Missouri Western plays its fourth consecutive home game Saturday as they welcome Pittsburg State to the MWSU Fieldhouse at 3:30 p.m. The Griffons are now 8-8 this season as they look to stop a seven-game losing streak after falling to Missouri Southern on Thursday, 103-94.
This is the fifth game in eight days for MWSU 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 without 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.
MWSU set a school-record with 71 second half points against MSSU on Thursday, but it wasn't enough as they fell behind by as many as 32 points in the first half and trailed 54-23 at halftime.
Tyrell Carroll had a career-high 32 points against Southern as he scored 26 of those points after halftime.
Reese Glover added 21, which is his second 20-point game in the last three outings.
Pittsburg State is 10-8 this season as they had their five-game winning streak snapped on Thursday at No. 3 Northwest, 87-75. Bobby Arthur-Williams, who didn't play on Thursday, leads PSU with 12.5 P and 6.5 R per game and Martin Vogts is averaging 11.7 P, 3.9 R and 1.9 A. im Anderson (56-52, 35-40 MIAA) is in his fourth year as head coach of the Gorillas.
Pitt State rallied to win the first matchup in December between these two teams. Missouri Western led 48-30 at halftime, but the Gorillas outscored the Griffs in the second half 57-36 to hand MWSU its first loss of the season. Pitt outrebounded Western 46-34 and outscored them from the free throw line 33-20 as the Gorillas shot 44 free throws on their home floor.
Tyrell Carroll had 20 points to lead the Griffons, while
Reese Glover (14),
Q Mays (14) and
Will Eames (12 P, 13 R) also scored in double figures.
Missouri Western leads the all-time series 41-37, including a 25-14 mark at home. The Griffs had won three in-a-row before falling in December, but prior to that Pitt State had won 11 of 12 games in the series.
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.
HOME WINNING STREAK SNAPPED
Missouri Western has lost three straight games inside the MWSU Fieldhouse for the first time since dropping four in-a-row at home during the 2018-2019 season. Before this skid, MWSU had won six straight and 17 of their previous 18 games at home. The Griffons current seven-game losing streak is the longest since a nine-game streak during the 2017-2018 season.
STARTING TO HIT FROM THREE
MWSU is 12th in the MIAA in three-point FG%, but they have shot 40.9% (34-of-83) in their last three games after shooting just 26.8% (22-of-82) in their four games prior to this stretch.
RECORD SETTING HALF
Missouri Western scored 71 second half points in their loss to Southern on Thursday to set a new school record for points in a half. The previous mark was 70 set by the 2001-2002 team against Lincoln on 11/24/01.
CONSECUTIVE GAMES MAKING A 3
Missouri Western has struggled from behind the three-point line this season as they are 12th in the MIAA in three-point FG percentage, but they made 10 three's at home Thursday against Southern to extend a school record with their 478th 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.
TAKE-A-WAYS
The Griffons lead the MIAA in turnovers forced (15.8), turnover margin (3.25) and steals per game (8.9). MWSU has forced 13+ turnovers in 12 of 16 games and they've forced 18+ turnovers in seven games this season. The Griffons also have 70 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 (30.5%) and they're fifth in the league in overall field goal percentage defense (45.2%).
