ST. JOSEPH, Mo. — For the second time in the Candi Whitaker Era, Griffon Women's Basketball has swept Northwest Missouri State, defeating the Bearcats, 75-59, on Saturday afternoon at the MWSU Fieldhouse to win their fifth game in a row.

Missouri Western (23-5, 17-3 MIAA) led Northwest (13-13, 8-12 MIAA) from bell-to-bell, taking the first lead of the game with a Trinity Knapp layup 38 seconds into the game. After taking a narrow, 18-12 lead through one quarter, MWSU imposed its will on Northwest, clamping the Bearcats to just eight points in the second period. The Griffons put up 21 points going into the break, ending the first half on a 5-0 run thanks to a bucket from Jordan Cunningham and an and-one conversion at the buzzer by Brionna Budgetts.

The Griffons kept their 39-20 halftime lead in healthy condition throughout the second half, keeping Northwest at arm's length for the rest of the afternoon. The Bearcats lived and died by the three, making 5-of-20 shots from downtown. Meanwhile, MWSU shot 46.5% (7-of-15) from beyond the arc, putting Northwest's defense through the grinder with three Griffs scoring 10 points or more. 

NOTABLES

• Connie Clarke collected her 12th double-double of the season and the 21st of her career.
• Knapp's 16 points were one shy of matching her career-high from Dec. 19 at Emporia State.
• Cleao Murray scored 10 points off the bench, snagging a career-high seven rebounds in the process.
• This is MWSU's first sweep of Northwest since the 2019-2020 season.
• Missouri Western dished 19 assists, recording 18 assists or more for the fourth game in a row.

UP NEXT
The Griffons take on Newman (9-16, 6-14 MIAA) on Wednesday at 5:30 p.m. in St. Joseph at the MWSU Fieldhouse. The Jets are winners of two in a row, most recently defeating Rogers State, 58-47, on Saturday in Wichita, Kansas. Missouri Western took Newman down the road, 74-52, earlier this season on Jan. 12.