Missouri Western continues its five-game homestand Thursday as they entertain Missouri Southern at 5:30 p.m. inside the MWSU Fieldhouse.  The Griffons will try and sweep the season series with the Lions after winning at Joplin in December, 88-86.  MWSU will also try and stop their current six-game losing streak as they fell to 8-7 on the season after losing to No. 3 Northwest Missouri State Tuesday, 79-56.
 
This is the fourth game in six days for Missouri Western as they had to make up games with Central Oklahoma and Northwest earlier this week after they paused team activities last month.  MWSU is also with out head coach Will Martin and assistant coach Tim Peete for the remainder of their homestand, as Coach Martin announced Tuesday that he tested positive for COVID-19.  Assistant coach Ty Danielson will continue to be the head coach for the Griffons.
 
Missouri Western has won two straight against Missouri Southern and both have been thrilling games. In the December matchup, there were nine lead changes in the final three minutes and MWSU junior Q Mays made a foul line jump shot with 2.4 second left to lift Western to an 88-86 win in Joplin.  That was the Griffons first victory at Southern since the 2005-06 season.  And last February, the Griffon rallied to down then No. 17 MSSU, 89-85, despite 54 points from Lion junior Cam Martin.
 
Missouri Southern is 10-7 this season and playing their best basketball of the season.  After losing five of six early in the year to drop to 4-5, the Lions have gone 6-2 since and have won five of their last six games.  Martin continues to lead the way for MSSU as he is averaging 26.0 points, 9.5 rebounds and 3.2 assists per game.  In four career games against MWSU, Martin is averaging 41.0 points and 10.5 rebound per game.  Stan Scott (13.6 P) and Winston Dessesow (12.0 P) also average double figures this season for the Lions.  Jeff Boschee (134-68, 90-55 MIAA) is in his seventh season as the head coach at Missouri Southern.
 
The Griffons lead the all-time series 52-46, including a 34-15 mark in games played in St. Joe.  Southern had won 14 of the last 15 meetings between the two teams before MWSU won the last two games.

BUSY MONTH
Missouri Western is in the middle of a stretch of six games in 10 days after having to reschedule four games from last month due to health and safety protocols.  The Griffons have played two of the makeup games earlier this week against Central Oklahoma on Sunday and Northwest on Tuesday.  The Fort Hays State game from January 16 will now be in Hays, Kansas on Tuesday, February 23.  The Newman home game that was supposed to be played on January 21 will now take place on Monday, February 15.  MWSU is now playing 10 of their 22 games this season in the month of February.

BACK IN THE TOP 25 THIS SEASON
The Griffons were ranked in the NABC Top 25 earlier this season for the first time since the 2001-2002 campaign.  MWSU stayed in the rankings for six consecutive polls, while was the fourth longest streak in school history.

HOME WINNING STREAK SNAPPED
Missouri Western has lost back-to-back games inside the Fieldhouse for the first time since the final two games of the 2018-19 campaign.  MWSU had won six straight and 17 of their previous 18 games at home before the two game skid this week inside the Fieldhouse.

CONSECUTIVE GAMES MAKING A 3
Missouri Western has struggled from behind the three-point line this season as they are 13th in the MIAA in three-point FG percentage, but they made seven three's at home on Tuesday against Northwest to extend a school record with their 477th 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-of-7 in a 70-53 loss to the Hornets.  The 17 three-pointers are the second most in school history.
 
TAKE-A-WAYS
The Griffons lead the MIAA in turnovers forced (16.0), turnover margin (3.4) and steals per game (9.1).  MWSU has forced 13+ turnovers in 11 of 15 games and they've forced 18+ turnovers in seven games this season.  The Griffons also have 64 more steals than their opponents and have 10+ steals in eight games.

LOCKING DOWN THE ARC
Opponents have struggled to shoot the ball from behind the three-point line against Missouri Western this season as the Griffons are no. 1 in the MIAA in three-point field goal percentage defense (29.9%) and they're fifth in the league in overall field goal percentage defense (44.3%).  Only six teams have made more than six three-point field goals in a game and eight of their 15 opponents have shot 30% or less against the Western defense.  Two teams (LU, UCO) has shot better than 50% from the field against MWSU and the Griffs have held nine opponents to 45% shooting or less from the field.  

ON THE GLASS
Missouri Western is third in the MIAA in rebounds per game (35.9) and they're fourth in offensive rebounds per contest (9.7).  The Griffons are also second in the MIAA in blocked shots per game (3.4).