ST. JOSEPH, Mo. -- The three-pronged shooting attack of JaQuaylon Mays, Reese Glover and Caleb Bennett powered Missouri Western to a 93-82 win over no. 8 St. Thomas Aquinas College on Sunday. The Griffons shot an impressive 60 percent from three-point range in the upset. Bennett was a perfect 5-of-5 from downtown and Glover's eight makes is a career-high and just two short of the program single-game record set by Tyus Millhollin in the 2019-20 season. Mays led all scorers in the contest with 25 points as Missouri Western picked up its third win over a ranked team in the young tenure of head coach Will Martin.
The first half was a back-and-forth battle, with neither team able to stretch out a big lead. Missouri Western came out on the right side of nine lead changes in the first half as Mays drilled a three from 35 feet at the halftime buzzer for a 46-45 margin.

It was a different story in the second half, however, as the Griffons came out of the locker room looking like a team fresh off a week's rest instead of a team on a 24-hour turnaround from an overtime thriller. Luis Risquez found a seam in the lane to briefly give the Spartans a one-point lead, but Mays answered with a triple on the opposite end to put MWSU back in front 49-47.

The visitors were able to tie it up after a pair of traded turnovers, with Grant Singleton hitting a short jumper, but the tie lasted all of 22 seconds as Will Eames drew a foul and sank both free throws to put Missouri Western up 51-49. It sparked a 24-11 Griffon run over the next 8:26 and the Griffons held the Spartans at arms length down the stretch, including a scoreless stretch over the final 2:08.
Next up for the Griffons is Minnesota State-Mankato in the first of two games in the Central Region Challenge. Tipoff from Kansas City's Municipal Auditorium is set for 7:45 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 12.