ST. JOSEPH, Mo. — In search of their first 3-0 start since 2021, Griffon Women's Basketball opens up their home schedule with a 5:30 p.m. matchup this Monday vs. the University of Saint Mary at the MWSU Fieldhouse.

TICKETS + WHERE TO WATCH/LISTEN
Griffon WBB (2-0) will grace the airwaves of KFEQ Radio, as fans can tune in with the "Voice of the Griffons" Tommy Rezac and MWSU Director of Athletic Communications Derek Zimmerman-Guyer on the call. The game will air on KFEQ - AM 680 and the KFEQ Live Stream.

The game is also available to watch for a subscription fee on the MIAA Network. Tipoff is set for 5:30 p.m., with pregame starting at 5. Game admission can be found in the "Tickets" tab.

NOTABLES

• The Griffons set a new program record for threes made in a season-opening win over Winona State on Nov. 10 at Civc Arena, sinking 17 treys from downtown.
• Junior guard Mackenzie Hart scored 22 points in her Griffon debut during MWSU's win over Winona, shooting 6-for-9 from beyond the arc.
• Freshman guard Tiani Ellison has the best shooting percentage in the MIAA, holstering a clip of 66.7% (10-of-15) from the field. 
• Senior forward Connie Clarke had a game-high 25 points in MWSU's win over Concordia-St. Paul on Nov. 11.
• At 63.6% (7-of-11), Hart is currently the most accurate 3-point shooter in the MIAA.
• Western's average of 87 points per game is No. 1 in the conference.
• This is MWSU's third-straight season playing Saint Mary.
• The Griffons remain No. 25 in the WBCA Top-25 Poll.

11/20 - SCOUTING SAINT MARY | 5:30 PM
An NAIA program and a member of the Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference, Saint Mary (4-2) comes in with back-to-back wins under its belt. The Spires beat Avila 66-54 at home on Nov. 15 in Leavenworth, Kansas, before defeating Sterling 73-57 on the road on Saturday, Nov. 18. Saint Mary is 2-0 on the road this season, winning by an average margin of 9.5 points when away from home. The Spires went 21-11 in 2022-23, winning their first-ever KCAC Championship and making it all the way to the NAIA Tournament. 

Who to Watch
Senior forward Tanea Sims is sizzling through her first six games, averaging the third-most points in the KCAC at 14.8. She's also fourth in the conference with 7.8 rebounds per game. Junior guard Alanis Delgado is second on the team with 11.3 PPG, and senior guard Demi Aamold rounds out the scoring with 10.3 PPG. Averaging just 12.7 minutes per game, graduate guard Rebecca Gilpin had made the most of her time by making 8-of-11 shots for three, notching a conference-high 3-point percentage of 72.7%. 

Head Coach
In his third season with Saint Mary, Andy Kelley helped Saint Mary break a team record with 21 wins last season. He is 35-33 as a Spire and 0-2 vs. MWSU. 

Record Rabbit Hole
The Griffons are perfect vs. the Spires, holding a 7-0 advantage in the all-time series since first playing in 1999. All seven of those victories took place in St. Joseph, with MWSU winning by an average margin of 43.9 points.

Last Time Out
Box Score | Video Recap
Playing last season on Dec. 28, 2022, inside the MWSU Fieldhouse, the Griffons defeated the Spires 94-65 to improve to 10-4, winning their of an eventual 11-game winning streak. Leading 52-24 at halftime, the Griffons were led by then-junior guard Brionna Budgetts' game-high 26 points. Budgetts benefited from a stellar night from 3-point land, hitting seven threes to tie a team record. Clarke chipped in with 20 points of her own, and then-junior forward Mary Fultz scored 16 points off the bench. The Griffon defense held the Spires to a mark of 39.1% from the field.

ON THIS DAY IN GRIFFON WBB HISTORY
Nov. 10 | Box Score | Video Recap
Opening their own home slate nine years ago, the 2014-15 Griffons' home opener vs. Rockhurst went down to the wire. After a 29-29 halftime tie, MWSU outrebounded Rockhurst 20-15 in the second half to eventually propel themselves to a 71-69 win. Western was led by LaQuinta Jefferson and her game-high 23 points.