No. 23 Missouri Western gets back on the floor this week after pausing team activities last week due to positive COVID-19 results within its Tier 1 personnel.  The Griffons (8-2) continue a four-game road trip as they visit Central Missouri (5-8) Thursday at 7:30 p.m. in Warrensburg.

MWSU looks to bounce back from its second loss of the season as they fell at Nebraska-Kearney on January 14, 75-67.  That loss snapped a four-game winning streak as Missouri Western sits in third place right now in the MIAA standings.  The Griffs have not lost back-to-back games since January of 2020, a stretch of 24 consecutive games.  That streak is the longest for MWSU since the 2001-2002 season.

The Griffons will play a Central Missouri team that has won three straight after a 2-8 start.  The Mules defeated Rogers State in that last game 77-64 at home to improve to 4-2 at the Multipurpose Building this season.

This will be the second meeting between the two teams this season as MWSU won in St. Joseph on December 5, 100-81.  The Griffons made a season-high 15 three-point field goals and had five players score in double figures.  Tyrell Carroll did not play in the game due to injury as Reese Glover led the way with 20 points.  Q Mays, Will Eames and JaRon Thames added 16 each, and UCM shot just 3-of-13 from beyond the three-point line.

Central Missouri leads the all-time series 41-31, including a 23-8 mark in Warrensburg.  The Griffons have won three straight in the series and did win last at the Multipurpose Building last year, 67-63, to snap a nine-game losing streak in Warrensburg.

NEW & NOTES
SCHEDULE UPDATE
Missouri Western has now reschedule all four games they had to postpone earlier this month.  The Fort Hays State game from January 16 will now be in Hays, Kansas on Tuesday, February 23.  The January 19th Northwest Missouri State has been moved to Tuesday, February 9 inside the MWSU Fieldhouse.  The Newman home game that was supposed to be played on January 21 will now take place on Monday, February 15.  And the January 23rd home game against Central Oklahoma has been rescheduled for Sunday, February 7.  MWSU will now play 10 games in February and six during a 10-day span.

NATIONAL RANKINGS
The Griffons have been in the national rankings each week since December 15 as they are No. 23 this week in the NABC Top 25.  This is the sixth consecutive poll that Missouri Western has been ranked in, which is the fourth longest streak in school history.  The 1994-95 team were ranked in nine consecutive polls, the 1990-91 team had an eight poll streak and the 1991-92 team was in the rankings for seven straight polls.  This is also the first year a Western men's basketball team has been in the Coaches Top 25 since the 2002-2003 season.  The Griffs are also ranked in the D2SIDA Top 25 Media poll as they are tied for 25th this week.

HOME WINNING STREAK
Missouri Western is 5-0 at home this season and they've won 17 of their last 18 games inside the MWSU Fieldhouse, with the only loss during that stretch against then No. 1 Northwest Missouri State last season.  The Griffons struggled at home in Coach Martin's first year on staff as they went just 2-9 inside the MWSU Fieldhouse during the 2018-2019 season.

STARTING TO WIN ON THE ROAD
Despite a loss at Nebraska-Kearney is their last game, Missouri Western is 3-2 on the road this season and they are 6-3 in their last nine games on an opponent's home floor.  Since the beginning of the 2018-2019 season when Coach Martin became an assistant coach, the Griffons are 12-12 in MIAA road games which is a drastic improvement from the previous five years.  Between 2013-2018, Western went just 8-41 in league games away from home.

AVOIDING BACK-TO-BACK LOSSES
The Griffons will try to avoid a second consecutive loss, which they've been able to do over their last 24 games. This is the best stretch for MWSU since the 2001-2002 season when they avoided back-to-back losses for 29 straight games.  

CONSECUTIVE GAMES MAKING A 3
Missouri Western made a season-low three three-point field goals in their loss at UNK, but they did extend a school record with their 472nd consecutive game with a made three-pointer.  The last time MWSU didn't make a three-point field goal in a game was February 4, 2004 at Emporia State when the Griffons went 0-7 in a 70-53 loss to the Hornets.
 
