ST. JOSEPH, Mo. – After a week of no games due to COVID-19 protocols,  the Missouri Western Men's Basketball team takes to the floor once again in a pair of MIAA showdowns at Washburn and Emporia State.

KEEPING UP WITH THE GRIFFONS
KFEQ will broadcast both games live on the 680 AM and 95.3 FM, with "The Voice of the Griffons" Tommy Rezac on the call. Fans that want to watch the games can purchase a subscription to the MIAA network, where the games will be shown live. 

THREE HEADED MONSTER
Missouri Western has one of the most potent trios in the MIAA, with Julius Dixon, Taye Fields, and Will Eames all averaging over 12 points per game. The trio also are the top three rebounders for the Griffons, with Fields averaging 8.4 per game, Dixon averaging 6.4 per game, and Eames averaging 6.3 per game. 

DEADLY FROM DEEP
The Griffons are shooting 38.8% from three, putting them third in the MIAA. Reese Glover leads the Griffons in threes made, sitting at 19. Of the six Griffs who have 10 or more attempts from beyond the arc, five are shooting above 36%. 

SCOUTING WASHBURN - DEC. 17 - 3:00 PM
The Ichabods (3-6, 0-3 MIAA) have had a tough start to the season, but do have a win over No. 18 Augustana early in the season in the Central Regional Challenge. Washburn is giving up the third-most points in the conference at 72.3 points per game. 

Head Coach
Brett Ballard leads the Ichabods in his sixth season at the head of the bench. He is 107-55 overall, and 45-18 in MIAA play. Under Ballard, Washburn has gone to the NCAA Tournament three times.

Who to Watch
Andrew Orr leads the Ichabods with 15.1 points per game. The 6-8 sophomore forward is also averaging 6.3 rebounds per game, good for second on the team. Brady Christiansen is averaging 6.4 rebounds per game to lead the Ichabods, and Conner Deffebaugh's 30 assists is a team high. 

Record Rabbit Hole
Missouri Western is 42-59 all time against Washburn, with a 15-33 record in Topeka. The last ten games are fairly split, with the Griffons winning four and Washburn winning six. The Ichabods have won the last four, and the Griffons won the four games before that. 

Last Time Out
The Griffons fell to Washburn 79-64 the last time the two teams matched up. Four Griffons finished in double digits, led by Eames' 16. Washburn shot 61.2% from the floor and 54.5% from three in the win. 

SCOUTING EMPORIA STATE - DEC. 19 - 3:30 PM
The Hornets (8-1, 2-1 MIAA) are playing high-level hoops, with the only loss of the season coming against Rogers State. The Hornets sit close to the middle of the pack in both scoring offense and defense, and have a knack for winning tight games, winning four games by ten points or less, and two by one possession. 

Head Coach
Craig Doty is in season number five at Emporia, with a record of 63-55 overall and a record of 38-44 in the MIAA. Doty's record has improved drastically, winning 20 games for the fist time in over ten years last season.

Who to Watch
The Hornets are led by a dynamic duo of Owen Long and Alijah Comithier. Long and Comithier are averaging 15.3 and 13.9 points per game respectively. Kaden Evans leads Emporia State with 6.2 rebounds per game, with 51 of his 107 rebounds coming on the offensive glass.

Record Rabbit Hole
The Griffons are 45-36 against Emporia State all-time, but are 4-6 in the last 10 games. Missouri Western is 2-8 in their last 10 trips to Emporia, with the last Griffon win in Emporia State's Gross Coliseum coming in 2018.

Last Time Out
Eames led the Griffons to an 80-75 win, scoring 25 points on 9 of 15 shooting. The Griffs shot a blistering 61.1% from three, while holding the Hornets to just 21.1% from beyond the arc in the win. 

Weekend Notables

• Glover sits just three made 3-pointers away from second place in the Missouri Western record books, a position currently held by Heath Dudley, who hit 217 threes in his career from 1987 to 1991. 
• Eames is eight rebounds away from 700 career boards.
• Fields is just 14 points away from 300 as a Griffon
• This is the last weekend of games before the Christmas break, and the Griffons will have nine days between games.

ON THIS DAY IN GRIFFON MEN'S BASKETBALL HISTORY: DEC 17-19

December 17, 2002 saw the Griffons take down St. Mary's University at the Las Vegas High Desert Classic. Larry Taylor's 14 points led Missouri Western, and four Griffons scored in double digits. 

December 19, 2018 was a good day for Missouri Western, as eventual All-MIAA selection Tyrell Carroll's 23 points led the Griffons to an 89-81 victory over Rockhurst. Lavon Hightower added 18 points and 13 rebounds in the win.