KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Missouri Western Women's Basketball takes on Fort Hays State in the quarterfinal round of the MIAA Tournament on Thursday at 8:15 p.m. at Municipal Auditorium in a regional-rankings showdown that will go a long way in determining who goes to the NCAA Tournament.

KEEPING UP WITH THE GRIFFONS
Converge of Missouri Western's quarterfinal can be found live on 95.3FM/680 AM, with "The Voice of the Griffons" Tommy Rezac and Director of Athletic Communications Derek Zimmerman-Guyer on the call. Coverage will start 30 minutes before the 8:15 tip. Tune in for pregame coverage for an exclusive interview with Griffons' Head Coach Candi Whitaker.

A FAMILIAR FOE
Fort Hays State (19-11, 14-8 MIAA) and Missouri Western (24-6, 18-4 MIAA) are no strangers to facing off when the lights are brightest, and when these teams meet, fireworks usually follow. The two MIAA foes haven't met often in Kansas City, however. In the 20 years that the MIAA Tournament has been hosted at Municipal Auditorium, the two schools have only squared off one time, a 71-58 win for Fort Hays during Whitaker's first season in 2019. The only other time the two teams squared off in March was Missouri Western's epic comeback win in Hays, Kansas, that crowned Missouri Western as Central Region Champions and sent the Griffs to the Elite Eight. 

CHASING RECORD, TAKING NAMES
Brionna Budgetts needs 11 3-pointers to tie Katrina Roenfeldt's season record of 86 in a season. Should the Griffons make a run in the postseason, Budgetts would have ample time to reel the record in, as she is averaging 2.5 made 3-pointers a game. Budgetts' total number of 75 made threes is the first time a Griffon has hit 70 or more triples since Roenfeldt set the record in 2018-19.

SCOUTING FORT HAYS: 8:15 PM
The Tigers and Griffons have traded blows this season already, with both teams winning their respective road games. The Tigers dealt the Griffons one of only two losses that MWSU suffered at the Looney Complex this season, while the Griffons took down the Tigers in a double-overtime thriller to secure a milestone 200th win for Whitaker. 

Head Coach
Tony Hobson is no stranger to winning in Kansas City. Hobson's teams have made at least the conference semifinals every year since 2018, including winning the conference tournament twice in that span. Overall, Hobson is 331-118 with Fort Hays and 207-94 in conference play. Hobson is 18-8 against the Griffons all-time and 1-1 in postseason play. 

Who to Watch
Katie Wagner leads the Tigers in both points per game and rebounds per game, putting up 14.9 points and 7.7 rebounds per game. Olivia Hollenbeck is the only other Tiger scoring more than 10 or more a night scoring 12.7 PPG and is second on the team in rebounds with 4.9 RPG. Sydney Golladay leads Fort Hays with 121 assists on the season. 

Record Rabbit Hole
The Tigers lead the all-time series with the Tigers, 28-23. Fort Hays owns the only win between the two teams in Kansas City, and both teams have winning records on their home floors. 

Last Time Out
Box Score | Video Recap
A double-OT nail-biter led to the Griffons taking down Fort Hays State in Hays, Kansas, 82-81. Budgetts went nuclear in the win, scoring 29 points and nailing five 3-pointers. Connie Clarke added 16 points and seven rebounds, while Mary Fultz added a double-double off the bench with 12 points and 10 rebounds. Wagner scored 20 points for the Tigers in the loss, while also grabbing 17 rebounds. Clarke hit the game-winning layup with just two seconds to go, with Fort Hays' final shot coming up just short.

NOTABLES

• Clarke broke 200 rebounds for the season in the last game the Griffons played.
• Budgetts broke 500 points last time out and is 87 away from the Griffons' single-season record.
• Ten Griffons have over 10 assists on the season
• The Griffons went 1-1 last time they played in the conference tournament, but they also won their last game at Municipal Auditorium. That game was a 101-96 overtime win over No. 23/18 Lubbock Christian in the D2CCA Women's Basketball Tipoff Classic.

ON THIS DAY IN GRIFFON WOMEN'S BASKETBALL HISTORY: MARCH 2
Box Score | Video Recap
The Griffons beat Southwest Baptist on the final day of the 2012-13 season on March 2. Heather Howard led Missouri Western with 14 points and 13 rebounds, while Sharniece Lewis scored 12 points off the bench. No other Griffon scored in double-digits in the 71-64 win on Senior Day.