The Missouri Western men's basketball team continues its current three-game road trip Saturday as they play at Emporia State inside White Auditorium at 7:00 p.m.  The Griffons won their third straight game on Thursday as they led wire-to-wire and beat No. 15 Washburn, 81-77, at Topeka.  MWSU swept the season series with the Ichabods and have now won four straight in that series.  Tyrell Carroll led the way with 20 points and seven assists, while Will Eames added 18 and nine rebounds and Reese Glover scored 15 points.

The Griffons will also try and sweep Emporia State this season as they beat the Hornets in St. Joseph on January 7, 70-61.  MWSU forced a season-high 27 turnovers against ESU and had 21 steals.  Caleb Bennett had eight steals and scored 22 points to lead Missouri Western.  Carroll (15), Q Mays (14) and Eames (11) also scored in double figures.  Emporia State outrebounded the Griffs in the loss 40-29 and Jumah'Ri Turner led the ESU with 26 points.

The Hornets are 8-10 this season after a 5-1 start.  They've lost three straight as they fell at home to No. 3 Northwest Missouri State on Thursday, 69-62.  Turner leads Emporia in scoring at 17.9 points per game, while Austin Downing adds 13.2 points and 3.5 assists per game.  The Hornets are second in the MIAA is scoring defense (70.5) and field goal percentage defense (43.4%).  They're also fourth in rebounding margin (+1.8) and fifth in the league in field goal percentage (46.8%).  Craig Doty is in his third season as the head coach at ESU and he's 32-44 overall and 20-36 in the MIAA.

Missouri Western leads the all-time series 44-34, but the Hornets are 22-17 in games played at Emporia.  Before the Griffons win last month, ESU had won four of the last five meetings.  MWSU won seven straight at Emporia State between 1996-2003, but they've gone just 3-11 in the last 14 meetings at White Auditorium.  The last win at ESU was during the 2017-18 season, 65-61.

HIGH OCTANE OFFENSE IS BACK
Missouri Western is third in the MIAA in scoring at 80.3 points per game and they've now scored 81 or more in four straight games, and five of the last six.  It's the second longest streak of the season as they scored 80+ in six straight games.  Prior to this last stretch, MWSU had a six-game stretch where they failed to scored 75 points or more.

STARTING TO CONNECT FROM DEEP
The Griffons were last in the MIAA in 3FG percentage two weeks ago, but they've climbed up to No. 9 in the league as they've shot 42.8% (74-173) from behind the arc in their last seven games.  In the five games prior to this stretch, MWSU shot only 23.9% (26-109) from the three-point line. 

CONSECUTIVE GAMES MAKING A 3
Missouri Western made 11-of-21 three-pointers at Washburn to extend a school record with their 481st 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. 

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. 2 in the MIAA in three-point field goal percentage defense (33.2%) and they're sixth in the league in overall field goal percentage defense (45.3%).

TAKE-A-WAYS
The Griffons lead the MIAA in turnovers forced (15.6), turnover margin (3.1) and steals per game (8.8).  MWSU has forced 13+ turnovers in 14 games this season and they've forced 18+ turnovers in eight games.  Western also have 72 more steals than their opponents and have 10+ steals in 10 games.

ON THE GLASS
Missouri Western also leads the MIAA in offensive rebounds per game at 10.1 and they 14 at Washburn on Thursday.  The Griffons are also tied for first in the league in blocked shots per game (3.7).

0 REESE GLOVER
- 15+ points in five of his last six games
- Has shot 51.6% (33-of-64) from beyond the three-point line in his last six games
- Moved into 4th on the all-time 3FGM list as he now has 139 career three-pointers made.
- Made 5+ 3FG in five of last six games
- Made 3+ three-point field goals in 12 games
- Has made at least one 3PT FG in 17 of 18 games this season, 28 of his last 30 games, and 41 of 48 career games
- 1st in the MIAA in 3FG made/game (3.3)
- 1st in MIAA/2nd in NCAA in total 3FG made (60)
- 1st in MIAA/2nd in NCAA in 3FG attempted (143)

3 TYRELL CARROLL
- Scored a career-high 32 vs. MSSU
- Averaging 24.0 P, 6.0 A in his last four games
- Scored double figures in 25 of his last 26 games
- Scored in DF is 36 of his last 38 and 67 of his 78 career games played
- 5 or more assists in 10 of last 13 games
- Moved into 3rd on the all-time assists list and 7th all-time in scoring
- 2+ steals in 12 games and 5+ steals in four games
- 4th in the MIAA in Assists/game (4.6)
- 4th in the MIAA in Assist-Turnover Ratio (1.8)
- 3rd in the MIAA in FT made (88)
- 2nd in the MIAA in FT attempted (124)
- 6th in the MIAA in Points/game (18.1)
- 1st in the MIAA in Steals/game (2.5)

4 ALEX JOHN
- 4+ rebounds 10 of last 13 games
- 3+ rebounds in 17 games
- 2+ blocks in seven games
- 2nd in the MIAA in total blocks (20)

5 CALEB BENNETT
- Scored in double figures in 10 games
- Scored a career-high 28 points vs. UCO
- 8 steals vs. WU is tied for 2nd most in a game in MWSU history
- Career-high 9 rebounds at WU
- 3+ rebounds in 12 games
- 2+ steals in seven games
- 8th in the MIAA in Steals/game (1.6)

10 Q MAYS
- Scored in double figures in eight of last 11 games and 13 total this season
- 4+ rebounds in seven 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 six games this season
- 3+ rebounds in 12 games
- 2+ blocks in five games
- 2+ steals in four games

33 WILL EAMES
- Scored in double figures in 14 games
- Career-high 17 rebounds vs. PSU
- 11+ rebounds in seven games
- 7 double-doubles after getting four all of his freshman season
- 2nd in MIAA/5th in NCAA in Double-Doubles (7)
- 4th in the MIAA in rebounds per game (8.9)