ST. JOSEPH, Mo. — Griffon Women's Basketball takes on Newman on Wednesday at the MWSU Fieldhouse in a game that has become a must-win for the Griffons' MIAA title hopes and for the Jets' aspirations of making the conference tournament.
KEEPING UP WITH THE GRIFFONS
KFEQ Radio will broadcast the game live on the 680 AM and 95.3 FM with the "Voice of the Griffons" Tommy Rezac and Director of Athletic Communications Derek Zimmerman-Guyer on the call inside the Looney Complex. Fans that want to watch the game can purchase a subscription to the MIAA network. Admission can be purchased by clicking on the "Tickets" tab above. Catch an exclusive interview with Head Coach
Candi Whitaker during the pregame show.
FACULTY & STAFF APPRECIATION NIGHT + STUDENT-ATHLETE ACADEMIC HONORS NIGHT
Faculty and staff members as well as student-athletes with academic honors will be honored on Wednesday night for their hard work and dedication to Missouri Western. Griffon Women's Basketball will also hold autograph signings once their game has concluded.
ABOUT LAST SATURDAY
With 3,265 fans in attendance, the largest crowd of the season saw the Griffons take down rival Northwest Missouri on February 18, as the Griffons cruised to their sixth sweep of the Bearcats in the 10 years.
Trinity Knapp led the Griffs with 16 points in the win, and MWSU continues to push for a top finish in the league.
FIRST PLACE IN SIGHT
The Griffons sit a game and a half back of first-place Nebraska Kearney. The Lopers face Fort Hays State this weekend in Hays, Kansas, and if the Griffons are to get a share of the title, they must win all of their remaining games. A win over the Jets is first, followed up with a matchup with Pittsburg State on the horizon. Should the Griffons win both of those games, and should the Lopers fall at Fort Hays, the Griffons would share the MIAA Regular-Season Championship with the Lopers.
SCOUTING THE JETS: FEB. 22 - 5:30 PM
The Jets (9-16, 6-14 MIAA) are winners of two-straight games, taking down Rogers State and Northeastern at home over the weekend. Newman currently sits in ninth in the MIAA standings and can move as high as seventh with two wins this weekend.
Head Coach
Husband and wife combo Drew Johnson and Nicole Ohlde-Johnson lead the Jets. The pair are 12-41 overall as co-head coaches and 7-35 in the MIAA. This is year number two for the pair in charge of the program. Last season, they only played and lost the Griffons one time. They lost to the Griffons earlier this season in Newman. Qualification for the MIAA tournament would mark the first time the program has ever done so, and the first conference tournament they have made since making the championship game of the Heartland Conference Tournament in 2019.
Who to Watch
Britney Ho leads Newman in scoring and rebounding. The senior center is scoring 18.1 points per game, good for third in the MIAA. She also is grabbing 6.5 rebounds per game. Senior guard Carissa Beck is scoring 8.4 points to come in second place on the Jets, while fifth-year guard Maddie Spagnola is averaging 8.2 PPG and pulling down 3.5 RPG.
Record Rabbit Hole
Since the two schools started playing in 2004, the Griffons have never lost against the Jets. The Griffons are 8-0 all-time against Newman and 4-0 at the MWSU Fieldhouse. The two schools began battling while Newman was still and NAIA school, as well as playing a handful of non-conference games while the Jets were in the Heartland. This will be the fifth time the two have met in MIAA play.
Last Time Out
Box Score
Junior guard
Brionna Budgetts took over the game, scoring a game-high 21 points. The Griffons pulled away early, leading by 21 at the half. They went on to win handily, 74-52, in Wichita, Kansas. Ho led the Jets with 16 points and 10 rebounds, and no other Jet was able to crack double-digits.
NOTABLES
- The Griffons sit fourth in the nation in total assists, dishing out a stunning 487 on the season.
- Budgetts is in 11th in the country in made 3-pointers with 75.
- Missouri Western is out-rebounding opponents by nearly four rebounds per game, 38.7 to 34.9.
ON THIS DAY IN GRIFFON WOMEN'S BASKETBALL HISTORY: FEB. 22
Box Score |
Video Recap
Corbyn Cunningham's 18 points led to the Griffons' trouncing Missouri Southern on this day in 2020. Two other Griffons scored in double-digits en route to a 76-47 win over the Lions. The Griffons won thanks 28 points off turnovers as well as 36 points in the paint.
