05 seasons .
 
MISSOURI WESTERN NOTES           

• Three letter winners from 2016-17's 21-8 Griffon team return for this season
• Head coach Rob Edmisson is 89-52 at MWSU entering his sixth season leading the program
• Edmisson is seven wins from 500 as a collegiate head coach, posting a 493-160 record over 21 seasons at MWSU, Oklahoma City University and Hutchinson Community College
• Leading returning scorer from last season is Erin Anderson (6.5)
• Anderson is also leading, returning rebounder (3.3 last year)
• Melia Richardson started 17 games last year, averaging 5.8 points per game
• Savannah Lentz shot 45% from three last year to lead the team

 
SOUTHWEST MINNESOTA NOTES

• Picked 12th in NSIC preseason coaches poll
• Finished last season 3-24
• Head coach Tom Webb in second season at Southwest Minnesota; was previously at Cameron University
• Lauren Hedlund is 17 points shy of 1,000
• Caleigh Rodning averaged 13.7 points per game last year as a freshman

 
UPPER IOWA NOTES

• Picked 15^th in NSIC preseason coaches poll
• Finished 4-23 last season
• Head coach Micah Thompson in her second year at Upper Iowa
• Blair Klostermann was first team All-NSIC last year after averaging leading the conference with 19.1 points per game