ST. JOSEPH, Mo. – One of the hottest teams in the MIAA hits the road this week, as Griffons Women's Basketball heads to Newman and Central Oklahoma in a pair of conference matchups.

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 along will Paul Smith on color commentary. 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 Candi Whitaker during the pregame shows at 5 and 1 p.m.

BIG-BUCKET BRIONNA
There are few players in Division II that shoot the ball better than junior guard Brionna Budgets. In fact, there are only 10 players who have connected more from beyond the arc than Budgetts and her 43 threes, and she has the third-fewest attempts of those players ahead of her. The junior guard is shooting at a blistering 45.3% from beyond the arc while shooting 53.4% from the field and 87.5% from the free-throw line. Budgetts' 16.6 points per game puts her in fourth in the MIAA, and she ranks in the top five in the conference in every major scoring statistic. 

NEXT WOMAN UP
Missouri Western boasts the league's best scoring offense with 77.8 PPG, and the points have been coming from a multitude of sources. The Griffons have gotten double-digit scoring performances out of 11 players this season, and seven Griffons are averaging at least six PPG. This team mentality has powered the Griffs to 80 or more points on eight separate occasions this year, eclipsing the 100-point mark twice. 

SCOUTING NEWMAN: JAN 12 - 5:30 PM
The ninth-place Jets (6-8, 3-6 MIAA) come into the contest with two tough games under their belts, going 1-1 on a road trip to Oklahoma. Newman fell to Rogers State in two overtimes before winning at Northeastern State, with both games decided by five points or less. After beating Lincoln in the first MIAA game of the season, the Jets dropped five-straight conference games before winning two of their last three. Tipoff is scheduled for 5:30 p.m. in Wichota, Kansas, at Fugate Gymnasiun,

Head Coaches
Newman is led by an unconventional setup, with husband and wife combo Drew Johnson and Nicole Ohlde-Johnson taking the reins last season. Nicole is a former first round WNBA draft pick, while Drew played football for Friends University in Kansas. Drew spent four years coaching at Bethel University before coming to Newman, taking them to their first-ever NAIA tournament. The pair are 9-33 at Newman and are 4-27 in the MIAA. 

Who to Watch
Senior center Britney Ho leads the Jets in scoring, putting up 17.6 PPG, good for third in the MIAA She also leads the team in rebounding, pulling down 6.4 rebounds per game. Sophomore guard Lauryn Dubbert is second on the team in scoring with 8.1 PPG and third on the team in rebounding with 3.6 RPG. Graduate student guard Maddie Spagnola leads the Jets with 56 assists. Four players have started all 14 games for Newman.

Record Rabbit Hole
The Griffons and Jets have only faced off seven total times, and the Griffons have won all seven. Missouri Western has an average margin of victory of 21 points over the Jets, and Newman has never broken the 60-point barrier. 

Last Time Out
Box Score | Video Recap
In Assistant Coach Emily Wacker's debut filling in as head coach, Missouri Western rolled to a big-time win over the Jets on Jan. 20, 2022, only allowing Newman to break double-digits for a quarter one time en route to a 70-37 win in Wichita. Budgetts scored 18 points in just 22 minutes to lead MWSU, while Connie Clarke pulled down seven rebounds to go with nine points. Fifteen different Griffons played for at least five minutes in the win. 

ON THIS DAY IN GRIFFON WOMEN'S BASKETBALL HISTORY: JAN 12
Box Score | Video Recap
January 12, 2013, saw Missouri Western Women's Basketball take down the Bearcats of Northwest Missouri State. Heather Howard led MWSU with 16 points and 12 rebounds, and the Griffons erased a five-point halftime deficit to win, 68-66.

SCOUTING CENTRAL OKLAHOMA: JAN. 14 - 1:30 PM
Tenth-place Central Oklahoma (6-8, 3-7 MIAA) comes into the Saturday matinee matchup in a very similar situation to Newman. The Bronchos have won two of their last three after dropping five in a row. Last season saw the Bronchos finish 17-13, as they have finished with a winning record every season since 2014-15. 

Head Coach
Emma Andrews is in her first year as the head coach at UCO. Previously, she was at Cameron University for five years, making the 2020-21 NCAA Tournament with the Aggies. Andrews is from Melbourne, Australia, and played her college basketball at Fresno State. Overall, the Bronchos are scoring 70.9 PPG but are giving up 72.9 PPG while getting out-rebounded on average by just over four RPG.

Who to Watch
The Bronchos boast a three-headed scoring attack, with junior forward Alayzha Knapp scoring 15.2 PPG (8th in MIAA), sophomore guard Karly Wadsworth scoring 13.5 (13th) and senior guard Brooke Rayner scoring 11.5 (21st). Junior guard Aliyah Liansua leads UCO with 6.8 RPG, which is ninth in the league.

Record Rabbit Hole
The Griffs are 8-6 all-time vs. UCO and hold a 4-3 record at Hamilton Fieldhouse. Whitaker is 1-2 against the Bronchos all-time, as the Griffons have only matched up with UCO once a season for the last four years. 

Last Time Out
Box Score | Video Recap
A big first quarter propelled the Griffons to victory last time Missouri Western clashed with UCO on Jan. 22, 2022. The Griffs put up 27 points in the first quarter and at least 20 points in the next three quarters to down the Bronchos, 93-88. Corbyn Cunningham lead MWSU with 16 points and eight rebounds while Budgetts added 15 points. Six Griffons scored in double-digits. Kelsey Johnson lead the Bronchos with 38 points and nine rebounds. 

ON THIS DAY IN GRIFFON WOMEN'S BASKETBALL HISTORY: JAN 15
Box Score | Video Recap
January 14, 2015, was all about making history. The Griffons won their first game against the Jennies of Central Missouri since 2008, ending a 13-game skid. LaQuinta Jefferson and Sarafina Handy led Missouri Western with 20 points each while Friday Choul pulled down nine rebounds. The Griffons shot 53.3% from beyond the arc in the win while holding the Jennies to just 22.2%. 

NOTABLES

• Junior guard Camille Evans is two points away from 300 for her career.
• Clarke is 16 points away from scoring her 700th point.
• Freshman guard Cleao Murray needs nine points to reach the century mark for her young career.
• Budgetts totaled her 100th-career assist this past Saturday at Northwest. She is 10 made field goals away from her 700th.
• Junior forward Mary Fultz needs one point to notch 100 for this season. She is 11 rebounds away from 200 in her career.
• Junior forward Jordan Cunningham is 20 rebounds away from career rebound No. 200. She needs 17 points to reach 500.