EMPORIA, Kan. – Griffon basketball (5-17) defeated Emporia State (8-16) 65-61 at W.L. White Auditorium. Missouri Western fought off a second half Hornet rally with six points in the final 20 seconds of the game.

Missouri Western broke open a lead in the first half by shooting 52.4 percent from the field. MWSU used a 19-5 run over 9:24 to take a 37-23 advantage into the halftime break. Emporia State went on a 23-8 run in the second half to trim the MWSU lead to two points with 1:14 remaining in the game. Lavon Hightower's running floater with 20 seconds left gave the Griffons a two possession cushion. Clutch free-throws from TJ Evans and Bryan Hudson iced the win for Missouri Western after that.

With the win, Missouri Western holds the final spot in the MIAA Tournament with two weeks remaining. The Griffons have tiebreakers over both Northeastern State and Emporia State as the three teams are all tied in the MIAA standings.

NOTABLES

• Missouri Western had four players all score in double-digits led Cole Clearman and Lavon Hightower's 13 points apiece
• The Griffons shot 46.7 percent from the field and were 52.4 percent in the first half
• Clearman and Trey Brown combined for seven of the Griffons eight three-pointers
• MWSU secured its first win in White Auditorium since Jan, 25, 2012
• Emporia State outscored MWSU 38-28 in the second half
• ESU's Brandon Hall had a game-high 22 points

UP NEXT
Missouri Western is back at the MWSU Fieldhouse on Wednesday, Feb. 14 against Missouri Southern for a 7:30 p.m. game. It is the final weekend of home games for the 2017-18 season.