HIGH OCTANE OFFENSE
The Griffons lead the MIAA in scoring (82.7) and have scored 80+ points in 6 of their 10 games, eclipsing the 100-point mark twice this season.  

TAKING CARE OF THE BALL
Missouri Western is fifth in the MIAA in fewest turnovers per game (12.7).  After committing 14+ turnovers in 5 of their first 6 games and averaging 14.3 turnovers per game during those six games, MWSU has had 12 or fewer in their last 4 games.  They're averaging just 10.0 turnovers per game over those four games.

LOCK DOWN D
Opponents have struggled to shoot the ball against Missouri Western this season as the Griffons are no. 1 in the MIAA in field goal percentage defense (40.4%) and 1st in the league in 3-point field goal percentage defense (28.0%).  No team has shot 50% from the field against MWSU and the Griffs have held 8 of their 10 opponents to 45% shooting or less from the field.  Only two teams have made more than six three-point field goals in a game and 7 of their 10 opponents have shot 30% or less against the Western defense.

TAKE-A-WAYS
The Griffons lead the MIAA in turnovers forced (17.1), turnover margin (4.5) and steals per game (10.1).  MWSU has forced 13+ turnovers in 9 of 10 games and they've forced 18+ turnovers in 5 games this season.  The Griffons also have 59 more steals than their opponents and have 10+ steals in six games.

ON THE GLASS
Missouri Western leads the MIAA in rebounds per game (39.7) and they're third in offensive rebounds per contest (10.4).  The Griffons also lead the MIAA in blocked shots per game (3.9) as they've had five or more in three of their last four outings.

INDIVIDUAL NOTES
0 REESE GLOVER
- Made 3+ three-point field goals in last four of last six games (17-44 38.6%)
- Has made at least one 3PT FG in all 10 games this season, 21 of his last 22 games, and 34 of 40 career games
- Career high 4 steals vs. ESU
- 3rd in the MIAA & 13th in the NCAA in 3FG attempts (76)
- 2nd in the MIAA in 3FG made/game (2.7)

3 TYRELL CARROLL
- Scored double figures in 17 straight games and 28 of last 29 games.  TC has scored in double figures in 59 of his 69 career games played.
- 5 or more assists in three of last four games and 4+ assists in six of nine games this season
- 2+ steals in six games and 5+ steals in four games
- 5th in the MIAA in Assists/game (4.1)
- 3rd in the MIAA in Assist-Turnover Ratio (1.7)
- 4th in the MIAA in FT made (44)
- 5th in the MIAA in Points/game (18.4)
- 1st in the MIAA in Steals/game (2.7)

4 ALEX JOHN
- 4+ rebounds last four games
- 3+ rebounds in eight of ten games played
- 2+ blocks in four games and three of the last four
- 3rd in the MIAA in total blocks (12)

5 CALEB BENNETT
- Scored in double figures in four of the last five games, and six of the last eight
- 8 steals vs. WU is tied for 2nd most in a game in MWSU history
- Career-high 3 assists vs. WU
- 3+ rebounds in 6 games
- 2+ steals in 4 games
- 3rd in the MIAA in Steals/game (2.0)

10 Q MAYS
- Scored in double figures in three straight games and eight of ten
- 4+ rebounds in six games
- Double-Double in the opener at Rogers State (13 points, 11 rebounds)
- Made 8 consecutive free throws in the final 1:30 vs. #5 Washburn

13 TYREE MARTIN
- 5+ rebounds in four straight games and six of ten games played
- 3+ rebounds in eight games
- 2+ blocks in three of last four games, and four overall
- 2+ steals in 3 games

33 WILL EAMES
- Scored in double figures in eight of last nine games
- 11+ rebounds in five games
- 5 double-doubles after getting four all of his freshman season
- Has made 11 straight free throws and is 22-of-25 since the opener at RSU
- 2nd in the MIAA & 3rd in the NCAA in Double-Doubles (5)
- 2nd in the MIAA in rebounds per game (9.7)