ST. JOSEPH, Mo. — Griffon Women's Basketball returns home on an eight-game winning streak, looking to push for the top spot in the MIAA when Lincoln and Central Missouri roll into the MWSU Fieldhouse.

KEEPING UP WITH THE GRIFFONS
KFEQ Radio will broadcast both games live on 680 AM and 95.3 FM with the "Voice of the Griffons" Tommy Rezac and Paul Smith on the call inside Looney Complex. Catch exclusive interviews with Head Coach Candi Whitaker with pregame starting at 5 and 1 p.m. 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. 
 
BATTLE AT THE TOP
The MIAA is heating up with Central Missouri in the lead. Second-place Nebraska-Kearney and third-place Missouri Western are both two games back of the Jennies, but the Griffons have the tiebreaker over UNK. A win over the nationally-ranked Jennies this weekend would bolster both the Griffons' MIAA Championship hopes as well as their NCAA Tournament bid.
 
BUILDING A FORTRESS
The MWSU Fieldhouse is turning into a stronghold this season, with the Griffons going 19-4 at home over the last two seasons. Missouri Western's only home loss this year came to MIAA foe Fort Hays State in a rematch of last year's Central Region championship. The Griffs will have a chance to extend on their excellent run of home form this weekend, having never lost to Lincoln inside the Looney Complex. Central Missouri is a different story, as the Jennies are one of the only programs to have a winning record at MWSU Fieldhouse since the turn of the century. The Griffons are 8-9 at home against the Jennies since the 2000-2001 season.
 
SCOUTING LINCOLN: JAN. 19, 5:30 PM
The Blue Tigers (5-11, 3-7 MIAA) look to have gotten things figured out in the last few weeks, winning three of four games, including an impressive win at Emporia State. The only loss Lincoln had in that stretch was at Washburn on Jan. 7.
 
Head Coach
Andrea Mize is in year three for Lincoln. She is 12-54 overall and 6-47 in MIAA play. Her team this year has as many wins at the halfway point of the season as all of last year and as many conference wins this season as the last two years combined. Mize was previously the head coach at Central Florida College. She is 0-4 vs. Whitaker.
 
Who to Watch
Le'Yanna McGinnis leads the Blue Tigers in scoring and rebounds per game, averaging 13.9 points and 6.4 rebounds per game. The 6-1 junior forward from Olathe, Kansas, scored 24 points against Arkansas-Monticello in the first game of the season and followed it up against Southern Arkansas with a season-high 25 points. Senior guard Kelsey Mitchell is second on the team in scoring, averaging 9.1 PPG. Sophomore forward Miriam Bazylewicz is second on the team in rebounds with 4.8 per game.
 
Record Rabbit Hole
Spanning back to 1980, the Griffons are 41-6 all-time vs. Lincoln and have never lost to the Blue Tigers in St. Joseph, as MWSU is 22-0 when hosting Lincoln. In fact, the Griffons have only lost two times to Lincoln since the start of 2015.
 
Last Time Out
Box Score | Video Recap
The Griffons took care of business last time the two met on Jan. 29, 2022, winning in 84-53 fashion at the MWSU Fieldhouse. Corbyn Cunningham led all scorers with 20 points. Meanwhile, current Griffons like Connie Clarke added 15, Brionna Budgetts scored 14 and Mary Fultz chipped in 12 points.

ON THIS DAY IN GRIFFON WOMEN'S BASKETBALL HISTORY: JAN. 19
Box Score | Video Recap
Back in 2017, the Griffons hosted No. 23 Fort Hays State in the midst of a two-game skid. The Griffons came out on top with an impressive 65-51 win over the Tigers, led by Chelsea Dewey's 23 points. 

SCOUTING NO. 5/2 CENTRAL MISSOURI: JAN 21 - 1:30 PM
The Jennies (15-0, 11-0 MIAA) are one of the best teams in Division II, ranked  No. 5 in the WBCA Coaches Poll and No. 2 in the D2SIDA Poll. Central Missouri has had a few close scares vs. MIAA opponents and has only played one of the top-five MIAA teams on the road, a win over Pittsburg State. This 15-0 start by UCM ties a program record, as the Jennies will face Northwest Missouri State this Thursday at 5:30 p.m. in Maryville, Missouri.
 
Head Coach
Dave Slifer is in season No. 19 at the helm for the Jennies. He is 390-166 overall and 254-107 in the MIAA as head coach of Central Missouri. He coached MWSU Women's Basketball from 1995-2004, going 206-69 with the Griffs and 115-41 vs. the MIAA in that span. Slifer is 25-11 vs. MWSU since leaving over 15 years ago, and he is 5-4 vs. Whitaker. In 2017-18, he led the Jennies to a 30-3 record and an NCAA National Championship. 

Who to Watch
Redshirt sophomore guard Brooke Littrell leads the Jennies in scoring with 19.9 PPG, good for second in the MIAA. She also is second in the league in rebounding with 9.1 RPG. The 6-2 combo guard has scored 20 or more points on eight different occasions this year. Fellow redshirt sophomore guard Olivia Nelson is the only other Jennie scoring in double-digits, averaging 12.1 PPG. Junior forward Ashley Tull is second on the team in rebounds, pulling down six per game.
 
Record Rabbit Hole
Since the rivalry started in in 1984, UCM leads MWSU, 43-33. The last 10 games have been nearly split split, with MWSU winning four and UCM winning six. The Griffons have won the last three games against UCM, sweeping last season's series by a combined margin of 67 points.
 
Last Time Out
Box Score | Video Recap
On March 4, 2022, the Griffons took care of business in the MIAA Tournament against UCM in Kansas City, 69-55. The Griffons led, 57-32, after the third quarter, and a furious Jennies comeback in the fourth quarter wasn't enough. Clarke led the Griffons with 14 points, while Jaelyn Haggard scored 12 and Fultz added 11. Brooke Littrell finished with 29 for UCM.

ON THIS DAY IN GRIFFON WOMEN'S BASKETBALL HISTORY: JAN. 21
Box Score | Video Recap
January 21, 2016, saw one of the best Griffon Women's Basketball games ever played at the MWSU Fieldhouse. The Griffons were ranked No. 5 in the country and were again taking on No. 3 Fort Hays State. A 3-pointer from Sarafina Handy in the final 34 seconds of the game gave MWSU its first lead since the midway point of the first quarter, helping the Griffons stay undefeated at 18-0 on the season with a 77-75 victory. 

NOTABLES

• The Griffons are the best in the MIAA at sharing the ball, sitting at 10th in the country with 17.6 assists per game.
• Clarke needs 13 points to eclipse 300 for the season.
• Budgetts needs two 3-pointers to hit 50 for the season.
• This current winning streak of eight games is the longest since the start of last season when the Griffons won nine in a row. Should they win both games, it would be the longest winning streak since the historic 2015-16 season when the Griffons started 18-0.
• With two wins this weekend, Whitaker would be one game away from reaching career win No. 200.