ST. JOSEPH, Mo. — With the shake of a six-game skid, Missouri Western has a chance to complete a regular-season series of sweep of Emporia State this Saturday at the MWSU Fieldhouse.
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 Derek Zimmerman-Guyer on the call. 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.
GARY FILBERT DAY
At halftime of the men's game, legendary MWSU Men's Basketball head coach Gary Filbert will be recognized with a plaque, honoring his memory and his 13-year career at Missouri Western. In that time, Filbert went 210-171, leading the Griffons to three NAIA National Tournaments and two NAIA District 16 Championships, winning his second to wrap up his final season in 1982.
GOT THEIR SWAGGER BACK
It was a long road back into the win column for Missouri Western (9-12, 5-10 MIAA) during that six-game losing streak, but the end of that streak proved to be enlightening. Not only did the Griffons get back junior forward
Will Eames after missing him for seven games due to a broken hand, Missouri Western also won its second overtime game this season, last doing so in the season opener vs. Minnesota Duluth. The Griffs are now 2-0 in OT games thanks to junior forward
JaRon Thames' game-winning layup that banked off the glass and in to conclude Thursday night's 81-80 victory over Washburn. Thames' 21 points signaled a season-high, and it also made him the second Griffon in two games to score 20+ points after sophomore guard
Taye Fields put up 20 at Nebraska Kearney last weekend.
A WARRIOR'S WILL
Speaking of being back, Eames returned in a big way vs. Washburn, scoring 12 points and snagging eight rebounds in 33 minutes played off the bench. Eames made his first shot attempt since Jan. 7 at then No. 5/4 Northwest Missouri State, knocking down a turnaround, fadeaway jumper with a little help from the rim. In Eames' absence, the Griffons went 1-6 after starting the season 7-6 with him starting all 13 games.
SCOUTING EMPORIA STATE: FEB. 4 - 3:30 PM
A top-three team in the league, third-place Emporia State (17-5, 11-5) comes in receiving 23 votes in the
NABC Coaches' Poll but is looking for revenge against the Griffs. Missouri Western dropped then No. 22 ESU back Dec. 19 of 2022, 68-64, in Emporia, Kansas, at White Auditorium. Since then, the Hornets are 8-3 but are coming off a 63-52 loss at No. 4/6 Northwest Missouri State this past Thursday.
Head Coach
Craig Doty is in season number five at Emporia, holding an overall collegiate record of 234-110, 72-60 at ESU and a record of 49-44 in the MIAA. Doty's record has improved drastically, leading ESU to 20 wins for the time in over 10 years last season. Doty is 4-4 vs. MWSU, 2-3 vs. MWSU Head Coach
Will Martin and 1-2 in St. Joe during his time with ESU.
Who to Watch
The dangerous, dynamic duo of junior guards Owen Long and Alijah Comithier have been spearheading ESU's scoring attack all season. Long's average of 17.4 points per game ranks fourth in the MIAA, while Comithier's line of 14 PPG is good for 14th. Long scored 23 points last time vs. MWSU, but Comithier only chipped in seven.
Record Rabbit Hole
Since first clashing in 1976, Missouri Western owns a 46-36 advantage against Emporia State and is 26-16 vs. the Hornets when playing inside of the Looney Complex. Since the turn of the century, Emporia is only 6-11 in St. Joseph.
Last Time Out
Box Score | Video Recap
Stepping foot onto Emporia's home court where it was 4-0 at seemed daunting at first, especially after the Griffons suffered a crushing defeat just two days prior at Washburn. That daunting feeling seemed to prove itself true when ESU took a 17-5 lead halfway through the first half. However, MWSU kept its composure and kept tightly knit, threading together a second-half comeback thanks to a balanced-scoring attack. No Griffon scored more than
Reed Kemp's team-high 13 points, but four other Griffs did score 11 points or more, as Eames (12), sophomore guard
Julius Dixon (12) junior guard
Reese Glover (12) and sophomore guard
Taye Fields (11) banded together to hand No. 22 Emporia State its first of just two home losses this season.
ON THIS DAY IN GRIFFON MEN'S BASKETBALL HISTORY: FEB. 4
Box Score | Video Recap
Much like the current-day Griffons will do so with ESU on Saturday, the Griffs of 2016 hosted a 15-6 Lindenwood team that was several spots above them in the MIAA standings. While that was the case, it did not matter to the likes of MWSU's Miles Wentzien and Trey Sampson. Wentzien went off for a game-high 21 points in 28 minutes, with Sampson sinking 3-of-3 shots from downtown to help him score 19. Missouri Western took a commanding 42-28 lead into the break and never broke, beating the former MIAA members, 88-78.
NOTABLES
- Glover still needs just five points to break 900 in his career. He also needs one assist for his 100th.
- Thames is 20 points away from reaching 800 for his career.
- With one more point, Eames will tie Lamont Turner for 10th all-time in program history with 1,138 points.
- Fields' next made free throw will be the 100th of his career. He also needs 11 assists to match 100.
- Sophomore guard Zion Swader (204) reached over 200-career points with an eight-point night vs. Washburn.
