ST. JOSEPH, Mo. — After a non-conference win over Friends on Wednesday night, Griffon Men's Basketball is set to square off with Rogers State and Northeastern State this Saturday and Monday at the MWSU Fieldhouse
KEEPING UP WITH THE GRIFFONS
KFEQ Radio 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 broadcast live. Admission can be purchased by clicking on the "Tickets" tab above. Catch exclusive interviews with Head Coach
Will Martin during the pregame shows.
PROLOGUE
With a spot in third place in the conference, Missouri Western (7-3, 3-1 MIAA) has a chance for pull off two more statement wins this weekend after downing Friends, 82-49. The hot-handed Griffon offense is led by sophomore guard
Julius Dixon and his team-high 12.2 points per game, which is the 25th-best average in the MIAA. Junior forward
Will Eames is producing 11.8 PPG and team-best seven rebounds per game, putting him at ninth in the conference. Meanwhile,
Taye Fields' 7.3 RPG places him fifth in the MIAA. The Griffons have a chance to string together their second three-game winning streak of season after winning four in a row earlier this season from Nov. 22 to Dec. 3.
RED-HOT REESE
One of those hot hands responsible for MWSU's 15-of-27 mark from 3-point range vs. Friends is junior guard
Reese Glover, who is shooting 54.2% (13-of-24) from downtown in his last four games. After back-to-back double-digit efforts where he hit at least four 3-pointers, Glover (224) only needs 10 more to break Cole Clearman's career record of 233 that was set in 2017-18. Averaging 2.9 made threes per game, Glover is on pace to become the all-time 3-point leader in early 2023 — if not sooner. His career-high is eight, which he has done twice before, while his season-high is six.
TAKE IT AWAY, TAYE
As more Griffons get involved on offense,
Taye Fields' defensive prowess remains perplexing for the opposition. Fields has secured at least one steal in every game but one this season to give him 14 overall — the 16th most in the conference.
SCOUTING ROGERS STATE: DEC. 31 - 3:30 PM
While MWSU claims bragging rights with a win over then No. 22 Emporia State, so does Rogers State when the Hornets were No. 16 in the nation. The Hillcats (7-4, 3-2 MIAA) are in eighth place and hold wins over Washburn and Nebraska-Kearney. However, RSU is reeling from a 78-57 loss to Northeastern State on Dec. 17 in Tahlequah, Oklahoma, which is the last game.
Head Coach
In his 12th season commanding RSU, Justin Barkley is 241-124 overall and 38-30 in the MIAA. He is 1-3 vs. MWSU and 1-2 vs.
Will Martin's team, with that lone 52-49 win taking place on March 2 in the first round of the MIAA Tournament earlier this year in Kansas City, ending the Griffons' season.
Who to Watch
Senior center Joey Saracco carries a decent portion of the scoring load, averaging the most points on the team at 14.6. Saracco currently has a streak of six games with 10 points or more, as well a streak of four double-doubles in a row. Senior guard Chris Whitaker is right on his tail, averaging 12.8 PPG. Saracco's PPG sits at 10th in the MIAA, while Whitaker is 21st. Not to be forgotten about is sophomore guard/forward Lawrence Preston, who scored a season-high 10 points while playing off the bench against Northeastern.
Record Rabbit Hole
Missouri Western is 3-1 all-time vs. Rogers State, only losing once as mentioned before in Kansas City. The Griffons are 2-0 vs. the Hillcats when playing in St. Joseph.
Last Time Out
The Hillcats eliminated the Griffons from postseason play last March in the MIAA Tournament thanks to a big night from Devin Pullum, who has since graduated from the program. His 20 points marked a game-high, while MWSU was led by
Justin Bubak's 13 points off the bench. Fields led all Griffon starters with 12. Bubak made 3-of-8 from downtown, but his final shot came up short as time expired.
