ST. JOSEPH, Mo. — After nearly half a month away from play, Griffon Men's Basketball is back home this Saturday to take on Avila at the MWSU Fieldhouse.

TICKETS + WHERE TO WATCH/LISTEN
Griffon MBB (8-3, 3-3 MIAA) will hit 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. 
 
Games are also available to watch for a subscription fee on the MIAA Network. Both pregame shows start 30 minutes prior to tipoff. Game admission can be found in the "Tickets" tab.

NOTABLES

• The Griffons went 1-1 in MIAA play last time out, defeating No. 15 Emporia State on Dec. 14 before falling to Washburn on Dec. 16.
• Missouri Western State is eighth in the MIAA.
• With 81 threes made this season, Missouri Western is sixth in the conference.
• Western's 3-point defense is holding teams to 29.9%, good for second in the MIAA.
• The Griffons are the third-best rebounding team in the conference, pulling down 36.7 rebounds per game. They are third with 27.5 defensive RPG.
• With 43 blocked shots, MWSU is fourth in the MIAA. Western is third with 3.91 blocks per game.
• Senior forward JaRon Thames is sixth in the MIAA with 17 points per game. 
• Thames is also tied for conference lead in field goals made with 74. His clip of 54.4% ranks ninth. 
• With 383 minutes played, Thames is seventh in the MIAA.
• Junior guard Taye Fields leads the MIAA with 108 boards and 9.8 rebounds per game, ranking him 17th and 16 in NCAA Division II. The next closest player in the MIAA has 90 rebounds.
• With 84 defensive rebounds, Fields is sixth in DII. 
• Junior guard Julius Dixon is seventh in the MIAA with 22 made threes. Senior guard Reese Glover is 11th with 20, and junior guard Zion Swader is 18th with 18.
• Swader is sixth in the MIAA with a free-throw clip of 86.5%, and Fields is 10th at 84.6%. 
• On top of that, Swader is also 10th with 16 steals.
• Fields is fourth in the MIAA with 50 assists and 4.5 assists per game.
• With 15 blocks apiece, Fields and junior forward Kiani Saxon are tied for fourth in the MIAA.

12/30 - SCOUTING AVILA | 3:30 PM
On a two-game losing streak, Avila (2-6) is 1-5 when playing on the road this season. A member of the NAIA, the Eagles last played on Dec. 12 in an exhibition vs. DI program Lindenwood, losing 81-64. Avila is 13th out of 14 teams in the Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference. 

Who to Watch
Junior guard James Ross III is the only Eagle to average double figures in scoring, putting up 10.4 PPG. Junior forward Jehoiada Goins leads the team with 5.9 RPG, and freshman forward Matthew Boldt has a team-high seven blocks, proving to be a force on defense.

Head Coach
Tyler Bredehoeft is amidst his first season at Avila. Bredehoeft comes from Rock Valley College, where in three seasons as the head coach, RVC posted a 64-35 overall record with two Region IV Championships and a Final Four appearance to boot. In all three seasons under Bredehoeft, the Golden Eagles posted 20+ win seasons. He was also an assistant coach for Emporia State during the 2018-19 season, helping lead the Hornets to a 14-16 season and their first MIAA Tournament since 2014. 

Have We Met Yet?
Yes, quite a few times as a matter of fact. Since the first meeting in 1974, Western has gone 18-3 vs. Avila. The Eagles' last win in the series occurred in 1984 when Avila won 65-62 in a double-overtime finish. The Griffons have not fallen to Avila since Western became a DII institution in 1989. When playing in St. Joseph, the Griffs are 14-2 vs. the Eagles. 

Last Time Out
Box Score
Last playing on Nov. 26, 2022, MWSU defeated Avila 62-45 thanks to a game-high 15 points by Fields inside the Fieldhouse. Slinging three assists in the process, Fields also brought down six rebounds. He was complemented by 10 points and nine rebounds from Dixon. Western's defense held Avila to 28.3% from the field and 29.4% from downtown, coming away with five blocks. 

ON THIS DAY IN GRIFFON MBB HISTORY
Dec. 30 | Box Score
Fueled by a multi-pronged effort with six MWSU players scoring in double figures, the 2009 Griffs defeated Missouri Southern 89-84 at the Fieldhouse. Justin Taylor led the way with 18 points and made 3-of-7 shots from deep. Dominique Thuston helped out with 14 points, and Martin Nolan had 13. Southern turned the ball over 21 times in the contest and shot a low 57.9% from the charity stripe.