ST. JOSEPH, Mo. —  Refueled with newfound swagger and back-to-back wins, Griffon Men's Basketball can extend their winning streak to three games with road MIAA matchups vs. Northeastern State and Rogers State slated for this Thursday and Saturday in Oklahoma.

KEEPING UP WITH THE GRIFFONS
KFEQ Radio will broadcast both games live on 680 AM and 95.3 FM with the "Voice of the Griffons" Tommy Rezac and MWSU Director of Athletic Communications Derek Zimmerman-Guyer on the call inside the NSU Events Center and the Claremore Expo Center. Fans that want to watch the games can purchase a subscription to the MIAA network, where the games will be broadcast live. Admission can be purchased by clicking on the "Tickets" tab above.

POSTSEASON PUSH
Just when it looked like Missouri Western (10-12, 6-10 MIAA) was down and out to the rest of the MIAA, the Griffons responded with one of their best back-to-back set of games this season. Last week marks the first time MWSU won both of its conference clashes in a single homestand, hanging on for nail-biting wins over Washburn and Emporia State. With a six-game losing streak in their rearview mirror and a potential three-game tear ahead of them on Thursday, the Griffons are 6-3 in single-digit contests this season. Turning a new page even further, last week was also the first time this year MWSU won back-to-back single-digit games.

Just on the outside of the MIAA Tournament bracket and in 11th place, MWSU has six games remaining to overtake Central Missouri (11-11, 7-9 MIAA) for the 10th and final spot or possbily higher in the race to Kansas City.

WILL'S WAY BACK
When it comes to junior forward Will Eames, it seems like nothing can keep him down for long. Despite breaking his left hand at No. 5/4 Northwest Missouri State on Jan. 7 and being expected to miss four to six weeks, Eames came back just three and a half weeks later, averaging 14.5 points and 8.5 rebounds per game while playing off the bench against Washburn and Emporia State. Even though he missed seven games, Eames showed he is still in tip-top shape when running the court, playing 33 and 34 minutes in last week's games, respectively. While he only scored five points vs. NSU the first time around on Jan. 1, Eames exploded for a season-high 19 points against RSU on Dec. 31, 2022, snagging eight rebounds and making 7-of-13 shots from the field in the process. 

If Eames scores 10 points or more vs. NSU on Thursday, it will be his third time this season with three consecutive games in double-figures.

SCOUTING NORTHEASTERN STATE: FEB. 9 - 7:30 PM
After defeating MWSU in the first go-around and eventually starting the season 9-5, the RiverHawks (10-10, 7-9 MIAA) have lost five of their last six games. Spiraling with a three-game losing streak, ninth-place NSU is coming off losses against Emporia State, Washburn and Rogers State. On the bright side for NSU, none of those losses were decided by more than 11 points. On the other hand, the 'Hawks have never swept the regular-season series of the Griffs. Before their initial matchup earlier this season, NSU had lost its last five meetings with MWSU. Overall, the RiverHawks are 3-6 since beating the Griffons to begin the new year.

Head Coach
Ja Havens is in his third year leading Northeastern State, compiling a 36-42 record with the RiverHawks, a 21-37 mark in the MIAA and an overall career record of 162-114. He is 1-2 vs. Martin and the Griffons and 0-1 when hosting MWSU in Tahlequah, Oklahoma. His team is 7-4 at the NSU Events Center this season but is 2-2 at home since the beginning of 2023. His offense's 74.6 PPG is the third-highest average in the MIAA, and NSU is the best 3-point shooting team in the league with a hit mark of 40.1% from deep. 

Who to Watch
Sophomore guard Christian Cook will be public enemy number one for MWSU, as he hit a team-high 18 points on 4-of-6 shooting from downtown in the first matchup. He's first in the conference with a slash of 46.9% from downtown and is averaging 18.3 PPG in his last four outings, boosting him to fifth in the MIAA at 17.2 PPG overall. Fellow sophomore guard Bailey Dillon (14.8 PPG, ninth in MIAA) will also need to be held in check due to his 18-point effort vs. MWSU on Jan. 2. Rounding out NSU's scoring attack is Rashad Perkins (13.9 PPG, 14 in MIAA), who scored 16 points last time out at the MWSU Fieldhouse.

Record Rabbit Hole
Since starting Division II play against Northeastern in 2003, the Griffons hold a 10-5 advantage in the all-time series. The Griffons are 3-3 when visiting Tahlequah but have won their last two visits down south. Missouri Western last played at the NSU Events Center on Dec. 8, 2020, beating the 'Hawks, 103-82.