SCOUTING NORTHEASTERN STATE: JAN. 2 - 6 PM
Game two of MWSU's New Year extravaganza is could prove to be pivotal when sixth-place Northeastern (6-3, 3-2) comes to town. The RiverHawks have won five of their last seven games, including a narrow, 81-78 win over the Washburn Ichabods back on Nov. 28 — a team who has recently beaten MWSU. Northeastern also barely just fell short vs. then No. 16 Emporia State in Tahlequah, Oklahoma, 59-58, just three days before the Griffons upset the Hornets in Emporia, Kansas. Northeastern also enters this weekend as the MIAA's No. 1 scoring offense with 84.1 PPG, as the RiverHawks will face No. 4/6 Northwest Missouri State (11-1, 4-1 MIAA) on Saturday at 3:30 p.m. in Maryville, Missouri.
Head Coach
Ja Havens is in his third year leading Northeastern State, compiling a 32-34 record with the RiverHawks, a 17-31 mark in the MIAA and an overall career record of 158-108. He is 0-2 vs. Martin and the Griffons and 0-1 at the MWSU Fieldhouse.
Who to Watch
For a lack of better term, sophomore guard Christian Cook is the main chef when it comes to NSU's offense, averaging the fifth-best slash in the MIAA with 17.9 PPG. He is currently on a nine-game streak with 10 or more points and has scored in double-digits in eight out of nine games. Sophomore guard Dillon Bailey (14) and senior guard Dillon Perkins (13.9) are 15th and 16th in the league, respectively. Last time out vs. RSU, Cook scored 21 points while Bailey complemented the RiverHawks' scoring attack with 20 of his own.
Record Rabbit Hole
Missouri Western currently holds a five-game winning streak vs. NSU, helping the Griffons build a 10-4 advantage in all-time series that dates back to 2003. The Griffons are 6-1 when the RiverHawks come to town and haven't lost this matchup in St. Joseph since Feb. 2, 2013. Missouri Western's last defeat against NSU was on Nov. 30, 2016.
Last Time Out
After rebuilding from a 5-17 season in 2020-21, NSU's scrappy nature proved to nearly pay off the next season when the team went 16-14. Despite this, MWSU kept NSU at bay in a close, 93-87 triumph in St. Joseph on Dec. 4, 2021. JaQuaylon Mayes and
Caleb Bennett both led the Griffs with 17 points, while
Will Eames (14),
Reese Glover (14),
Alex John (11) and
JaRon Thames (11) all helped MWSU keep pace above Rashad Perkins' 40-point night off the bench.
NOTABLES
- Sophomore guard Reed Kemp is 10 points away from reaching 100 in his career.
- Eames (1,101 points) is 21 points away from passing Mark Bradley (1982-92; 1,120 points) for 11th all-time in program history. He is also two assists away from reaching 150.
- Eames is also six made threes away from 150. He needs 18 more to pass Tyus Millhollin (2018-20; 161) for fourth all-time.
- Sophomore guard Zion Swader is 11 points away from reaching 100 this season.
ON THESE DAYS IN GRIFFON MEN'S BASKETBALL HISTORY: DEC. 31 - JAN. 2
Dec. 31, 2019: Not too long ago, MWSU hosted Avila at the MWSU Fieldhouse in a game where the Griffons sent their fans into 2020 happy thanks to a 95-56 W. Only one Avila Eagle — Shandon Boone — finished in double-figures, as he scored 11. A young freshman at the time,
Reese Glover made 6-of-8 from downtown in typical fashion to lead the Griffs with 18 points off the bench, setting the tone for record-setting career down the line.
Jan. 2, 2008: In a wire-to-wire contest way back when, it came down to a final 3-point shot from Lonnel Johnson — who had missed his previous seven field-goal attempts — to decide the Griffons' fate vs. Washburn at the MWSU Fieldhouse. Down 77-75 with five seconds left after his defense saved the game with a block by James Williams on the other end, MWSU Hall of Fame Head Coach Tom Smith turned to Johnson one last time, who in turn sank a game-winning three to salvage a happy New Year for the Griffons. Johnson finished with a game-high 27 points, while MWSU out-rebounded Washburn, 46-32, thanks to 14 point, 15-rebound double-double by Reggie Bunch.
