ST. JOSEPH, Mo. — Missouri Western hosts No. 5/2 Central Missouri to St. Joseph in a battle of MIAA giants that will go a long way in determining who will wear the MIAA crown at the end of the season.
KEEPING UP WITH THE GRIFFONS
KFEQ Radio will broadcast the game live on 680 AM and 95.3 FM with the "Voice of the Griffons" Tommy Rezac on the call inside Looney Complex. Catch an exclusive interview with Head Coach
Candi Whitaker with pregame starting at 1 p.m. Fans that want to watch the game 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.
OH YES, IT'S 80s NIGHT
It may be in the 30s outside tomorrow, but the forecast inside the MWSU Fieldhouse tomorrow calls for the 80s! Fans are encouraged to grab your fingerless gloves, large funky earrings and wear their hair big for the biggest game of the season!
SCOUTING NO. 5/2 CENTRAL MISSOURI: JAN 21 - 1:30 PM
The Jennies
(16-0, 12-0 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.
The Best of the Best
The Jennies set their program record for longest winning streak on Thursday after they escaped Maryville with a 68-67 win over Northwest Missouri State. The Jennies and Griffons both are on long winning streaks, and the matchup will feature three of the top-six scorers in the conference (UCM's Brooke Littrell, 19.7 points per game; MWSU's
Brionna Budgetts, 17.1 points per game; and MWSU's
Connie Clarke, 15 points per game), and the top-two rebounders in the MIAA (Clarke, 9.4 rebounds per game; Littrell, 8.9 rebounds per game).
Conference Implications
A win for the Griffons (16-4, 10-2 MIAA) would bring them to within one game of the Jennies for the conference lead. Central Missouri can extend their lead on the Griffons to three games with a win and has a chance to do the same to the other team sitting at 10-2 in the MIAA, Nebraska-Kearney, when they travel to play the Lopers in a few weeks' time.
Head Coach
Dave Slifer is in season No. 19 at the helm for the Jennies. He is 3901-166 overall and 255-107 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 19.7 PPG, good for second in the MIAA. She also is second in the league in rebounding with 8.9 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 12.6 PPG. Junior forward Ashley Tull is second on the team in rebounds, pulling down 5.9 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.