Last Time Out
Box Score | Video Recap
Revenge will be on the Griffons' minds this Thursday, as NSU escaped the MWSU Fieldhouse with a 75-73 victory on the second night of the new year. The Griffons erased 24-point deficit that stood with 13:04 left to play, eventually tying the game with two seconds to play thanks to a 3-pointer by sophomore guard Julius Dixon. However, an accidental Griffon foul sent Dillon to the free-throw line, where he nailed both attempts to help his team survive their trip to St. Joe.

ON THIS DAY IN GRIFFON MEN'S BASKETBALL HISTORY: FEB. 9
Box Score 
During Head Coach Will Martin's first season with MWSU as an assistant coach during Sundance Wicks' first season with the program, the Griffons found themselves in a tale of two halves vs. Lindenwood on this day in 2018. After taking a 38-29 halftime lead, MWSU was outscored in the second half by Lindenwood, 52-50. However, the Lions didn't have a chance at stopping the likes of Tyus Millhollin and Lavon Hightower. Millhollin went nuclear with 21 points off the bench and 16 in the second half, making 10-of-10 shots from the charity stripe. Meanwhile, Hightower handled business in his starting role with 21 points and five assists.

SCOUTING ROGERS STATE: FEB. 11 - 3:30 P.M.
Improving to seventh place since the Griffs last saw Rogers State, the Hillcats (12-10, 8-8) are 4-6 since defeating MWSU on Dec. 31, 2022. Rogers shook off a 77-63  loss to Emporia State on Jan. 29 with a 78-67 win over Northeastern on Feb. 4 in Claremore. In the 10 games since RSU last saw MWSU, they endured a season-high three-game losing streak and are 2-3 in single-digit games, losing consecutive overtime games to Lincoln and Central Missouri while on the road. However, the Hillcats are 10-2 when playing at the Claremore Expo Center, last losing there on Jan. 7 to No. 8 Central Oklahoma, 84-75.

This is game two of a three-game homestand for RSU.

Head Coach
In his 12th season commanding RSU, Justin Barkley is 246-130 overall and 43-36 in the MIAA. He is 2-3 vs. MWSU and 1-2 vs. Martin's team and is 0-1 when playing the Griffs on his home court. 

Who to Watch
With a 14-point night vs. MWSU already down this season, senior center Joey Saracco leads his team with the 13th-most PPG in the MIAA at 14.1. His streak of 15-straight games with 11 points or more came to a close on Jan. 29, only scoring a combined eight points in his last two games. Averaging the 18th-most PPG in the league at 13.7, senior guard Chris Whitaker is picking up Saracco's slack with 36 combined points in his last two outings, shooting 54.5% from the field in the process. Whitaker went white-hot for a season-high 25 points vs Northeastern last time out on Feb. 4.

Record Rabbit Hole
Missouri Western is 3-2 all-time vs. Rogers State and is 1-0 when playing at the Claremore Expo Center.

Last Time Out
Box Score | Video Recap
The Griffons battled it out with Rogers State when these two teams tangoed on New Year's Eve of 2022, with the last game of the calendar year coming down to one final shot. Rogers led by as much as 11 in the first half but couldn't hold off the Griffons for long. Down by two with 44 seconds left to tick in the second half, Eames drained a jumper to tie the game and eventually gave MWSU a 61-60 lead thanks to a free throw after his and-one bucket. Whitaker and the Hillcats took the lead right back just 24 seconds later with two more free throws, leaving the game in the hands of Dixon. While Dixon got a clean look at the end, his 3-pointer at the buzzer came up just shy, allowing RSU to walk away with the 62-61 win.

ON THIS DAY IN GRIFFON MEN'S BASKETBALL HISTORY: FEB. 11
Box Score
Facing a 14-7 University of Nebraska-Omaha team, MWSU's Marcus Rhodes and Lonnel Johnson went full throttle on the Mavericks. Rhodes scored a game-high 23 points and made 7-of-7 attempts at the free-throw line in just 28 minutes played, while Johnson hit the jackpot with 21 points off 3-of-6 shooting from deep while dishing four assists. In a game the Griffons never trailed in, they defeated Nebraska-Omaha, 83-77. 

NOTABLES

• Dixon is just a 3-pointer away from his 300th-point scored as a Griffon this season. He made his 100th-field goal of the season last time out vs. Emporia State.
• Junior guard Reese Glover surpassed 900-career points with a nine-point night vs. Emporia. He still needs one more assist for the 100th of his career.
• Sophomore guard Taye Fields recently grabbed the 100th-offensive rebound of his career.
• Eames' 17 points vs. ESU helped him pass Mike Cornelious (1989-91, 1,153 points) for ninth all-time in program history. Currently at 1,154 points, Eames needs 11 more to pass Randy Dickerson (1998-00, 1,164 points) for eighth all-time. 
• With two wins this week, Martin can can reach the 40th victory of his head-coaching career.