The Missouri Western men's basketball team opens the final week of the regular season on the road Tuesday as they play at Fort Hays State.  The tip is at 5:30 p.m. inside Gross Memorial Coliseum.  MWSU will try and bounce back from an 82-71 loss at Emporia State Saturday, which stopped their three-game winning streak.

The Griffons and Tigers are tied for fourth in the MIAA standings with one week left as MWSU, Fort Hays State and Lincoln are all 11-9, one game back of Missouri Southern.  The top four seeds will host a quarterfinal game in the MIAA Tournament next Wednesday as just eight teams will qualify for the postseason this year.  The tournament will be played on campus sites as opposed to Kansas City's Municipal Auditorium due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

This will be the second matchup between Missouri Western and Fort Hays as the Griffons won the first meeting in St. Joseph, 84-76, on January 2.    Tyrell Carroll led four players in doubles figures with 20 points, six rebounds and six assists, while Will Eames had 18 points and 13 rebounds.  Caleb Bennet (17) and Reese Glover (14) also scored in double figures.

Fort Hays State is playing its best basketball of the season as they've won three straight and seven of their last eight games.  Jared Viztum leads the Tigers as he's averaging 18.5 points and 10.0 rebounds per game.  He leads the MIAA in rebounding.  Two talented freshmen also average in double figures for FHSU as Quinten Rock is putting up 12.5 points and 4.0 assists, and Kaleb Hammeke adds 11.3 points and 4.5 assists per game.  Mark Johnson is in his 20th season as the head coach at Fort Hays State and he's 384-195 overall.

Fort Hays leads the all-time series 34-17, including a 21-4 mark in games played in Hays, Kansas.  Missouri Western has won the last two games in the series, which is the first time they've done that since the 2009-10 and 2010-11 seasons.  The Griffons have dropped seven straight games at Fort Hays State and they haven't won at Gross Coliseum since the 2008-2009 season.

HIGH OCTANE OFFENSE IS BACK
Missouri Western is fourth in the MIAA in scoring at 79.8 points per game and they've now scored 81 or more in four of their last five games, and five of the last seven.  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 went just 5-of-23 from three on Saturday at ESU but they are still ninth in the MIAA in three-point FG% after being last in the league three weeks ago.  They were able to climb up the rankings by shooting 42.8% (74-173) from behind the arc in the seven games prior to their loss at Emporia State.

CONSECUTIVE GAMES MAKING A 3
Missouri Western extended a school record with their 482nd consecutive game with a made three-pointer at ESU.  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. 

DEFENDING THE ARC
MWSU is third in the MIAA in three-point field goal percentage defense at 33.8%.  Missouri Western is seventh in overal field goal percentage defense at 45.8%

TAKE-A-WAYS
The Griffons lead the MIAA in turnovers forced (15.8), turnover margin (3.3) and steals per game (9.1).  MWSU has forced 13+ turnovers in 15 games this season and they've forced 18+ turnovers in nine games.  Western also have 83 more steals than their opponents and have 10+ steals in 11 games.

ON THE GLASS
Missouri Western is second in the MIAA in offensive rebounds per game at 10.1 and they had 10 at Emporia State on Saturday.  The Griffons are also second in the league in blocked shots per game (3.7).

0 REESE GLOVER
- 15+ points in four of his last five games
- Has shot 48.6% (34-of-70) from beyond the three-point line in his last seven games
- Moved into 4th on the all-time 3FGM list as he now has 140 career three-pointers made.
- Made 5+ 3FG in five of last seven games
- Made 3+ three-point field goals in 12 games
- Has made at least one 3PT FG in 18 of 19 games this season, 29of his last 31 games, and 42 of 49 career games
- 1st in the MIAA in 3FG made/game (3.2)
- 1st in MIAA/1st in NCAA in total 3FG made (61)
- 1st in MIAA/2nd in NCAA in 3FG attempted (149)

3 TYRELL CARROLL
- Scored a career-high 32 vs. MSSU
- Averaging 22.6 P, 5.0 A in his last five games
- Scored double figures in 26 of his last 27 games
- Scored in DF is 37 of his last 39 and 68 of his 79 career games played
- 5 or more assists in 10 of last 14 games
- Moved into 3rd on the all-time assists list and 7th all-time in scoring
- 2+ steals in 13 games and 5+ steals in four games
- 7th 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 (92)
- 1st in the MIAA in FT attempted (131)
- 7th in the MIAA in Points/game (18.0)
- 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 eight games
- 1st in the MIAA in total blocks (23)
- 1stin the MIAA in blocks/game (1.2)

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 13 games
- 2+ steals in seven games
- 8th in the MIAA in Steals/game (1.6)

10 Q MAYS
- Scored in double figures in nine of last 12 games and 14 total this season
- 4+ rebounds in eight 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 15 games
- Career-high 17 rebounds vs. PSU
- 11+ rebounds in seven games
- 7 double-doubles after getting four his freshman season
- 3rd in MIAA/7th in NCAA in Double-Doubles (7)
- 4th in the MIAA in rebounds per game (9.0)